Smell the rain

It blasted rain last night, for anyone up at 1am who had taken too long of a nap during the day. It was brilliant. The noise demanded my attention away from my movie and I sat on the patio to watch. The wind was pushing it to a slight angle and the unnatural orange building lights made it glow. Sitting down, I couldn't see the playground through the bushes, but I could hear the drops smack the metal and plastic. And I could smell it. Fresh, wet bark. I love the feelings that stir from a smell. It's so primitive and thorough - engages your whole body somehow through the memory. And the vacuum of cold air that comes with the storm - No sprinkler could ever emulate.

It stopped almost as quickly as it came on. A prelude to the autumn that I look forward to every year.