Friday, January 20, 2012

Puddles Just Waiting To Be Jumped In

Short post today. I was going to dig into rhyme a bit more but then it started raining. Granted, the connection may not be evident at first glance. But stay with me and you, too, will soon be able to follow my convoluted logic.

The Sacramento area is abysmally short of rain now already halfway through our "rainy season" that generally runs from middle-ish October to middle-ish April. In fact, some estimates show we are about 20 percent of average and that may be generous. Since December 1 we have had less than one tenth of an inch of rain when we should have had over four inches by this time on average. And where five feet of snow should have fallen already in the High Sierra, there is virtually bare dirt.

That is, until today, although so far it doesn't appear to be adding much to our total, it has generated lots of excitement among weather prognosticators. Really, it's actually more like a very light but steady drizzle and hardly enough to get any water running in the gutters at that.

But despite the fact it's no where close to a storm, yet, the rain is totally the reason my thinking shifted from "rhyme" to "run" as the subject of my post. You see, a rain like today is perfect for a run---just enough to wet things down a bit and create a few puddles to jump in but not enough to be a bother.

Therein lies the fun. Plain and simple, puddles bring out the kid in me. Going splat in the first one may wrinkle your nose up a bit. But after that, every puddle is just waiting, nay begging, to be jumped in. Who cares if shoes get wet and mud splatters up to your knees?

OK. That's it. That's my post for today. Here's to puddle jumping, in celebration of all puddles past and all those yet to come---even the piddly ones. Why, I'm even beginning to feel a short rhyme coming on, with a little syncopation to boot....

Rain
By Bill Kirk

Drip. Drip. Patter, pit.
Little drops of rain that hit
My umbrella. Under it,
I’m a perfect fit.

12 comments:

  1. Love this.
    Bill your interview at Pen and Ink will be up Monday. I see you are on the blog comment challenge.
    #'s 47, 75,
    http://www.thinkkidthink.com/
    are all poets/ Also Greg Pincus
    http://gottabook.blogspot.com/
    number 111 is a poet and internet specialist. He has another blog called The Happy Accident

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  2. My kids love puddle jumping! I try not to worry about the mess and just let them go for it. :)

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  3. Great poem! Thanks for stopping by. :-) I look forward to reading more that you've written.

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  4. The rain stops the rhyme
    So you don't have the time
    What with all that puddle jumping fun
    Ther'll be noo rhyming until there is sun

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  5. Your poem gave me a giggle! Just what I needed on our bleary, wet Sunday!

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  6. Thanks, all, for stopping by and leaving a comment. I can tell you are all puddle jumpers of the very best kind.

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  7. Hi Bill! Really enjoyed the post and the little poem.
    It'll rain here today and that means, I will be jumping puddles a little later :)

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  8. Walking in the rain in January in Ohio is a completely different experience. Jumping in puddles has no appeal at all!

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  9. Love it, so expressive. Makes me want to go jump in a puddle- maybe when our first snow of the season (today!) melts...

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  10. Thanks to everyone for visiting. Please drop by any time. For those in the midst of winter snow, I have memories of sub-freezing temps from my undergrad days at the University of North Dakota. Not quite the same as puddle jumping, But I must admit to having done plenty of snow running (and backpacking and camping) as well.

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  11. I should be in the middle of winter snow, but it's raining in Ohio again, again. I know where your rain has fallen this year. Cute poem :)

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  12. I can't say I'm a rain or puddle fan, but my daughter is only 15 months, so maybe that will change. :) Love your little poem. Also enjoyed your previous post on rhyme. Rhyme ain't easy, that's for sure!

    http://margodill.com/blog/

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