Showers of Blessings

Sometimes the dance of thunder and rain pelting down offers the closest thing you can get to heaven. This mountain rain inspired many paintings, but this one is my favorite.

Captured near the basin of Blue Mesa, the mountains rise straight up from the water's edge, on most sides, with only a few places where land actually meets water in a manner conducive for fishing. Camping is a favorite summer activity and my favorite part of camping is taking along watercolors and painting our campsites.

Rain splattered across the cove before me, long before I gave up and went inside to wait out the storm. From beneath the awning of the camper, I had access to the views but didn't lose any paper to the weather.

I always wonder at the fishermen who weather the storm, brave the winds and rain to stay on the lakes. Although I didn't paint them in, I remember praying for three men in a small motor boat who anchored in our cove and rode out the storm in their small craft. Their efforts to keep water out of the boat and stay dry were heroic, with storm clouds high above, thunder ripping the mountains and lightening splintering across the sky on short intervals. When at last the storm rolled out, the three cast the tarp aside and pulled anchor. Their tiny engine didn't want to pull the load and they ended up pulling their boat out of the lake right there.

We drove them around the lake to their truck and trailer at the boat doc. Once we returned, we fed them a quick meal of soup and sandwiches and helped them pull their boat out of the water.

One of those gentleman has inspired many hours of writing and painting. You never know who you'll meet on the banks of a lake.