How glorious it is to wake up to the sound of raindrops on the roof. Living in the high desert, we get very little precipitation. When it does come, the heavens open, causing flash flooding and drainage issues.
Visitors always comment on the cute little streambed that passes through my back yard. Yes. It’s landscaped with a rock bottom, and in its adorableness, runs through my 1/2 acre to the street. Every home in my neighborhood has part of this streambed, designed to carry off the torrential rains when they come. Winterpast’s section happens to be landscaped.
I’ve only been through one serious rain since I’ve lived here. It occurred shortly after Baily’s and Cream passed away (Miss Firecracker’s beloved husband). One mad skill he possessed was playing with electricity. He was brilliant in his field, having done everything from powering up a gold mine to working on huge projects in the wilds of Alaska. Talented AND handsome. Anyway, no one else could have contributed to the light and sound that night. The heaven’s opened up and it rained in sheets of water. As Miss Firecracker just mentioned yesterday, it was a great sign that Baily’s and Cream had made it to the heaven’s. Since that night, things have been quiet.
Yesterday, as I drove to church, a few drops were falling. By the time I arrived, I’d turned the windshield wipers on high. Roads around here are always slick in the rain. Either, they are slick with oils from the road or, it’s so cold, there ‘s ice. Driving carefully, I arrived safely at the empty church parking lot and waited for someone to come and open the building.
Everyone was in a great mood, but everyone included three people. We sat and started to wonder where the regulars were. Had we missed an important memo? Usually, our Bible study group arrives a little early to talk about our week. But, there was no one. Until the Pastor showed up.
Pastor C didn’t look well. It turns out he and his wife are ill. Not only he and his wife, but, the soprano, the alto, the percussionist, and the piano player were unable to attend due to illness. The leader of Bible Study. Out for the count. The back up sound person. Sniffling at home. And there we sat, now six lonely people, one of whom was ill.
I started to think about things a little more clearly. Not being the least bit ill, and wanting to stay that way, the door began to call to me. How many more people would struggle to come to church when they should have stayed home in bed? Who would give me a hug, and more?
It seems everyone probably got sick at the Wednesday Bible Study. We love to attend, but, last week, WP and I had more pressing things to attend to, and missed. It seems that was by God’s design. I DID clean on Thursday morning. Hopefully, my zinc, Vitamin C, and D are working and we dodged a bullet. Is it Covid that took out the church members? Not sure. The flu is also going around, and this year it seems to be a little more virulent than normal. It’s the season for all kinds of illnesses.
With a single phone call, I saved WP from exposure. I made a quick run for the door and back to the safety of Winterpast. Spending the day over a bubbling pot of spaghetti sauce while getting caught up on old movies was delightful. So blessed to have such a wonderful friend in WP, the day was a good one to get caught up on gratefulness.
Be careful, wherever you are. Do what you can to stay healthy. Remember, the vaccine doesn’t prevent you from getting sick. Neither do masks, really. My wet and muddy wide spot in the road is now a hot spot for disease. I plan to get in some serious writing hours tucked away in the warmth and happiness that is Winterpast. Have a wonderful day, whatever you choose to do.