Double Whammies

In the last few days, we have had a couple of storms pass through the area, leaving us with some rain, which the ground soaked up like a dry sponge.  We've had a run of beautiful sunny weather, and the ground quickly has become like a dust bowl.  So, when we saw the skies darkening, we all anticipated getting some rain. 

When this storm passed, it just rained a few minutes, and then left behind two beautiful rainbows glistening through the clouds to the west.

I"m not sure why the rainbows here are always in the west, but... they just are... And whenever we get a storm like this, it always seems to come in from the west, every time...

I never tire of looking at the rainbows in the sky and remembering the promise the Lord made to Noah.  I thank Him each time I see this beautiful sight in the sky for the gentle reminder of a promise that has always been kept!

You can barely see the double rainbow in this picture, as it was fading quickly.

Then, just a few days later, we had another storm pass through.  I noticed the sky getting that dark shade of blue off to the west, and then it seemed to get almost black, before the heavens opened up, and everything was white.

The hail came down out of the sky with a vengeance.  The hail was hitting the ground outside and bouncing around like they were on a trampoline.  It wasn't long and the ground was covered in little white balls of hail.
.  

I had just finished putting some plants I had taken out of the greenhouse that very day into pots, and I was worried the hail was going to beat the fragile plants into smithereens!  These plants had been safely sheltered in my greenhouse, and their first day in the "real world" wasn't too pleasant!  Thankfully, close inspection after the storm passed revealed that my plants had survived the hail and rain and although somewhat waterlogged, they were still alive and well.

It had rained so hard during this short storm that we had huge puddles in the yard.  This is unusual for Idaho, as usually when it rains here, it is just a slow, steady downpour that may add up to a 1/2" after its rained all day.  So, when we get weather like this, it is unusual.

 

The storm came through with a lot of vim and vigor, but it wasn't long until the hail quit, and the sun came out.  Because the storm brought cooler weather with it, you could see the heat mixing with the cool air creating a heavy mist in the air. 

Despite the hail and the great deluge of rain, we were thankful for it, as the ground really needed a good soaking, and I know my plants soaked up every drop quite happily!