Rain at Pine Meadows, Utah

It rained yesterday, and I thought of my sister.

When we were growing up in Lake Tahoe, California, autumn rain was one of our favorite things. The dark clouds would tumble over the high peaks of Mt. Talac, the wind would pick up, whipping white caps onto the lake's steel blue surface, and the thunder would shake the windows of our small house. Teri and I would scramble around our bedroom gathering paper, pencils, books, and crayons. After our successful foray, we'd run outside to the car just as the first cold drops of rain splooshed onto the dirt road. It never rained gently in Lake Tahoe. As the rain thudded onto the roof of the car, Teri would draw and color pictures, and I would write stories. Teri was four years older than me, and the usual patterns of our day did not find us spending much time together, or even acknowledging each other's existence, but on those days when the thunder boomed, a magical connection formed.

So, it wasn't surprising when I felt those first cold drops of autumn rain, that I thought of her. The many miles separating Pine Meadows, Utah, and Lake Tahoe, California melted away, and we were back in the old grey Ford coloring, giggling, and creating a bond that would last a lifetime...and longer.