“rain, rain, don’t go away…”

by Linda Hopkins

… Rain, you may come back any day!

It was so lovely, cloudy, and cool on Thursday morning, that I headed outside to take my food photos. I generally get plenty of natural light from my large kitchen window and overhead skylight, but not on this very overcast day.

That morning, we had a little bit of rain in the morning. When I say, “a little” – I’m talking about 0.o3″ at Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix’s official weather station. Which brings the year-to-date total to 0.33″. In Scottsdale, we’re fairing a teeny tiny bit better at 0.52″ for the year – woot! Yes, “The Valley of the Sun” is in a drought. Well, what’s new?

It’s BIG news when it rains in the desert. The local news stations talk about it for days before, all day the day it happens, and for at least another day after the fact. People suddenly forget how to drive. And on Facebook – on Facebook, my local friends talk about it as if it’s a sign of the second coming! Here are just a few of the “status updates” and comments from Thursday:

Rain! The dogs are excited. I’m excited. Of course, it’s stopped already. Just a few big big drops and then, poof, gone. The desert.

Thank you surprise April showers!

A rainy day off at home! So happy to just be doing laundry 🙂

Is it raining at your house or work?? Send us your weather pictures.

We got caught in a rain cloud…

A nice, cool, refreshing rain. Enjoying every minute!

Me too! What a great day! Ooh! It’s pouring as we speak!!! Love it!

BT RAINY DAY SPECIAL ALERT: butternut squash soup, candied shallot & green garlic, creme fraiche

That final status update is from a local restaurant, Beckett’s Table. Mmm, that sounded good on our nice winter-like 81-degree day! Oh, and you know how I love my soup! But instead of soup, I was making a smoothie that morning. Not just any smoothie, a smoothie with the “right now- up to the minute” healthy ingredient – Kale. Don’t turn your nose up! It was good. Just be sure to drink it quickly, otherwise, it goes from a nice mauve color to a nasty brown. Must be the chlorophyll from the kale overtaking the berries.