Let it rain

As I sit here, watching, listening to and appreciating the rain, I wonder why this free fuel of life gets such a bad rap. Sure it inconveniences us at times and might cause an all out change of plans, but for all the good it provides, I am tired of the complaining. And to all the weathermen and women out there, shame on you, for always referring to the rain with a negative tone, outside of those weather folks in the rural communities whom know the value of a good dosing. If the weather people realized the job security “storms and rain” provided they might have a different perspective. I doubt many Hawaiian’s stay up to catch the 10pm weather on their local news just to make sure it’s going to perfect for the 7,584 day in a row (High of 82 Low of 82 and mostly sunny). Back to the rain, as previously noted it can be an inconvenience, but so can brushing your teeth in some situations. It might interrupt a ball game, but I think its nature’s way of separating the real fans from those who want to know what inning the football game is in. There is a reason sports bars have more taps than TV’s. Rain is the ultimate provider; it makes Goodwill look self-fish. It fills our rivers, lakes and streams. The streams are often created by, or rejuvenated by rain, which allows them to transport nutrients to fish and so on all the way up the food chain to us. It fills the rivers that allow for the flow of industrial goods from one part of the country to another and the creation of unlikely friendships. And a great place to get rid of an old car or washing machine. It fills the lakes, which provide all of the above plus real estate, retirement, vacation and other piece of mind opportunities. But most importantly it is free fuel, that grows are crops, fattens our livestock and it doesn’t cost a dime. The earth’s surface is 75% salt water, if anyone could develop a low energy/cost effective desalination process; they could buy a big boat and float wherever they want on 75% of the earth. By that I mean, it’s possible to desalinate but terribly expensive and consumes mass amounts of energy to produce little yield. Sounds like the same requirements for an Al Gore speech. So when it rains we get this jewel for free, with little to no energy output, but with great yield potential. So the next time the “Chief Meteorologists” starts bagging on the rain and saying little zingers like “good day to be a duck!” think about the hypocrisy they spew. They need that rain, they want that rain, and they depend on that rain. At least until Doplar radars become stocking stuffers and we are all making our own forecasts. So the next time it rains, which will probably be soon, don’t look at the rain with anger and disgust, look at it and be thankful for the goodness it provides, the services it aides, and the money it can save. Oh and the oxygen that is a by-product of photosynthesis, that keeps you alive, but that’s for another day. Just trust me without rain you would be dead, ask those folks in Death Valley, not Baton Rouge, their border line brain-dead already, but in California.