I went down to the coffee shop near my house tonight, and noticed while walking over that the wind was picking up and the air smelled different. Since the coffee shop was crowded, I found an empty chair outside and enjoyed the rapidly dropping temperature. Wind whipped into the complex’s courtyard bringing electricity with it and sure enough, lightning started soon after.

At this time last year I learned how quickly a torrential downpour can burst out of nowhere, so I grabbed my bag, magazine and drink and headed home, noticing how many of my neighbors had their windows open on the way. Sure enough, by the time I’d made it up two flights of stairs and started opening my own windows, fat drops had started spattering the screens.

Unfortunately, my cat, Antonya, was far less impressed by these exciting developments than I had hoped. As the sound of the pavement getting soaked and voices of people caught in the downpour drifted up, she turned her back on the window and is now sleeping on her favorite chair with a distinctly offended attitude.

But we haven’t been able to open the windows in months, so I’m stubbornly thrilled that there’s air moving through the rooms and not just because of the constant ceiling fans. Things have settled down now, and people are returning to their porches and sidewalks, but there’s still splashes each time a car goes by, and a fresh breeze…

While the break in the heat will probably only be temporary till October, nothing clears the air like a good storm.