Rain, Rain

Rain, man

2010 has been a pretty rainy year so far, and seems intent on ending wetly. It’s been a watery couple of days now and, if weather reports can be trusted, will continue to be that way through next week. Unlike the concerned garden guy, above, I love it … this morning’s pre-dawn walk was drizzly and perfect. And, there was enough of a lull in the wetness, once back at home, that I was able to get out in the yard to pull the odd weed and do some raking. Starting in the Rancho’s back yard, I was able to take stock, and have a look at the effect all that moisture has had on the garden …

Rear views

There’s something about the light that filters through rain clouds that visually sharpens edges, and, literally saturates the colors of succulents and other plants. Tiny yellow flowers pop more against dark gravel and the contrasting foliage of surrounding plants … the salmon tones of ruffle-rimmed echeverias are deeper and more intense … the shadows of a shrugging Cereus peruvianus Monstrosus are more profound. I love how green takes on a new complexity, appearing, by turns, cooler and brighter.

Shining path

In the front yard, the rain has added pop to the plants and decorative rocks and boulders there. Less varied than the backyard garden, the color story here is mostly green and blue, with occasional jolts of red and orange. The decomposed granite front path glistens wetly and cuts a warm swath of color through all the surrounding visual coolness.

Up front

Aloes — in bloom or budding — and agaves, echeverias, and a shapely African sumac tree, are obviously loving all the precipitation, showing their appreciation with much new growth. It’s at wet times like this that the boulders we picked out so long ago show their true colors, too. With origins in Baja California, the reds, rusts and even green and grey tones, of these massive rocks look their best right now.

I love rain … I love walking in the rain … I love being at home when it’s raining … and, I plan to be here all weekend. Having reached my Holiday 2010 saturation point, I’m eschewing all party invitations in favor of less waistband-tightening activities like gardening, cooking and housecleaning … Perfect rainy day pursuits, for a dyed in the wool Cancer like myself.