Rainy Season

It's official. Rainy season has begun. The morning is mostly sunny and hot. But, the sky gradually clouds over and around 2pm, ready or not, here it comes! I have witness some of the heaviest rains I have ever seen in my memory recording life this week. It is impressive how much water can fall to the earth. I'm talking basically NO visibility for vehicles, flooding in the streets, and rain falling so loudly it's almost as loud as a concert. It's crazy. Absolutely crazy. Oh, and there are some impressive claps and booms of thunder along with some sweet lightning streaks.
I can't tell you how grateful I am for my new umbrella! But actually it didn't even do me that much good on Wednesday. I had to go to Santo Domingo de Heredia to meet with Emilia (see a previous post about her and Sheila. I think it's "Another Week in Costa"). She picked me up my the plaza (center of town), but I had to wait a few minutes and the downpour had begun. There was a bit of a wind so it was slanting under my umbrella and the rain was coming down so hard it was bouncing everywhere. AND, these hail ice-ish ball things fell for a couple minutes too. It was wild. Needless to say, I got soaked. But thankfully Emilia lent me some dry, warm clothes and dried mine while I was at her lovely house. And thanks be to God, it had stopped raining so I was dry for the trip home.
I had another adventure today due to the rain. I walked home for lunch as always, and it looked like the skies were going to open imminently. But thank God I made it home before getting drenched (though I am leanring to not leave the house without my sombrilla). It started to pour about 3-5 minutes after I got home. I opened the fridge to see what I could find for lunch and all of a sudden the light went out. Oh dear. I didn't think it was the bulb. The microwave helped confirm that, indeed, the power had gone out. Then I realized there was an obnoxious noise coming from inside the house. I walked over to the computer and it was squealing something like the dumb door alarms at Grove City-not quite as terrible as that ridiculous power box in my room in the Tetons this past summer. I was afraid to touch anything so I called Josué (accidentally interrupting his rehearsal for his concert tonight I'm about to go to) to get help. I wasn't sure exactly of what he said, but I got enough to figure it out and stop the noise.
The benefit of the rain is that it cools things off a little bit. The heat has been quite oppressive much of my time here. And this morning at church, someone bought a 4 pack of downsized Oreos for everyone who was working. I ate 2 and saved the other 2 to dunk in milk at home. I am SO my mother's daughter!! I dunked a half of one in cold milk and knew I had to make a cup of hot in order to do my Oreos justice. I was sitting by the slightly open doors (rain wasn't blowing in so it was just nice and coolish and dry there) so I could actually bear to have a hot beverage. It was a delightful experience! What an eventful lunch hour!
Off to the Teatro Nacional for Josué's concert!