The rain? I am so finished with the rain

When Alex was here in September we had an argument. He wanted me to water the Sloping Shaded Naked Spot in the yard where no grass will grow. I said he was free to water it, but that to be honest I doubted I would ever think to do so, and if it did occur to me I probably wouldn't do it anyway.

I should not have said that. I should have said that A.) Water will not fix that problem and B.) It will get rained on.

He spent most of that morning, September 19, watering the trouble spot.

Because of that argument, I happened to notice that, beginning on the afternoon of September 19, it rained torrentially every single day for...wait for it...a full 40 days and 40 nights. (And then some, but I was satisfied at 40 and stopped counting.)

I don't mind Costa Rica's rainy season because it is civilized: gorgeous, sunny mornings with singing birds and blue skies, with downpours beginning at 1:00 p.m. Well, 12:00 p.m. now that I live in the mountains.

Still and all, October is Costa Rica's rainiest month. Never come to Costa Rica in October.

This October failed to comply with the standard Rainy Season protocol (the birds, the blue skies). This October is fired and will never work in this town again.

So, did the Problem Spot in the yard sprout some grass at least, what with the daily watering? Mmmm, not so much. The Problem Spot melted, ran downhill and came to rest, inches deep, at the mud pit gate.

Not that the Problem Spot became any smaller for losing all that mud, mind you. I think it grows back.

I'm not sure just how it works, but the ground is so waterlogged now that even when it only drizzles there's this one spot that always gathers standing water...at the top of a hill.

I left my CDs at Rita's house after the retreat, so I've been listening to the radio this past week. The DJ has started playing songs to punctuate his weather reports. I think he's grumpy because his favorite line used to be "Looks like another beautiful day in Paradise."