Puddle Dancing

It rained yesterday…poured, in fact. The sky that had been a brilliant blue for weeks upon end filled itself up and wept copious tears on the thirsty ground.

Of course, after such a long period of drought, and that abrupt of a change, there was flooding. Where I live, thankfully, that didn’t occur. It was simply a matter of umbrellas and puddles. One could almost hear the earth sighing in relief as it soaked up the rain.

Water is one of the most unusual substances on our planet and in our bodies. Here is a fascinating post from Duke University with some stats. I encourage you to read it. There are some things about water that are directly opposite to all other matter. Water marches to its own drum.

H2O expands when it freezes, unlike other substances. It also has decreased density when frozen, which causes it to float, or only freeze on top of lakes and oceans. If the reverse were true, marine and freshwater life would be obliterated. The vast amount of water on earth works double-duty to maintain a temperature range conducive to human life. During the day, water soaks up heat and then, after sunset, it begins to release it. This cycle helps keep our planet’s temperature much more stable.

So, as I look out at the grass, which is greener today, and the sky, which is still overcast and grey, it is with a joyful heart. This thing we casually call water is really a miracle. It also performs another duty – no matter what age a person is, dancing in a puddle is fun.

– RG