Columnist thankful for a dry house

I love rain. There are few things better than a rainy day, a cup of hot tea, a good book and a cat in my lap. But the pouring rain Saturday night caused me some concern. The harder the rain came down, the more I wondered if I was going to wake up to a lake inside the house.
It had been cold for a couple of weeks before a welcome warm snap gave us a brief reprieve from winter. The snow that had blanketed the town was mostly melted and was busily rushing down the sewers and through the river.
A couple years ago the conditions were similar when the river overflowed and came into the house. It was only a few inches deep in the dining room, but it caused a lot of damage. We found out how totally worthless our flood insurance was. It was a lot of work to get everything back to a semblance of normal. The view outside our window Saturday reminded me of when we visited Niagara Falls. I was worried.
When I looked out the window Sunday morning, there was a pond in the backyard but no water anywhere near the foundation and the inside of the house was blessedly dry. I whispered a quick, “thank you, Lord.” There is nothing like having experienced a flood to make one grateful for dry floors.
The weather forecast is calling for a return to winter. There is more rain expected, but not enough to do any major damage. I am relieved.
The warm weather had enticed me outside to enjoy the fresh air earlier on Saturday. As I wandered around the yard I noticed clusters of snowdrops poking their leaves through the grass. Daffodils were also testing the air to see if it was spring yet. The grass was greener than it had been in months. The lilac that had split in two last year after losing a battle with the wind was covered in buds even though it is mostly horizontal now. It is a testament to the tenacity of life.
Those flowers that had poked up through the soil will bide their time until the next warm spell when they will grow a little bit more. They are well-equipped to handle the variations in the temperature. Plus, I’m sure they appreciated the recent rainfall.
Now that the rain has stopped and winter is returning, I can get back to the spring cleaning. Maybe if I start it at the beginning of the year instead of waiting until spring, it will actually get finished. That’s my plan and I’m sticking to it - at least for the time being.
The heavy rain had caused me to stop and worry. Life is like that. We go along, just living our lives, until something gets our attention. Saturday it was rain. Two weeks ago it was a death in the extended family. Next time it may be something else.
On the other hand, we may be treated to an unexpected picture of mud-covered grandsons wearing big grins. Maybe when we call the granddaughter to wish her a happy seventh birthday she may be exasperated because her brother insists on drinking out of her personal cup. There is no way to predict what tomorrow will bring. The only thing for sure is that there is always a tomorrow.[[In-content Ad]]