Sunday, March 20, 2011

rain's refrains


Rain is pounding my roof and pummeling the plastic walls of the shed. The Santa Barbara sky is dark and heavy. Long tendrils of pepper trees and eucalyptus thrash wildly in the wind. And though we are diligent here with flood control: clearing out brush, creek beds and drains, I sense, from the persistent intensity of this storm, that somewhere in Santa Barbara, it's flooding.

This morning when I awoke to an eerie darkness and rain that had continued throughout the night, I thought of my friend, S., how she jokingly whines, "Eeew! It's cold, it's rainy; this is Santa Barbara; it's suppose to always be perfect!"

And then, there is our local philosopher, Ashley Brilliant, whose ironic (and slightly twisted) cartoons appear in the city paper every day. Last Wednesday, his words went something like this, "Please, don't send any more disasters. My schedule is full."


6 comments:

  1. Aneet,

    Looks like it rained cats and dogs. Here in New York it was a different story though. I thought of you last night. We had a moon that was the size of a beach ball in the sky. I was driving on the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expwy heading north. Right smack in front of me was this giant moon that looked like it was just a short distance away that hovered over the Expressway. My thinking was wow,if only Anitra could see this. It truly would have made for one of your incredible paintings. Jonathan

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  2. Ah, Jonathan, what a beautiful image. I read that last night's full moon was the closest of the year. Of course, we didn't get to see it here. So glad you conveyed the experience.

    Thank you for your kind words. Lovely to hear from you, ~ Aneet

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  3. Hello Anitra-

    I hope you're staying warm and dry in the middle of all this. We certainly got a good soaking down the coast in the south bay area of LA. As a matter of fact only like 10 or 15 minutes ago there was a massive downpour that was so strong, I could barely see my neighbors' house.

    The rain conjures up many thoughts. For me it's generally the thought of nature cleaning itself of the dirt and impurities that so frequently build up here in southern California. Also on a day like today, it made me glad that I didn't have any errands to run and that I could stay inside warm and dry all day.

    I'll have to get my camera ready though. Once this storm blows through, I'm sure there will be some interesting images of what was left in its wake.

    Regards,

    Joseph

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  4. Yes, you're getting the same, formidable, West Coast storm. It sounds like you'll be taking more that just "beauty shots" with your camera. You should have plenty of interesting material.

    Enjoyed your message, ~ Anitra

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  5. OH Anitra
    How I wish,I was in Santa Barbara right now.I could use the down time
    in the Rain to read,or just curl up on a sofa to watch a movie or two.
    I have been so busy taking care of my Father,who has been quite Ill.
    I love your work! Peace and Light
    Roger

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  6. Roger,

    I know what it's like having an ill parent. It's such a challenge. My heart goes out to you and to your father as well.

    Sending you wishes for strength, hope and comfort. Sincerely, Anitra

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