From Drought to Drench

California has it all: coastlines, mountains, deserts, forests, farmland, cities, sunshine, rain.... What? RAIN?  Yes: that almost-forgotten-phenomenon-that-falls-from-the-skies has reappeared with a vengeance over this past week.

Rain, glorious, rain sloshing in our streets, causing mudslides down our hills, turning brown landscapes to green overnight, and washing away worries of drought.  Of course, rain invites children into puddle-stomping fun (after all, kids under 5 here have barely ever seen rain).  The storms create havoc, however,

for the rest of us navigating the crowded freeways and back roads of the SF Bay Area.

I do not scare easily.  After all, I travel in war zones. I co-exist in S.Sudan with men toting AK-47s.   But last night I was scared while driving in the Bay Area along a stretch of rural road known as Niles Canyon. Threading my way along the 2-lane road in the midst of a downpour, with a steep cliff on my left and a tumultuous river on my right.  Trying to see past my windshield wipers. Startled by granite boulders as large as suitcases crashing down from the cliff and tumbling across the road in front of me. Unnerved by seeing several damaged vehicles stopped on the right shoulder, evidently already hit by rocks. Nervous about the uprooted trees cascading in the swift current just a few feet below the level of the road.  

Well, there was no place to turn around, so I just kept driving.  My knuckles were white when I reached my destination.  After breathing deeply for a while, I was able to give my scheduled presentation to a parish group.  You can be sure I drove home by a different route!