Spitball Army

15 December 2008

You could say that the Southern California lifestyle is an outdoors culture.  Inclement weather occurs so seldom that there is rarely a reason to stay indoors.  Not so today.

I drove to the pool at 5:00 a.m., despite the cold and wind.  By the time I arrived, the sky had begun to express itself with intermittent spittles of rain.  I had nearly completed half a mile in the outdoor pool when the lifeguard shut it down.  The rule of thumb here is that if the bottom of the pool is not visible from above, due to choppiness on the water’s surface, then it is time to clear out the swimmers.  In Alabama, in the indoor pool, if it begins to rain and there is a possibility of thunder and lightning, the gig is up.  Again, cultural differences abound.

I visited Phyllis, a family friend, after stopping for coffee and waiting in vain for the sun to show its face.  I asked Phyllis if she sees this much rain often.

“Once a year?” I asked.

Phyllis turned her mouth in thought.  She tentatively shook her head.  “No, not even once a year,” she said, pensively.

We both looked out her sliding glass door, toward her beautifully landscaped backyard, where the rainwater was beginning to collect in a miniature pond on her cement patio.  In the background, dozens of Birds of Paradise were swaying in the gale.