Summer of Storms

The summer of 2012 was full of storms. It rained nearly every day for three months. There were storms of all kinds, from every direction, even out of nowhere.

Around here they say that if it rains on the feast day of Saint Medard, the 8th of June, that it will rain for forty days afterwards. This year, it rained a few days before the 8th, on it, and after it for two weeks. Then there was a little two week break, then July came. It rained every day in July except the 31st. There were long rains, afternoon rains that diminished the heat but made the night heavier than ever. In August there were daily downpours and a hurricane. There were other storms, too. All summer, there were navy blue clouds walking on jambes de pluie, fog, and flood across the Prairie. There were were black snakes in the tall grass that never got cut because of the rain and the broken tractor sitting in the rain. So we stayed inside, shut out from the heat and humidity, bugs and snakes. It was so mild last winter that the insects swarmed in the spring and everyone got fleas.

Between the storms and serpents and plagues many gifts fell on the Prairie, comme les bras de soleil. There were lots of birds. A few times on the dirt road I saw the fanned cream and white tail feathers of a marsh hawk swoop next to my car, close enough to touch. There were owls who stood on the road and flew up to a low branch to let me pass, eyes round. There was a big ole great white heron flying in the crepescule of the evening. Many cardinals zipping around the bamboo. One evening, while I was sitting on the porch, a rainbow painted bunting landed next to me and stayed for a minute.