Vegas: Clouds and rainbows

Rain isn't exactly a common occurrence here in the dry and arid desert, where dust and cactuses rain supreme. Cacti are the primary foliage specifically because they've used centuries of hard-fought experience and evolved to capture and hold onto any and all precipitation they can find, kind of like a clingy mother-in-law who won't let her little birds off into the world or the arms of a loving partner for fear of losing them entirely. These things. Nature seems to have a way with patterns, an affinity for them, when applicable- whether it be behavioral archetypes or weather patterns. Despite having roughly 363.5 solid days of sunshine and dry weather unsullied by unexpected wetness falling from the sky (egads!), there are still those few and far between showers that break up the routine. As much as these sporadic and often brief rain showers and storms can literally rain on people's parades, they're a much-needed burst of literal life-blood to the dehydrated lands and people that reside here. Water is an absolutely precious resource here in the desert and is also sorely lacking, with this drought lingering for decades now. As the city continues to grow and expand, the demand for water will also rise and things may end up rather tricky in the future. 

So when it rains, the locals cheer. We pray it pours, that the sky cracks violently open and decades of pent-up sadness come sobbing out of god's giant blue eye to flood the valley and refill our long-dwindling lakes and reservoirs. Sometimes, the typhoons bring us dashed hope and flash-flood filled roads, but more oft than not the tempests blow themselves out before they can do much damage and we're left doing our paroxysmal rain dances again, waiting. But at least these brief showers bring rainbows with them, a reminder that beauty inevitably blooms in the space left behind when the storms clear away. Another metaphor from nature, perhaps? Indubitably. Just like how the sun will always shine again, no matter how deep and dark the night or storm may rage, things in life will improve for you with time and space if you let them. And that's kind of cool. Thanks, nature! 

Photos in this post were, as usual lately, provided by Antho. Thanks babe!

Vegas: Summer Storm

It's no secret that in the desert, rain is a rarity. There are songs about it, and not just that one you've been hearing a lot lately. I've talked about it. There are water-cops! It is, simply, a known fact- rain and the desert are generally pretty rarely acquainted, and on those few and far between times when the sky does actually open up and let loose it's typically hot and heavy, like most summer romances. And in that same vein, the rains tend to occur mostly during the summer season, when the unrelenting heat gets peeled back for just a brief respite and the sky darkens. They're often turbulent storms, crackling up a lot of lightning and thunder, so we like to joke that Thor is paying us a friendly visit. Naturally, these brief and intense storms typically result in flash flooding, as water runs downhill and the city of Las Vegas itself is situated in a valley. This transforms normal-seeming roads into potential death traps, as drivers underestimate the depth of the water and drive in too deep, get stranded, or worse. So, if you happen to find yourself visiting Las Vegas during one of our few and far-between monsoons, be smart about driving out there and stay on dry land. 

These photos were captured by Antho, at a safe elevation away from the majority of the rains. It's not easy to capture lightning on film, and it took a lot of attempts to get some of the shots he managed, with a lot of tinkering in settings. It's so gratifying when you do finally capture the ephemeral bolts in action, though! I've always loved stormy weather, probably in large part because it is such an unusual occurrence here. I mean, we typically get them during the summers, but beyond that, they'll happen when mother nature decides it's time. We've been in quite a serious drought for a long, long time, too, so each time we get rain there's the vain hope that maybe, just maybe this time will be the one to really crack open and dump desperately needed hydration into the lands. We're still waiting...but these rains, they're nice.