Three or more hours of steady, moderate rain in the early morning hours.

I know because, for some reason, Pax came in to hide between bunks in my room instead of staying in Mimi's room where he always gets precipitation support. Kept me awake, he did, which is why I am glad Sue normally deals with his phobia.

A metal roof is a marvelous rain gauge (even if it disturbs Pax). Most rains, according to this gauge, are infinitely variable—the pitch, caused by drops on steel with a sound like a xylophone or marimba, is never steady; it changes by the second. But this morning's three-or-more-hour rain never varied by a wavelength. One invarying drum roll.

Then in late morning...a cloudburst, filling the swales and causing erosion on the driveway. And, thus, all my worst drought worries have been banished.

In celebration, to Mum's (better than Dad's auto sales, don't you know), and then to JD greenhouse for four coreopsis for the front deck, as per usual.

Now, for dinner—buttered beets, Sue's potato salad, and Burt Farm smokies.

Holy paterfamilias! is all I can say.