It rained--hard--yesterday and the earth and the air are still fresh and clean. Usually at this time of year the smog is beginning to accumulate, the grass is starting to dry out and we initiate our weekly regimen of watering the ornamentals around the border of the yard.

This year, though, we had a late rain and it was most welcome. It washed off my car where I had spilled a cup of coffee and it refilled the dog's water dish, not to mention it watered the tomatoes.

I used to love summer rains as a child, when the sky would darken with heavy threatening clouds, the air would chill and then the rain hammer down. After the rain, the sun appeared again between the clouds and the ground steamed in the renewed heat. We plashed and splashed in the puddles and had a grand old time.

Summertime.