A lake in late June.

A moody, rainy day in late June. Our summer in the Rockies looked mostly like this, but the rain helped to keep the smoke from the wildfires at bay, for a time.

Things had felt heavy in the days leading up to this day; I told J we should go for a drive to get out of the house. Get some fresh air, clear our heads; as history and experience have proven, long walks in the woods are some of the best (free) therapy one can be offered. The rain for me typically brings melancholy along with it, but given how much rain we had this season, I was trying to see this unavoidable, uncontrollable weather pattern with new eyes and a lighter heart. To see it as it is: as important a part of our natural world as all else; rain often gives life and has a cleansing, cooling quality. The world slows down and afterwards, everything is still, the air sweet and clear. It doesn’t have to be sad. As natural as a shadow, the rain can be just as beautiful as a clear, sunny day.

We got soaked as we walked all around the lake, breathing it in as we talked life out. In the end, we were exhilarated; cold to the bone; happy to have found a way to enjoy our day off—rain or shine, as the saying goes.