Rain rain rain rain (no rain) rain rain...

The severe storms that have affected so many people throughout the middle and southern parts of this country make it seem petty to talk about any weather that's non-lethal, but I can only talk about my own recent experience, and in St. Louis our recent experience has been rain. For the past 10 or so days it's been rain, rain, and more rain. It comes as hours of light or moderate showers punctuated by thunderstorm, sometimes severe. We had a few hours of sunlight late Tuesday afternoon, but then the clouds and rain returned.


Yesterday morning was the first sunrise we've seen for a while, and although it rained later in the day it was nice to see sunlight for most of the morning and early afternoon. I took advantage of the morning rays to take some photos of the wetness -- the first photos I've taken in five days!


***

The grass was a carpet of countless diamonds, sparkling and glinting in the sloping light:




There is no plant that captures the moisture like grasses. Everywhere you look droplets of all sizes cling to the blades, catching the light, magnifying the blades or capturing and inverting the image of the world.




I'd like to understand why some plants have leaves that are essentially waterproof, with each drop forming a tiny liquid sphere, while the leaves of other plants get coated by the water with minimal droplet formation:



Bamboo does great things with the water, not only drinking it up to help produce its new shoots, but also in the beautiful ways it carries it:





Some plants don't appreciate all of the extra water, but they're coping for now. They just need a few sunny rainless days to help dry out:



Other plants are waterproof, waxen and water-loving:


Blooms are a part of this watery world too, those both open and soon-to-be so:



The white variegation makes the water drops difficult to see, but the multitude of miniature globes on the dappled willow leaves is captivating (click any image for a larger view):





Water droplets fascinate me, and I wish I could get a closer look...



...but this is pretty cool anyway!


So while my good thoughts and wishes for strength go to those who lost anybody or anything precious in the recent storms, I'm hoping for better weather for everybody who needs it.

For me that means hope of some rainless days. Although we may get a whole dry day today, rain returns tomorrow. Sigh. I'm eager to do some planting, but my clay soil won't be drying out anytime soon.

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George  – (April 29, 2011 at 8:19 AM)  

Beautiful photos. But I bet you would welcome the chance to have to wait awhile for a repeat. Understand your comment about the killer weather. It has been rainy here in Delaware too, yet we have no cause whatsoever to complain with what has happened to other folk. Garden on, George

Ginny  – (April 29, 2011 at 8:35 AM)  

Absolutely stunning photos! It has been a Spring of extreme weather, hasn't it? Hope you get some dry weather soon.

Gerhard Bock (Succulents and More)  – (April 29, 2011 at 9:29 AM)  

I love your photos, as always. Here it's been dry long enough for me to want some rain. But I think we're done with rain until October. The irrigation system has been checked and programmed, and we're beginning to settle in for a long dry spell.

:: Bamboo and More ::

fer  – (April 29, 2011 at 2:41 PM)  

Beautiful photos! it's great you had a chance to take some sunlight. Here we are struggling a bit with the weather too, but all of it is mostly strong winds.

The Sage Butterfly  – (April 29, 2011 at 2:59 PM)  

Great photos! It has been rainy here in the mid-atlantic as well, but not as rainy as where you are. Like you, I become frustrated when there is so much rain, but then I crave it in the summer when we go weeks without it. I hope you get a reprieve soon.

Anonymous –   – (April 29, 2011 at 4:36 PM)  

Oh how wonderful! I had almost forgotten what rain looks like and how pretty raindrops are. We have not had rain in the South Coast of England for many many weeks, both my water butts are emtpy. My mouth almost watered looking at your photos

Anonymous –   – (April 29, 2011 at 4:54 PM)  

Your curly bamboo shot with the water drops is gorgeous.

Anonymous –   – (April 29, 2011 at 8:32 PM)  

I love the title of this post. I hope you got to do some gardening on that "no rain" day. -Jean

Steve Lau  – (April 29, 2011 at 9:04 PM)  

The rain can really make everything look nice especially in the morning when there's also sun that comes out.

One  – (April 29, 2011 at 9:41 PM)  

I really enjoy your excellent photography today. Those droplets on the curly bamboo shoots is one of the best.

Janet  – (April 30, 2011 at 1:12 AM)  

I agree that the droplets on the bamboo is an amazing photo. And no camera shake... wow!

Laura Bloomsbury  – (April 30, 2011 at 3:54 AM)  

I would just like to have some raindrops let alone be able to photograph those drop-dead gorgeous shots. A record dry Spring here but as you say, who can complain when the people of Alabama have had such devastating weather
Laura

Rock rose  – (April 30, 2011 at 6:23 AM)  

I'm glad that you didn't have a worse story to tell-like tornado damage. I do remember a similar spring in 1994 when the rain just pounded down every day. I hope your plants are surviving. Finally they are talking of rain here this weekend. We shall see!

Alan  – (April 30, 2011 at 7:23 AM)  

Everybody who needs rain, I hope you get some *soon*! Drought can really take its toll on a garden and stress out *everybody* in the community.

Thanks for the compliments on the photos! The bamboo shoot with the curly sheath blades is Phyllostachys nigra (black bamboo), and it took me several shots to get it in focus as it wasn't right out in the open. :-)

Kate  – (April 30, 2011 at 10:20 AM)  

A thoughtful post, with great pics. I like the out of focus water droplets in the background of a few. I also like the squiggly plants!

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