California Rain

The special effects of Holywood were no match for the ones God demonstrated over the unfriendly skies I observed while growing up in America's southern region. There were some 'Rainy Days' that lasted a few minutes after the dark and scary clouds. But there were other days and nights of stormy weather of more extended durations. When such storms appeared with lightning, rain, and thunder, mom and dad had one rule. Like no other times, that rule was very simple and happily followed, "Sit down and be quiet". They said that God was speaking and we best get in a corner and listen like never before. They were simple folks who sieged the moment, forgetting about yesterday or tomorrow. Fast forward some 25 years later and go west 2000 miles, and I was introduced to a God who spoke less with thunder and lightning but had a lot more to say with winds, floods, and high tides. It was not a rainy night in Georgia, but I certainly have experienced many rainy days in California. In two successive years alone, there were many rainy days in the Bay Area where I arrived in 1978. In December 1982*, winds of 70 mph forced the closure of the Golden Gate Bridge. And also, December 1983 brought 75 mph winds that also forced the closing of the bridge. Crossing the bridge with winds of such magnitude was a never to be forgotten experience. I never feared that the bridge would fall as my vehicle and I 'slow danced' above the waters. On another rainy day, I was trapped by flood waters and cut off from my hometown and family for a night and a day. But thanks to the Red Cross, I was sheltered from the rain and provided with warm blankets and nice hot soup. Indeed, another 'Carpe Diem' kind of day. 09142018PoSoupContest, A Rainy Day, Sara Kendrick, Poem picture #4; *Since its completion, the Golden Gate Bridge has been closed because of weather conditions only three times: on December 1, 1951, because of gusts of 69 mph (111 km/h); on December 23, 1982, because of winds of 70 mph (113 km/h); and on December 3, 1983, because of wind gusts of 75 mph (121 km/h).[49]. Wikipedia