Rainy day, vacation day

Soft sounds of dripping on leaves in the night, and a day of unrelenting rain. In the middle of a summer of sunny, often humid days, a long, long cool shower. A day of forced indoor activity -- so easy on a Sunday with the fat NY Times to read -- love its newly designed and expanded editorial section -- and, of course, my beloved crossword puzzle. And the Sunday magazine with its varied articles. A kind of vacation from summer habit of walking on the beach, making the best of a beautiful afternoon.

But then -- a power outage and the sky so sunless my eyes strained to read by the window, even a lighted candle was a strain. What to do? Go somewhere that had light since it seemed to be only our apartment complex without electricity. What a mistake it was to go to the nearby mall! All the denizens of the empty beach were there as restless as I and much noisier. I often feel charmed that parking spaces open up for me which happened but I fled anyway - across the street to a strip mall much less favored, a little shopping errand and then a lengthy, slightly guilty sweet and coffee while I read a magazine in a leisurely way. Back home the electricity was restored. The rain continues -- it has come in gentle and serious impulses all day. Gentle at the moment. The air feels soft, wet, of course, but not humid. The grass is grateful and will show its appreciation by growing and glowing greenly tomorrow. I like weather, I don't mind having to adjust my plans to accommodate what the sky offers me.