Summer, Sun & Showers...

(A view of the open area just outside the hovel here...and of my car that is in great need of a bath)

The humid atmosphere of the outside world here along the marshes edge has been typical of this time of year. As Summer draws closer, the air becomes thicker, and the heat more intense. Not being a fan of the Sun, on my personal popularity list of the four seasons Summer comes in dead last (Fall being 'numero uno' with me). The hottest months of mid-year would be completely unbearable if it weren't for one thing...rain.

(The Fall doormat I got at work...I continue to let it "Welcome"
me even though it's not Fall yet...it serves as a reminder that
my favorite season will be here in a bit)

The weekly forecast for my area here on the Georgia Coast is always the same...day in...day out. Hot and humid with a chance of thunderstorms (some severe). My fingers are perpetually crossed in the hopes of one of those glorious storms. The sombre sky, usually with an accompanying cool breeze, and the sense of calm I always feel...rainy weather always acts as a stress reliever, but at the same time I find it exhilarating...the creative portion of my brain sparks.

The past few days have been like the past few weeks. Hot and humid with a chance of thunderstorms (some severe). Has the potential for rain come to fruition? Yes, a number of times...but I was at the 'mine' (i.e. work)...or sleeping. Rain while traipsing around dream land is not a bad thing, I tend to sleep more fitfully when it's raining. Rain while battling the orcs and goblins I tend to encounter at the mine...well, I'll just say that the sound of rain pelting the mine's roof and the rumble of the accompanying thunder makes me look forward to punching out for the day.

(New growth from a Caladium I got last year...
I thought it was dead and gone...
apparently not.)

I like to refer to Summer as Gaia's moody time of the year, and her moods can switch on a dime. One moment the Sun's rays are knifing down blindingly bright, and oven hot. The next thick clouds of various shades of grey can come rolling over just long enough to dampen things, after which the Sun creeps out once more. Then there are times like the other day as I was running an errand. The Sun had her high beams on, and suddenly rain began to fall. Many call this type of event a 'Sunshower'. Here in the southern US when a sunny day is visited by rain, we say "the devil is beating his wife". The rain is supposed to be the wife's tears. Lovely thought, huh? (I have looked around on the net for origins of this phrase, but couldn't really find any.)

(The storm clouds over the 'Bull River Yacht Club' by the Bull River Bridge...cross the bridge and your next stop is Tybee Island...the north beach on Tybee is a regular photography haunt of mine...to the left of the photo are the skeletal remains of an old dock.)

Today as I was finishing up a quick stop at the market, I noticed that things were considerably darker outside than when I entered the store. A storm was a'brewing...but would it actually produce rain? The $64,000 question...

I was about halfway home when I noticed the leading edge of the storm clouds. That is something I have had the opportunity to see first hand on several occassions. It's a really beautiful thing to witness. A thick covering of clouds drawing itself over the marsh towards the Atlantic just a few miles away. I'm on the edge of an ocean here, and the marsh reminds me of that.

(The tide is obviously out at the time of these photos...there are photos farther down in the post of when the tide is in.)

The clouds were moving fast. I was determined to catch some photographs of the front, so I was going as fast as I could without being chased by sirens (if you catch my drift). Pulling into my parking space, I rushed into the hovel, threw the frozen items in the freezer, and grabbed my camera. The greying sky and muted colors cooled the temperature a bit, and a soothing breeze had kicked up. As I traversed the few hundred feet to the marshes edge, I saw that I had made it. There it was, the front edge of the storm clouds.

I could smell rain. That's another thing we say here in the southern states. (I did some research on this phrase awhile back, and found some interesting information that backs it up. This is a link to that post: http://musingsfrommarsh.blogspot.com/2012/08/before-rain.html) There was no way to know for sure if rain would actually fall, but all of the changes to the marsh the storm clouds brought were welcome.

The breeze was fending off the dive bombing mosquitoes that are prevalent this time of year...that did not suck. I have ventured into the Sun on many occasions to snap some pictures of the marsh, and have practically slapped myself silly trying to dispatch those tiny vampires of the insect world. All in all, the small amount of time I spent by the marsh this afternoon set the tone for my evening.  Yep...I'm feeling pretty zen.

(One more bit of blue before the storm clouds completely take over.)

(A shot of a Cypress tree in front of the hovel...at least I think it is a Cypress..."up shots" of trees are so popular today, so I thought I would join in.)

The remaining pictures are of some of Gaia's many emotional displays for this time of year. Litha/Midsummer approaches on June 21st. (For those not in the know, it is the Summer Solstice.) The Sabbat honoring the longest day of the year. Lots of extra Sun to be had for that celebration. *grin* That being said, it is a day for celebrating Gaia, and the new life that the Sun helps nurture. As much as I dislike the Sun, I do have to give Sol credit. I am a lover of nature, especially trees, and the Sun has a hand in helping the trees along. In a way, trees are Sol's acceptance of my hating her rays. She helps the trees grow, and the trees act as shade for me.

It feels good to post to my blog. I have been a bit remiss this past month, and I have felt the therapeutic absence. Can't let that happen again. There are things in life we do out of necessity (i.e. work), but there are more important things we do to nurture ourselves. To push aside ones creative outlet(s) is to one's own detriment. My advice: avoid this at all costs. Life is about lessons, and the most important ones are through the most simple means. Avoid 'tunnel vision'...don't become one of the zombies.

Off to work on my Full Moon forecast post for this month. It's in just a couple of days on Friday the 13th. Mwa-ha-ha...*wink*

(The sun fighting a losing battle against the clouds.)

(For as much as I dislike Sol, I do take a lot of photographs of her...I do see some spots after each one, but don't appear to have caused myself any lasting harmful effects...I hope.)

(The manhole cover over the storm drain by the dock remains...it still holds some rain water from a storm that just passed by.)

(A sunny Saturday at evening high tide...outside of frame to the left on the other side of the dock remains was a guy on a blow-up pool raft...he was splashing around out there sunning himself...my first thought was 'how stupid could he be'...the waters of the marsh have all kinds of dangerous inhabitants that could be lurking...most recently gators have been seen in the area...we have a pond in the condominium community, and within the last week or so we received an e-mail from the manager regarding a gator in the pond...it wasn't huge, but it could take a chunk out of someone...you wouldn't catch me splashing around out there in the marsh.)

(A bird I saw hopping around a neighbor's porch...I had to snap this from quite a distance...I like the hazy quality of the photo.)

(These last few pictures are of a calm and quiet marsh...the water around the decrepit dock was like glass.)