RAIN!

Posted on October 31, 2003 in Old Fire Weather

The neighborhood kids were home for a school holiday of some sort. Their squeals and shouts suddenly went quiet. Then, I heard water. Water that I first suspected was flowing from a hose as it dribbled off the decks. I sniffed the air. Looked out the window. Rain. Heading east, northeast. Towards the fires.

A hound yelped against the noise of heaven’s river. I heard the slobber and the hiss of cars as they plowed through the wetted streets. A few minutes later, it stopped and the kids came out again to play in a garage across the street.

The air has been purged. My cousin Lillian, who called me yesterday to ask my advice about dealing with an asthma attack, will have clean air for her recovery. The rain may not be enough to drown the fires, but it will help the firefighters. By Sunday they may well be setting themselves to the task of dousing hotspots.

Now for the work of reconstruction which must begin with helping those now homeless, with no roof to protect them from the rain.