random thoughts – Day 1,710 – (Thursday) – gray and wet

Gray and brick, 11-21-24.

After a drought that has lasted for several months, today, it rained. It was good. When the weather forecasts mentioned rain a few days ago, I looked forward to it. Lately, the section of the Merrimack River at the University Avenue bridge has looked more like a rock field than a body of water.

The morning started gray and fuzzy and a light mist on the verge of drizzle was in the air as I drove downtown. The damp air was fresher than on Wednesday when it reeked of smoke in a blend of burned wood and plastic blown in from fires elsewhere in the region.

From the roof of the parking garage, the misty morning view of the city was different than on Wednesday. The brick buildings and fall leaves popped against the gray sky. 

During the course of the day, the view from the office window remained gray. Periodically, the rain intensified and splattered against the skylights and roof. A small white Christmas tree sat on a windowsill in the building on the other side of Shattuck Street. At dusk, it glowed warmly with white lights in the window framed with more white lights. 

Wet afternoon.

Walking to the garage at 5:00, the wind was light, but strong enough to blow my rain hat off after just a few steps. The compact umbrella kept trying to collapse on itself. The angle of the light wind and the volume of the rain combined to be exactly enough to wet the front of my pants below the hem of my coat. It was a yucky feeling on the ride home. Once at home, I couldn’t trade the wet dress pants for dry and cozy fleece pants quickly enough. 

Hopefully, it will rain all night. It certainly won’t end the drought which reached Level-3 Critical a couple days ago, but it will help.