For weeks and weeks, the beautiful blue skies with occasional puffy white clouds have dominated the skies. This "perfect" weather is fantastic for hikes, outdoor weddings and parties but not for trees, plants and wildlife that depend on the rain.
I've been watching birds, squirrels and chipmunks drink from dwindling water sources. A water fountain provides some relief during periods of drought.
Yesterday, I saw a small pool of water in a nearby desert canyon that supports all kinds of desert wildlife including the endangered Peninsular Bighorn sheep. With good fortune, we saw a few of them high above on a distant ridge.
With news that the distant Typhoon Norbert might bring rain on the mountain and nearby desert, we became hopeful for a break from the "perfect" weather pattern.
Today was the day. I stood at a lookout to see the approaching storm.
While I was watching, I startled a Turkey Vulture who was perched behind the large boulder overlooking the valley below. Perhaps, he sensed the change in weather as well since he wasn't doing his normal soaring through the sky.
The gentle rain that brought out the mixture of scents including the vanilla/butterscotch of the Jeffrey Pine tree and the Incense Cedar was replaced quickly with a heavy rain that created a fast flowing creek and waterfall next to our house.
Other rivulets of fast flowing water appeared through the forest.
Almost as quickly as they appeared, the rain ended and the flowing waterfalls disappeared. Blue skies have returned. Mud, sticks, pinecones and puddles are reminders of the brief storm. Hopefully, survival in the wild is a bit easier with the arrival of water.
