Sidewalk Symphony

I made a serious dog-walking miscalculation the other night.  A fierce thunderstorm had just passed through, and I thought that was the end of it .  I hitched up Chewy and we prepared to puddle-jump around the block.  Half-way, another deluge dumped, and we were soaked in seconds.  I managed to get to a shop canopy to wait it out.  It's times like this that I can practice singing, and indeed I was singing in the rain!  After it ended, I passed a fellow under an adjacent canopy...guess he got an earful whether he wanted to or not! 

Then fireflies flickered on and off, signalling that the real concert was about to begin.  Cicadas whirred, the percussion of sycamore bark crunched under my feet, and an owl hooted an aria. Living in the city doesn't get much better than this! 

April Showers Bring More Flowers

Thunder, lightening, and a heavy spring downpour was the day's natural entertainment spectacle. As soon as the rain cleared and the drizzle seemed really over, I hitched up Chewy for his later afternoon-early evening walk. Lost in thought, I had my eyes cast to the ground. Lifting them and seeing a spectacular rainbow seemed a symbol of optimism that all could share.

The rainbow has never failed to put a smile on my face. I feel like a child, as if it is the first one I have ever seen. When I looked to the right, and realized it was a "double rainbow", with another outer colored band (which doesn't show in the photo), the day seemed suddenly auspicious.

I turned the corner briefly, and when I looked back, it was gone. My timing had been fortuitous for the rainbow viewing. With stormy clouds dissipating, a patch of blue sky peeked through. It reminded me of one of my recent finds in the alley: a small, flat chunk of concrete painted sky blue. I pocketed it as a "patch of blue sky". What magic, to have a piece of the sky in my possession! Now I have the power to see the sky anytime that I want!

I have plans of using that "patch of blue sky" concept in a painting. I'm hoping that the rainbow visual can be interpreted soon, as well. All in all, the season has seen a riot of colorful flowers, each one presenting themself in a precise procession of a perfect spring. Thank you, spring showers, for making this all possible!