Around 1 pm the sky began getting cloudy. Half an hour later it was getting positively dark. Suddenly I heard the sound of rain and looked out the window to see a steady shower. Instantly the air turned cooler and the feeling was absolutely refreshing. The yard was eagerly drinking up the water and a wonderful breeze was blowing. I felt instantly happier as the humidity was knocked out by the rain. But the rain wasn't even nearly done. After a few minutes the rain increased and before long it was coming down with such force that the drumming of the water blocked out every other noise in the house. I looked out the window and saw sheets of water and a stream flowing out of the driveway and into the river running down the street. Besides cooling the air at least ten degrees the storm was fantastic to watch. Summer thunderstorms are one of my favorite things to view.
The next hour was lovely as I settled down next to the window and watched the rain smash down on the street and roll off the eves of my house. The air smelled like ozone and water. It was lovely. There was only one thing missing. I needed a nice beverage to go with this fine storm. Since I wanted something simple and calming I ambled down to the pantry and poured some Small Batch Four Roses bourbon over some ice and then returned to my window seat. The cold, sweet smokiness of bourbon mingled with the water from the melting ice cubes went down smooth. I sat back and watched water cascade down onto the neighborhood. It was a great show and a reminder that some of the best entertainments cost nothing at all and only require us to take the time to enjoy them.
