After the Storms

More storms pushed across the mountain last night, though I was snug and dry in my cabin. This morning the sky is clearing, with patches of sun showing through, only to be covered up by clouds a minute or so later, followed by drizzle a minute after that, and then more sun. I took this morning’s photo during a brief sunny moment, with the long shadows stretching across the rain-soaked grass near Roundtop’s upper entrance.

Before I got back to the cabin, the drizzle started again. I didn’t mind getting a bit damp. The gentle drops felt comforting and made me feel more a part of the landscape than I would have had I been shielded from it. Instead I was sharing in the bounty of the rain with the forest around me. The drops on my face were more moisturizing than the best department store concoction.

The air has freshened now that storms are finally through and reminds me of a northern coastal area—Nova Scotia, perhaps. I can almost imagine a fog horn in the distance. Instead, this morning the Appalachian birds were in full voice. Even songs that had quieted with the start of the nesting season were raised with the clearing weather. I heard bluebirds, ovenbirds, wood thrush, indigo bunting, crow, towhee, chipping sparrow, peewees, phoebes, cardinals, mockingbirds and even the local Canada geese got into the act with some drama of their own. Of course, geese don’t need much excuse for drama, but that’s a topic for another day.