By Louie Ferrera

Rain, rain, rain! I’m so delighted to be experiencing actual winter weather for the first time in a long time. Too much of a good thing you might say? Never! The news media is doing its level best to try and rain (pun intended) on our parade. Hyperbole like “atmospheric river” and “bomb cyclone” do nothing but ratchet up the level of anxiety that most of us are already feeling in these uncertain times. I try my best to tune out this kind of fear mongering.

All over California reservoirs are full, the ground is surated, rivers and creeks once again sing songs of joy as they make their way happily to the sea. Trees and bushes, finally washed clean of dust and grime, once again have that glorious green glow to them. The vernal pools behind our house will soon be alive with the nightly chorus of frogs. Street side ditches in our neighborhood are filled with water and anxiously await  their first populations of tadpoles. It promises to be a banner year for amphibians. The sounds of rain are back too. The rat-a-tat of raindrops on our backyard deck’s roof and the whoosh of rain through the trees is literally music to my ears. And the mud! I love the squelchy sound it makes beneath my feet and the evidence of nocturnal creatures that’s left in it. We’re still conserving water though, as old habits die hard, but right now I don’t feel so guilty wasting a bit now and then. A long, hot shower is a simple pleasure that’s nice to indulge in.

Rainy day hikes have been rare these past years so I’ve been taking advantage of this gloriously wet winter by getting out in it as often as possible. The smell of wet earth, the green glow of the forest after a storm and the sounds of running water are all seasonal gifts that will vanish as soon as summer rolls along so I’m squeezing as much joy and appreciation out of them as I possibly can. And the rainbows…oh my! There have been so many this winter. I never tire of their brilliant hues and fleeting, mystical beauty. When I was teaching first grade one of our units of science study was weather. One day I told my students that I was going to make them some rainbows. It was a brilliant sunny day, we went outside and gathered around the dark outer wall of our classroom. I proceeded to pull a crystal out of my pocket the size of a ping pong ball. The sun shone through this crystal and cast hundreds of mini rainbows onto the wall. The collective gasp from the  kids is one of my most cherished teaching memories. Whenever I see a rainbow, that’s how I feel…every time!

The snowpack in the mountains and rainfall totals are off the charts but this wet winter is not done with us yet. Here in California, winter rains mean spring wildflowers. The daffodil and hyacinth bulbs that we’ve planted are all blooming; their bright yellow and vivid purple brushstrokes are everywhere. Next up the tulips and freecias  will add their colors to the palette. Springtime is on the horizon. I can picture in my mind’s eye the Monet quality of the impending wildflower blooms. Hillsides everywhere will literally explode with color.

I’m well aware that the unprecedented storms of this winter haven’t been all fun and games. High seas, crashing waves, mountains of snow and drenching rains have wreaked havoc on many communities. Familiar landscapes may never be the same. My heart goes out to all those who’ve suffered. The news media is keeping up its drumbeat of doom and gloom. “The drought is not over!”, they warn us. That may or may not be true but it’s hard to think drought while looking  at the scene being played out right now outside my kitchen window: lashing rain and towering eucalyptus trees bending like rubber in the wind. Let it rain! I’m digging every drop!