Finger on the Weather

As the light rain draped Wichita Tuesday morning, I found myself reflecting back to summers past on our family farm in central Kansas.

I’m sure it’s a case of selective memory, but rain in July seemed like such a rare treat we’d stop whatever we were working on for a few minutes in the barn or the shed and just watch the drops come down.

It wasn’t just that any moisture in July and August seemed like a bonus for the all-too-often thirsty soil. After days – sometimes weeks – of baking in the summer heat, it was wonderful to bask in the cool, damp air that the showers brought.

Granted, the showers were frequently so brief they wouldn’t bring enough moisture to bring a halt to field work. But as boosts to the spirit during a searing summer, they were hard to beat.