Rainy Days

Yesterday and today have brought dark and rainy days.

And in some parts of the U. S., 

there has been so much rain that it is flooding. 

This is ironic considering that so much of the country

was drought-stricken last year.

 There seems to be no in-between.

This morning, I'm looking out my window at the soggy back yard,

the trees blackened by the rain,

and the misty, cloudy sky

still visible behind the emerging leaves on the trees.

And there are two bright red cardinals,

 a chickadee, and a robin feeding

all of whom are oblivious to the weather.

They all look extra bright against the dark woods.

So today, another photo gallery, 

this one of the beauty of rain.

We'll start with one of my favorite rain scenes, 

crystalline rain drops on leaves:

And how about raindrops on bright red berries?

Or a few casual rain drops on a yellow blossom?

Here's a beautiful clear rain puddle reflecting some palm trees:

Rain can turn a common asphalt road into a glossy, reflective ribbon:

This last one is beautiful and my favorite in this collection.

 I love the way the colors and shapes of spring

are softened by the raindrops on the window:

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