Until last week, we have not seen, felt, or smelled rain for about three months. It has been the dry season here in SW Florida and we’re going on our third year of drought. Last week the dry season ended when we got an inch of the wet stuff. Today the skies have given us two more inches, and it’s still falling.

This is a grand relief…not only to the aquifer, the grass, the trees, the flowers, the frogs, the birds, and the fish in the backyard pond… but a relief to our spirits and mental attitudes. To sit on the back porch and listen to the rain is music to the soul. As it pours off the rooftop filling the rain barrel, I am reminded that we must use it wisely and sparingly in case it doesn’t come again for a long while.

The rains bring a relief from the danger of wildfires and a boost to the wetlands that store and clean our drinking water and provide for the wild creatures that live there. It also brings a sense of calm and peace to my soul. The birds are out splashing in the raindrops, the frogs are calling, and the plants seem to be stretching to the heavens with joy. Ah….. the rainy season.