t
o
n
y
a
n
g
'
s
 
w
e
b
l
o
g


the last time it rained was 8 days ago, happened overnight, enough to fill half our rain barrels. but given how hot and dry it'd been since then, it took us just a few days to use up all that water. what we needed was a serious soaking rain, one that hasn't happened in quite a while. in fact, most of eastern massachusetts is currently under a moderate drought warning. however, that deluge we'd been waiting for finally happened today.

the day was grey but dry. my mother - who never checks the weather - even said it wouldn't rain today. but i knew otherwise, with my sources telling me the best chance for rain would be between noontime to 5pm. earlier this morning my father mowed the lawn in anticipation of the rain that would then water the grass. he also disassembled the tent stove. i spent an hour weeding the southwestern corner of the yard, in the neglected garlic chive and daylily patches. i pulled up celandines, yellow wood sorrels, creeping bellflowers, grass, nightshade, smartweeds, lamb's quarters, and most importantly swallow-worts. i also turned the compost with a pitch fork, mixing the fresh grass clippings with the dried dead leaves from last fall.

about 11am it began to rain. a slight drizzle at first that started to build up into a heavier rain. i stayed outside as long as i could, armed with an umbrella, checking that the rain barrels were all collecting.

i went inside to eat some wonton soup my mother had made and to wait out the rain. i'd go outside intermittently to take photos. the rain didn't come in a large mass but rather in bands, so it's rain for a bit, stop, then rain again. after the first band we filled maybe 1/5 of the rain barrels and was worried it'd stopped raining, but by the end of the day we had so many bands of rain we more than enough filled all 12 of our barrels. this should last us for a while but the good news is we're due for some more rain saturday, an all day affair, so the plants are going to be happy.

my father wired up a 2.1mm power jack to one of his lithium battery box yesterday and today he made some LED lights to take advantage of the new power port. we also watched a youtube video to learn how to wire a 3-pole led rocker switch.

the weather condition was such - wet, hot, humid - that it made the musty old carpets begin to smell. the rain was along the edge of a cold front, so unlike yesterday when the temperature reached 90 degrees, today it was a much cooler 70's. we didn't need to use the AC's, just opened a few windows to allow the cool breeze to come in.

around 5pm my father barbecued the drumstick meat on the grill despite the rain. this was easier said than done, since some of the cuts were small and were in danger of falling through the grill. the chicken also stuck to the grill as well. finally, my father didn't cook it long enough, and when we brought it inside to eat, i ate into a raw chicken piece that immediately sapped my appetite. i took the remaining chicken and went back outside to grill them again. even though i managed to cook the chicken, i couldn't get that barbecued taste, and some of the pieces were over-cooked. when it comes to drumsticks, it's easier just to leave them as-is instead of trying to do too much. our, if you're going to render drumstick meat, the best option is double-fried.

i couldn't go home after dinner, as i waited for the last band of rain to pass over the area. i didn't leave until almost 8pm. the thought did cross my mind that i might see a dramatic sunset, but riding back i didn't see any signs of that. however, my sister sent me photos later of double rainbows and amazing sky colors, and likewise i found similar photos online, so i missed a great opportunity to see something special.

i finished watching crimes of the future, david cronenberg's latest film. he's one of the last remaining weird cinema directors, his specialty being body horror. i don't know if i'd recommend crimes of the future, unless you're a fan of cronenberg and his brand of bizarre. the only other director i can think of who also relishes in weirdness is david lynch, his last project being the twin peaks revival in 2017.