This afternoon the boys, Sammi the pup, and I played at the park while Bob and KK chose books at the library - a typical event rendered magical when a downpour caught us. I had the choice of trying to keep dry by taking shelter in the bathrooms or just letting us enjoy the crazy opportunity to get soaking wet. I chose the latter and it was wonderful, a delightful release from boundaries and restrictions for all of us (except Sammi who instinctively tried to dig a hole to stay dry and then took shelter happily in my arms). The boys loved the extra speed that wetness gave the slides and they thought it was a hoot to be encouraged by an adult to jump and splash in puddles as much as possible. I thought it was a hoot too.

I also had a nature and language lesson, an in depth experience with the concept of "sheltering oaks". The live oaks over the bench where I was sitting kept me dry well into the downpour. I sat, perfectly dry, watching a curtain of rain drench slide and boys, watching the circle of dry ground surrounding me slowly shrink.

Eventually torrents of water saturated the leaves and poured through branches, soaking me and Sammi too. When the rain stopped, and we walked home, all of us were intrigued by seeing the flood prevention system in action, with water rushing down various channels, through drains, down creek beds whose levels had been low half an hour before.