A Good Pacific Northwest Spring Rain

Outside a persistent, early spring rain is falling as I write this. Big puddles are overflowing and western red cedar boughs are weeping delicate tears.

A vigorous spring rain makes it feel like all is right with the world.

Author Timothy Egan perfectly captured it in the title of his 1990 break-through book: The Good Rain. Which is exactly how I've felt about our will-it-never-end rain this past week.

I usually do a "celebrate the rain" blog post each spring, but this year I'm especially feeling it. We're coming off our 9th coldest winter on record and a record-breaking rainfall in February. Signs of spring are late and especially welcome.

The first bloom on my camellia. Some years they start to flower in January.

Tiny raindrops cling to spring green chives shooting up in my garden.

Unfurling of skunk cabbage, a true sign of spring in a NW coastal forest.

 With the spring rains, unlike a bone-chilling winter rain, bird calls accompany the drizzle. I know by the particular cadence and songs that they're spring bird songs. I can't name all the birds, but I know their seasonal songs.

The little guy on the right refused to smile for the camera. :)

One of my earliest memories is wandering in the rain in my rubber boots, splashing in puddles. I think I gave my mother a scare once by wandering off alone in the rain.

Raindrops in puddles

So really, that's all I wanted to say. I'm grateful for our rains this year in face of drought elsewhere, climate change, and increasing threats to our environment. 

A good rain feels life-affirming. Falling asleep to a steady rain last night and waking up this morning to the same was like a balm to my soul.

And I didn't have to imagine it last night.

And how do you feel about rain?

Welcome to spring!

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BTW, apologies for some font issues on this post! Blogger is being difficult. :(