Did you see the beautiful fluffy clouds in the SW this afternoon around 4:00 p.m.? It was the same cloud formation we saw last year on our trip to the Grand Canyon. We had stopped at the Painted Desert and had gotten out of the car to get a closer look at the desert. We piled back in the car and drove on around to the Petrified Forrest. You can't get that close to the Petrified Forrest and not get out of the car despite those ominous looking clouds; you just can't! Once you are on the trail, one tree draws you to the next and the next and the next. Before you know it, you are 1/2 mile from the car..............and that cloud is getting darker and darker and darker. And that is exactly what happened to us; we got much further away from the car than we thought or even cared at the time. We decide to start back to the car because it is coming........it is definitely coming, the rain is coming. We hope we can get to the car without getting soaked. Then the lightening strikes in the distance; we walk a little faster. The storm clouds gets closer and darker (and believe me, it can feel mighty lonely out there in the high desert), the lightening streaks across the sky and snakes down to the ground, the thunder rolls, and we walk even faster, faster..........faster.............faster. Then the drops start. Large drops! Huge drops! Oh, but the earth smells so good, so fresh. We see the rain coming across the plains heading more our way. We start to run, but too late. Our drops are no longer drops, but sheets of rain blowing sideways into our faces.
We made it back to the car. We dove inside, laughing all the while. We were drenched. What a wonderful memory and one we made just last year. I'm so glad we made that trip. I am so glad we got out of the car. I am so glad we took that walk. I am so glad it rained on us. It gave us memories and they are so precious. We reminisced about that trip this afternoon all due to the beautiful cloud formation we saw today. It's never too late to make memories.
I love you.
