The Sound of Rain

I began in a light rain, parking the car at a gravel turnout and approximating where I left off on this section of the trail a couple months ago. Not the best weather for walking, but I had two hoods, one on my sweatshirt and the other on my down jacket. Together, they kept most of me dry so that only my shoes and jacket took a hit.

The thing about hiking in the rain — in any weather, really — is that the weather becomes part of the walk. In this case, the splatter and the damp made their way into the setting. There was mud, of course, and lots of it. In a couple of low-lying spots someone had thoughtfully laid long two-by-fours as makeshift bridges through the muck. 

And there was the acoustic aspect, the splash of drops on leaves — fat drops that seemed more solid than liquid (and afterward, on the radio, I heard we were expecting freezing rain).  This was my accompaniment on today's stroll. A quiet world, just the sound of rain hitting earth.