solar rain

this is reputed to be a ridiculously sunny island so when it rains there is a sense of relief and comfort. this morning the air was still and almost imploded with anticipation. i planted spinach and plucked some archived chard-blitva in the local lingua-in my compact garden. Taku, my Japanese neighbor who swells the ranks of foreigners in the village to a whopping two, came over with the salvaged wooden bed sides that he trimmed for my kitchen-shelf-to-be.
and now it's raining. steadily, diligently through the birdsong-they are no help to know when it stops dripping as they sing on-and watering the olives, budding lemons and mandarins, flourishing artichokes and lavender greening up. I can still hear the lament of the weed whackers but anticipate the wet may silence them soon.