The storm door is wide open

Whatever you think of the weather people on local TV (I get my weather online, so that tells you something right there), they're often quite entertaining. One phrase I vividly remember from years past, long before the current drought, was "the storm door is wide open." This would invariably be accompanied by a weatherman or -woman in photogenic rain gear frantically holding on to an umbrella about to fly away.

Well, that good old storm door has finally swung open after a very long absence. It's blustery outside this afternoon, with temps in mid 50s, and the rain is coming down in buckets. This is an old-fashioned Pineapple Express storm, the kind we used to have quite frequently in decades past. Yes, I sound like an old geezer, but my teenage daughters have a hard time remembering wet winters--the kind California is supposed to have.

It's too early in the season to know whether this will finally end the long drought we've been living with, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

Instead of photos, I decided to post several short video clips I took on my cellphone. The quality isn't the greatest, but at least you get an idea of what a wonderful experience this rain is to us parched Californians.

Succulent bed next to the front door

Succulent bed next to the front door

Succulent mounds

Clogged drain

Agave attenuata 'Boutin Blue'

Under the Bradford pear tree

Shell ginger

Backyard

Next to the backyard slider