Monsoon

[mishalak]

It has rained every afternoon or evening for the last three days. It is wonderful. It had not rained more than a few sprinkles for almost two months. The first day it rained 1.5 cm, a nice reasonable amount in a steady soaking thunderstorm. The next it was raining very hard and fast, 3.5 cm much of that in a very short downpour that did a bit of damage to the dirt roads. Tonight it is again soaking around here, though to the east there funnel clouds trying to become tornadoes. It shut down the local fireworks display after about ten minutes.

I stood outside smelling the cool wet, a bit of spray from the rain wetting my face. It was a near perfect 4th since it didn't start raining until after dark. Except for the fireworks that I was too tired to go see anyway. Instead I got to have an excellent afternoon with bunches of people being over and my friend Richard. We all ate things like hamburgers, chicken, baked beans, fresh corn, and ice cream, classic 4th of July foods.

It may rain tomorrow as well. We always need it. And I was told recently that's a very hinterland Colorado thing to say. Denverites don't say, "Well we need the moisture," to look on the bright side of an event being rained out.

Some notes on iced tea:
1. Making it is a big pot works, but next time this is done just pour the tea in and strain before it goes into the pitcher rather than trying to keep it neatly contained.
2. 1 tablespoon per quart is about right for iced tea.
3. English breakfast makes a good iced tea.
4. 1/4 cup of sugar per quart is about right for tea that's just a little sweet.
5. Using stainless steel pots to make tea appears to work fine despite what purists say about off flavors.

Comments

[bureinato.livejournal.com]

This denverite & former new yorker gets far too happy about the rain. I'm really delighted to have rain 3 days in a row.

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

Given the clouds at 10am I think we may have a fourth day in a row. Neat.

[boywhocantsayno.livejournal.com]

Rain is fine so long as you don't get caught out in it without an umbrella. Or even with an umbrella, if it's bad enough - I have one of those big golf umbrellas, and I got caught out last week in a major storm. I was soaked when I got home in spite of the umbrella.

When you say "iced tea," which variant do you mean? Because it's a bone of contention, from what I understand, between northerners and southerners. I'm curious as to which side of the divide you're on. (Me, I like my iced tea sweet. :) )

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

I'm mostly northern. I like my iced tea just barely sugared... if I put any in at all. I take my hot tea without sugar as well for the most part.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

The mantra from my childhood holidays in Wales was 'Oh well, its good for the waterfalls'. I've been disappointed with the waterfalls here, as they really aren't in scale with the rest of scenery.

The cheery chap on Mount Spalding mentioned the Colorado Monsoon. A google suggested it was really a Mexico, Arizona, Western Slope thing. Does it really affect the Front Range?

[mishalak.livejournal.com]

Sometimes. Right now all the moisure we're getting is coming up over Arizona from the Gulf of California. Usually it isn't this early and some years it doesn't arrive on this side of the divide at all. This year it appears to be doing pretty well and I'm pleased.

Urban rain-lover

[friendly-drelb.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's my stint in Karval, or the fact that I read the papers and take the reports of the drought seriously, but several years ago I vowed I wouldn't complain about rain or snow ... because it's true, we need the moisture. Maybe not so much in Denver, where lawns can die without big social upheaval, but in the agricultural areas that directly affect us soon enough. Gov. Owens has declared much of Colorado a disaster area, and the wheat crop may be a total loss this year ... and Colorado is one of the top 10 wheat producers nationally, at least usually.