spring rain & "last night the rain spoke to me"

My favourite thing today was not the spring rain itself but Michal's delight in the rain. She was so happy when it started to pour and exclaimed: "I just love the rain!" Earlier a bunch of neighbourhood kids had been playing outside in the rain and got into a mud fight. Here's a picture of some of them:

After dinner Michal was frustrated that she had to do her Hebrew class because, as she put it, she felt like dancing in the rain. I like the rain too (the air smelled so full and rich) but it was Michal's pleasure that I liked the best today.

And because so many people mentioned Mary Oliver on the list I thought I'd include one of her rain poems here:

"Last Night the Rain Spoke to Me"

Last night

the rain

spoke to me

slowly, saying,

what joy

to come falling

out of the brisk cloud

to be happy again

in a new way

on the earth!

That's what it said

as it dropped,

smelling of iron,

and vanished

like a dream of the ocean

into the branches

and the grass below.

Then it was over.

The sky cleared.

I was standing

under a tree.

The tree was a tree

with happy leaves,

and I was myself,

and there were stars in the sky

that were also themselves

at the moment,

at which moment

my right hand

was holding my left hand

which was holding the tree

which was filled with stars

and the soft rain--

imagine! imagine!

the long and wondrous journeys

still to be ours.