I love the smell of a first rain

When I walked out of work last night at the stroke of 11 pm, the parking lot was empty. There were carts everywhere and the parking lot sweeper was just entering the lot. I stopped half way to my car..I smelled RAIN!!! omg, it flooded my senses..it smelled so damn good! It hasn't rained in bakersfrigginfield since winter,it never does this time of year.

I was so tired after a long-assed day, my body was weary and ached, but that smell of rain energized me. I caught a glimpse of lightning off to my right. It was in the mountains that surround us here at the foot of the San Joaquin Valley. I got in my car and started driving east, towards home and a big bed. I hadn't slept but maybe two hours in the last 36, insomnia was rearing its ugly head. Suddenly a huge burst of lightning, with all its fingers snaking towards the ground struck somewhere up in the mountains directly in front of me. I called the ball & chain, he loves a good lightning show,and informed him of the impending events. He was standing outside in the front yard when I arrived 15 minutes later. We watched all around us as strike after strike lit up the night sky. Big huge lightning, with half a dozen branches extending from the main trunk. What seemed like minutes later the thunder, big rolling thunder, washes through the valley and echos off the mountains on the west side. I wasn't tired any more but my fucking feet were killing me so off i went into the house.

The ball and chain went into the bedroom to watch the show from our bed that sits under the window. I laid on the couch in the living room and turned off all the lights and sounds..tv included. I propped up my tired dogs on a couple of pillows and watched the lightning dance off the walls and through the blinds. The thunder got closer to each strike. I couldn't handle the silence of course, so I turned the TV on the weather channel, catching the local update perfectly..jesus christ in a thong, a huge cell of rain was coming over the mountains and straight into Bakersfrigginfield..nice! I turned off the TV for good. After 35 straight days of 100+ temperatures a rain would be nice, even if it did add to the damn humidity. The temperature was dropping fast, I could actually turn off the swamp cooler, which hasnt been off in two months. With the thunder shaking the house, and the lightning illuminating everything I laid down and tried to relax. The show lasted for an hour and a half. The dark room was cool and comfortable, the smell of rain returned. I got up and went to the screen door. Yes, it was raining, just sprinkling but it was rain. It became a gentle rain, the sound of tires hissing as they drove down the wet street calmed my tired mind and relaxed my aching body. I started to drift off to some desperately needed sleep, the last thing I remember thinking was...god i love the smell of rain. It was around 2 am.

My happy ass slept in till 10 am! Praise jesus and pass me a smoke :)