Come On, Rain!

Come On, Rain!

Picture book
"Up and down the block,
cats pant,
heat wavers off tar patches in the broiling alleyway.
Miz Grace and Miz Vera bend, tending beds of drooping lupines."
I know. I know. This time of year in Penobscot County, Maine
days of endless heat, parched plants, and sizzling sidewalks seem far
in the distance. They're on the way. Trust me on that.
Tess is hoping desperately for rain. She longs to put a bathing
suit on and dance under a deluge. Her mom says the sun will burn
her. Mom is fading fast. Tess helps her into the house and makes her
ice tea.
Finally at last the rain shows up. Tess and her friends full
out celebrate. It turns out they aren't the only ones dancing in the
rain.
Karen Hesse's Come On, Rain! is a beautiful celebration of the
love between moms and daughters. In fact it's dedicated by the
author, "To my mother...in celebration of all our summers."
It is also a vivid, entrancing description of a near universal
experience. I experienced something similar last August. We were
having a long dry spell in Penobscot County. I spent much of a
Saturday hefting heavy watering cans to water the community garden.
You could practically see the soil slurping up the water. Turn around
and it's dusty dry. When I hit the sack I was hearing plenty from
muscles that usually don't have much to say. The next day I was
sitting in church listening to Pastor Lorna preach. Suddenly, as if
someone turned on a gigantic shower, rain was drumming on the roof and
pouring down the windows. It was all I could do not to run outside
and dance. (This year, knowing Pastor Lorna better, if a similar
event happens I will follow my heart.)
On a personal note, the sunshine streaming in my studio window makes
my heart sing. After two days of rain we have a clear day for Maine
Day. It's a UMaine tradition. Instead of classes students do service
projects (many of which are outside), or write papers and study for
exams. I will be volunteering at Rogers Farm with some of my Real
Food Challenge chums. Everyone who participates is rewarded with a
lunch cook out.
A great big shout out goes out to organizers and everyone who is going
to participate.
jules hathaway



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