"My people, now it is time
for us all to shake hands with the rain.
It’s a neighbor, lives here all winter.
Talkative, yes. It will tap late
at night on your door and stay there
gossiping. It goes away without a goodby
leaving its gray touch on old wood.
Where the rain’s giant shoulders make a silver
robe and shake it, there are wide places.
There are cliffs where the rain leans, and
lakes that give thanks for miles
into the mountains. We owe the rain
a pat on the back—barefoot, it has walked
with us with its silver passport all over the world."
from Wovoka's Witness
William Stafford
Last night my wife mentioned a storm moving towards
us from Belbutte a tiny community to the west. Soon
we had thunder and lightning and Mammatus clouds
behind the cabin.
"Characteristics. Mammatus are most often associated
with anvil clouds and also severe thunderstorms.
They often extend from the base of a cumulonimbus,
but may also be found under altocumulus, altostratus,
stratocumulus, and cirrus clouds, as well as volcanic ash clouds."
from
View from the front porch with a shaking Shih Tzu
in my lap.
The rain hits the slough.
Twenty minutes later all is well.
