Mackenzie and I have been deeply enjoying the change in weather for a number of reasons. For one thing, it's just been waaayyy too hot before now, with the added bonus (blech!) of humidity. But for another thing, it's just so refreshing to hear the sound of the rain falling. This holds true both for the heavy tropical deluge, and especially for the hours-long drizzle that is much less common here. Few things can remind me of home quite like sitting serenely inside the house while listening to the quiet, steady sound of rainfall. So gloriously peaceful and soothing.
Our cats respond to the cooler weather as might be expected of the solar-powered creatures that they are: they're much less active during the day, not running around crazily nearly as often as they do on sunny days. Perhaps they find it soothing, too. Of course, when big storms hit, they're not at all pleased by the loud noises and rushing wind.
I don't even mind the fact that getting anywhere by motorbike while it's pouring means you pretty much have to get wet. Sure, wearing a poncho like that one helps - quite a bit - but there's really no way to stay totally dry. Maybe it just calls back to my Seattle-area upbringing: you don't use an umbrella when it's raining, you just wear a raincoat and get a little wet. No big deal (ບໍ່ ເປັນຫຍັງ, if you want the local equivalent of that saying). And I think it's going to take me a long time to get bored of seeing so many dramatic forks of lightning in the sky whenever there's a storm. That's one thing we miss out on in western Washington.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look at the seven-day forecast - which is completely full of rainstorms and/or cloudy days in the low 90s (F) or below - and smile in contentment.
This is the view outside our language school window, immediately pre-storm
