stormy weather.

Today, it was sunny. Then rainy. Then haily. Then rainy. Then sunny. Then rainy. Then sunny. Then rainy.

I loved it.

Most people don't know that I absolutely love the rain. I guess I just never bring it up. But it's my favorite kind of weather, hands down. Not cold rain, but warm rain, in the summer. I love really dark rain clouds, and I love getting soaked in the pouring rain, and still being able to be warm, because it's summer.

Along with rain storms, I also ADORE thunder/lightning storms. When I was little, I'd sit on my front porch and watch the rain drizzle from the roof, look at the bright lightning and listen to the booming thunder, and smell the amazing smell of wet trees, wet asphalt, and wet dirt. Up here in the mountains, the smell is ten times more incredible. Especially because we have Juniper trees here. They smell wonderful!

Today at work, I was driving Nicole home, and Sophie was with us too, because after my shift with Nicole, I was scheduled to work with Sophie. On the way home, we were listening to Regina Spektor. (I'm currently going through a phase where all I really want to listen to is her and Ingrid Michaelson.) It was raining, and the dark clouds were the perfect background for the whiter-than-white lightning that was striking almost to the ground. The windows were down, and every time the three of us would see a lightning bolt, we'd say, "Ohhhh! Did you see that one?!" It was quite a lovely drive.

Earlier today, while Nicole and I were hanging out at the park with other staff and kids, it started to hail. Big ones. So big, in fact, that I was legitimately worried about my car being dented. The brave kids went out and ran through it while the rest of us stayed safe under the pavilion.

After months of hot, sunny weather, I am so thrilled to finally see some storms. Love 'em.

The parking lot was covered in hail!

Look at the size of that hail!