"The gentle rain from heaven"

Some mornings, I wake up feeling like that lost raptor in the famous W.B. Yeats poem:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the center cannot hold


This morning, I was that falcon for a minute or so. And I was wondering, if things fall apart, is there something that will catch us?

Then, I lay in bed in the dark, I heard the rain. Shakespeare would call it the gentle rain from heaven; I just accepted that this rain was something peaceful and soothing.

I got out of bed, poured some coffee, wrote in my journal, then sat and chatted with my husband a bit, ate breakfast and read the newspaper--about the Wall Street protests but not about other difficult news; I would wait until later in the morning when I in less of a "Second Coming" mood.

Then I went for a short run around the neighborhood. The rain had stopped but the air was cool, wet and clean, and I could smell the oak leaves, freshly fallen, their aroma released by the rain. Some neighbors had pumpkins displayed on the front porches or in their yards. Car tires slicked against the asphalt, and an occasional drop still fell from leaves and branches. Groups of kids, huddled in hoodies for the first time this year, were making their way to the bus, energized, it seemed, and hopeful about their new day at school, their new year of school and of life.

All in all, it was a lovely 30 minutes. I thought, I'm so happy it's autumn and summer is over. Autumn has always been my favorite season. One of my favorite poems is John Keats' "Ode to Autumn." (Yes, when you're in a "Second Coming" frame of mind, you're definitely in a poetry reading mood). Keats calls autumn the "season of mists and mellow fruitfulness! Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun."

Since there was no sun visible yesterday or this morning, because of the clouds and rain, I started thinking about another tribute to the season, this one by Rainer Maria Rilke.

And maybe I got the answer to my question about what happens when we fall.

The leaves fall, fall as if from far away, like weathered things from gardens deep in the sky; they fall with gestures of renunciation .... And we all fall. This hand must fall. Look everywhere: it is the lot of all. Yes there is one who holds us as well fall eternally in his hands' tenderness.

What's with the rain? Are we back to January?

I've been curled up in bed today, under an afghan, with tea, cold medicine and, yes, my laptop. 

Right now, it's pouring outside like it's one of those fierce stormy January days. And, I feel like it's winter, with my stuffy nose, foggy brain, and the sound of rain dripping out my rain gutters. 

I was supposed to go on a hike today, but canceled because of my cold. We probably would have canceled because of this rain, which started in around 7:30 a.m. 

I always like the rain. So, I'm not complaining. I'm just surprised. For my own selfish purposes, it's probably good that it's cool, wet, winter-like day like this, when I'm nursing a cold, instead of a sunny day in the 80s. 

The National Weather Service says that showers will probably continue into the night, but that more May-like sunny skies and temperatures should return tomorrow and last into the weekend. 

The photo was shot a year ago February during a walk in the rain with my son. I've decided to be bed-bound today. 

Get your sandbags! Get your sandbags! Get ready for the rain!

Walnut Creek has set up stations around the city where you can get sandbags to protect your home and property from the possibility of flooding and rapidly rising streams and creeks due to an expected onslaught of rain in the next week.


The National Weather Service warns of a strong series of storms to hit the Bay Area, starting this weekend and going into next week.  Rain could start as early as tomorrow (Saturday), but more likely on Sunday, and continue through Friday.  Heavy rain is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, "creating possible downed trees and power lines."

If you're in a vulnerable spot in Walnut Creek, here's where you can pick up sand bags. Each sandbag station is set up with sand, empty sandbags and shovels. It's a good idea to bring your own shovel if you can.

--Lancaster Road at Orchard Lane

--Howe Homestead Park, 2950 Walnut Boulevard

--Larkey Park, 2771 Buena Vista Avenue

--Heather Farm Park, 301 N. San Carlos, north parking lot

Things I love about a late December, rainy suburban night ...

My husband and I got a free hour to pop out and get something to eat ... the two of us.

We went to Chow's in Lafayette, and we went early. Wow! Business is bustling today, both at Chow's and in downtown Walnut Creek. Earlier in the afternoon, I dropped my son and two of his buddies off at the Century Theaters in Walnut Creek so they could go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie. He called my cell phone 10 minutes later (yes, he has his own phone ... ) to say the movie was sold out and he and his friends were "going to do stuff." I had thought I might do a bit of post-Christmas shopping, but downtown Walnut Creek looked even more packed than it had in the days leading up to Christmas, so I drove home.

As I thought about my son's vow that he and his friends would "do stuff," I can't imagine that these three energetic sixth-grade boys, alone on their own in downtown Walnut Creek, could pull off stunts any worse than I did when I was their age, and on my own with a girlfriend, wandering the streets of downtown WC.

