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One of the happiest days in this entire sweltering summer happened to me last Thursday afternoon when rain soaked me to my skin twice around noon time. Not only was I dressed nice but I had even bothered to make my hair look a bit decent and in humid weather that is no small trick. In fact when my hair did get wet in this downpour as it did, I had hair glue all over my face and clothes but did I fuss or go home and change clothes? No I did not; I dried out, touched up my now stringy hair and went to Garden Club at 2 o’clock, a bit disheveled but ready to spend money.

By the way, the much anticipated Annual White Elephant Auction raised a phenomenal amount of money to fund the Garden Clubs’ yearly donations even in this time of an economic downturn! It goes to show that women will go out rain or shine and brother this was a more than rain, it was what we called in Southeast Texas, a Gully Washer or a Frog Strangler. I think we had about 45 women present for the auction and about 4 tables full of some of the nicest items for sale we’ve had in a long time.

The biggest item donated for sale was a beautiful handmade quilt made by the mother/daughter team of Freda Baber and her daughter Nancy Talley. This beautiful lap quilt went for a sizable amount which I will not mention here nor the lady in question who bought it as she might have told her husband that it only cost ten bucks. Men don’t need to know everything do they? Nancy also served as a helper to long time auctioneer, Norma Honeycutt and in less than two hours all those goodies were in hands of top bidders.

Anyway, back to the much needed and prayed for rain, it was a question not about “did you get any rain, but more about how much rain did you get?” The first liar does not have a chance in this. I went out to look at our rain gauge yesterday and here at the Smith Ranch we got the biggest rain we’ve seen in years in just a few hours. I read 3 inches on the gauge. I went in to tell Pat how much we got and he was so happy but I think a bit doubtful because we only remember getting 3 inches at one rain once before and that year three counties flooded. When he looked he said we got 2.85 inches and I pointed out to him that was just because he is nearly 6 feet tall and looks almost eye to rain gauge and I being 5ft 2 ½ inches looked at the gauge upwards and it dern sure looked like 3 inches to me and so I didn’t lie, I am just short sighted so to speak. Whatever it was, it was wonderful.

The river here on our place had quit running a month ago and when I say running I mean barely moving. Up river toward the Dieke place there was not one spot of water to be seen but back the other way we have a deep hole that of course never has been empty but for the most part all we could see were little patches of water only inches deep for as far as we could see.

The morning after the 2.85 inch rain, I went out on the porch to look at the river and before I could see it I HEARD IT. What a glorious noise it made and how very long it had been since we had heard that noise. Our dogs barked at the noise and they cowered at the thunder because of their short memories had forgotten about weather related noises and they used our back porch as their bathroom as they DO NOT LIKE TO GET THEIR PAWS WET, but even having to clean that up didn’t cause me to fuss at the rain.

I think after all the months and years of drought conditions no one would ever speak of wishing the sun would shine and the rain would stop for fear of retaliation from Mother Nature. Speaking of sun as I was, if you have been for an annual physical this past year did your doctor in the tests that he ran tell you that you were deficient in Vitamin D? Two of Pats doctors wrote him prescriptions for Vitamin D because the test showed a deficiency. How could that be since we live in the ‘desert’ hill country and for a solid two years we have had nothing but sun and for 69 days temperatures were over 100, considerably over 100 and although he is not a sun bather, he is out and about more than he is inside.

I think the Vitamin D thing is a conspiracy put out by the pharmaceutical companies who think they haven’t made enough money this past year and thought this vitamin scare would increase their coffers. Then there is this to consider before you rush out and buy Vitamin D; many doctors pooh pooh the idea of taking vitamins if you lead a reasonable healthy life style and have good eating habits. So maybe they are ‘doing a job’ on our doctors? Who knows but all of a sudden a half dozen of people we know are talking abut taking Vitamin D these days so something is up.

Back to the rain again, although the look of the sky was dark and threatening when I left home all coiffed and dressed up (for me), I didn’t bring an umbrella for fear of jinxing the possibility of rain and therefore I was caught with no protection. As I ran into the Methodist Church meeting building early to leave off my auction items it was sprinkling. When I was leaving it came down in buckets and I grabbed a big trash bag from Holly Lawson, she put it over my head and shoulders and I poked two holes to see out of and took off.

I picked up lunch for Mary and the twins and took it over to them while Mary went off for a hair cut. When she returned it was raining even more and so I borrowed Maddy Hackers green Kermit the Frog umbrella and left for my Garden Club meeting. I made quite an entrance there a few minutes late sporting a green child’s umbrella and still pretty much soaked, but GOD BLESS THE RAIN and keep it coming. Brightly colored umbrellas and a field of white rain lilies are a sight for sore and dry eyes!