A Rainy Day In The Desert

It rained almost all day today.  During work we had a few hours of sunlight but the storms came and went as the day passed.  Though I complain about rain when I’m at school in Ohio, seeing it here in Hell’s Canyon was something of a relief for me.  It made the desert seem a little less harsh.  Beautiful as it is, the desert is a relentlessly dry place.  Even so, I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.

I’ve never seen rainbows as frequently as I have in my few weeks in Arizona.  One started to appear in the distance as the rain began to clear.  One end of it was distinctly visible, as it illuminated the mountain it rested on.  Soon, a second appeared above it.  The sky opposite this scene was subtly golden with the cloud diffused light of the sun.  The shadows cast in a storm always seem to be in the most dramatic shades of gray, and provide a striking backdrop for the sun-dappled mountain that surround us.

Everything about this storm was great, except getting wet and muddy. As we hiked the next morning we could see the water evaporating off the land.  The steam was visible in the air, and all the plants were covered in thousands of tiny dew droplets.  It was gorgeous sight.  I know that it’s moments like these that ill make me glad I joined SCC.

-Linda Kim, Corpsmember Winter 2010