My friend, at the time, was already a serious shopper, and she would go on to live in London and make fashion her profession and supposedly have Greek shipping tycoons as lovers.

Whatever. I could care less about shopping, now and back then as a Walnut Creek sixth- and seventh-grader.

Set free on Walnut Creek's downtown at that age, I just wanted to wander around and goof on people.

Yeah, how mature is that? But was it fun!

Hey, if you were in the old Bullocks (now Nordstrom) back in the '70s, and you had a wad of chewed-up gum fall on top of your head from someone riding the escalators above...

Well, it's possible it was me.

A belated apology. Sort of.

My son and his friends arrived home, and we left them to their own pre-teen boy devices (video games) so we could go out, and have a late afternoon drink, a bite to eat, and some couple time.

As we finished up dinner at Chow in Lafayette, as the early evening crowds starting to pour in, we saw the rain fall outside our window.

The rain was pretty heavy as we made our way east on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, to Pleasant Hill Road, and then to Olympic Boulevard into Walnut Creek.

I wish I had a camera with me, to capture the beautiful rainy December night images I witnessed as we drove by.

The most I can say is that I think it is rather magnificent to see, even post-December 25, people's outdoor Christmas lights shining, white, red, blue, green and gold, and to see those lights shining through the darkness and rain of a cold December night.

This vision--of Christmas lights, rain, night--on a night like this is one of my favorite things...

Lightning, thunder, oh my!

Did you see it? Did you hear it? I saw the flash of light and then heard the loud rumble, plus the downpour. Pretty cool, huh? My husband went for a walk in the rain earlier today. Romantic ...

Anyway, the National Weather Service says that thunderstorms might continue in our area tonight, and the winds might pick up. Showers should continue through tomorrow. The possibility of rain will continue through the week.

So far, minor power outages in Walnut Creek; Any problems where you live or work?

UPDATE CHEZ MOI: Water leaking into basement. Getting out the towels and have the pump going. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the water needs to be about 3/4 inch deep for the pump to suck up the water. I just have a pool in one corner, and it's not that deep.

How about you?

EARLIER: PG&E's power outage map is showing that up to 500 customers are without power around Oak Road and Waldon, and another pocket of customers are without power around Alamo's Round Hill Country Club.


I should probably pop home to see if water is leaking into my basement. I can see outside my window at work that the rain is coming down pretty hard and that the wind has whipped up.


Hope you're all staying as dry as possible, and not huddling inside with the power out.

Rain! Didn't it sound wonderful this morning?

Just got back from a short run in the rain. I'm soaked! But it was some kind of wonderful.

It wasn't too cold out, and the hurricane-force winds had not yet whipped up, as they are expected to do by mid-day.

It was dark as I set out for a trot around my neighborhood. It was hard to see the puddles and new patches of mud, and the new rivers that were rushing down through the gutters. I had to watch where I set down my feet, and I missed a few times, so my feet got soaked. I felt the drops on my face, hair, arms, and legs. The drops were gentle, constant, a murmur. A car would pass, and its headlights would illuminate what a true downpour I was running in.

But the air felt fresh and clean, and I'm wide awake, and calm with the beauty of this season's first big rain. I almost didn't make it out this morning. It was delightful to wake this morning and hear the ping of drops against our bedroom window, and that music of rain in the background.

Our window was open, letting in that fresh cool air, but my husband I were cozy under our quilt. Halfway between sleep and waking, that sweet drowsy place of dreams and promise.

But, now, reality. To the shower, to work, and, before I go, I must roll up some towels by the door of our basement, in case the rain, which is expected to be pretty constant and heavy today, causes some leaking into the room.

Get ready for the rain and wind. Big storm sweeping into the Bay Area

I'm excited. As much as I like this mild, sunny October weather, I also like storms. And we have one coming into the Bay Area. The National Weather Service says that heavy and potentially high winds are expected to accompany a significant rainstorm that will arrive late Monday and last into early Wednesday.

It is a "potent storm, especially for October. ... A potentially serious weather situation ... This will be a very dramatic change from the typical late summer patter this area has been experiencing."

Expect light rain to begin Monday afternoon, with the heaviest rain and winds coming in Tuesday. Rainfall could reach up to 3 inches along the coast and in the valleys.

The upside to the rain? Well, we can use it in our parched wildlands and maybe it will lower the fire danger through the rest of the fire season.

The downside? Urban and small stream flooding ... High winds that can knock down trees and power lines ... Hazardous driving conditions ... For those living near any areas burned in any summer fires, there is a risk of mud and debris flowing down hills.

The storm originates from Melor, a Western Pacific typhoon that hit Japan last week. I know, I know. This is meterology 101, but it is humbling, right now, to think that a weather event that on the other side of the world will soon affect us.