It was dark outside when I heard the rain begin. I was reading in the dim pool of a lantern at the table. Lydia was sleeping. We are at the coast today. This is the first time we have been out in Atticus since the Pendleton Round Up trip 14 months ago. Between severe health issues, operations, and the Pandemic, we’ve rarely ventured out of our home for more than a few hours. It has been a difficult time for us.

It is election day. There is a palpable sense of anticipation and anxiety. Social media is saturated with “what ifs” and last- minute partisan rhetoric. People are nervous and scared. The last four years have uncovered an ugly side of us. Both right and left have acted shamefully and, sadly, often. Today is a test of our responsibility and commitment to the principle of self determination by voting. Tomorrow will be a test of our faith, that whatever the result, we believe in the process of democracy and it’s safeguards for justice and equality.

It all sounds pretty lofty, I know, but we take it one day at a time with the knowledge that by and large, folks are decent and good. We trust in that.

Here in Oregon the rain is a welcome sound that has many variations and permutations. Often here it is just a thick mist, a soaker, that makes clothes damp and shirt collars drag uncomfortably. Later in the winter there will be days of a heavier, steady drizzle; the kind of weather that fosters what Ken Kesey called “the standin and starins”. Always, though, the first few rains are welcome; the tapping on the roof brings on a deep and refreshing sleep, unlike that summer can offer.

Rain is the norm here. It shapes how we behave, how we persist. So, today is just another rainy day at the coast. I cooked blueberry pancakes and we ate them with huckleberry syrup and bacon. We walked, Lyd did the dishes, and now we’ve settled down to our books, a hot drink, and the welcome presence of two people who’ve shared 50 years together. We’ll deal with tomorrow tomorrow.

The rain has stopped for a bit. The wind has come up some. We’ve settled in for the afternoon now. I think I’ll make some popcorn and finish my book.

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