Right at school drop-off time today, central Austin received a gully-washer of a thunderstorm. I was trapped at school for about 30 minutes while the lightning slashed down and thunder shook the building, seemingly right on top of us. There’s nothing like a Texas thunderstorm. I actually quite like them, so long as I’m under a roof.

The storm this morning gave us 3.5 inches, according to my rain gauge. Yippee! The garden was fresh and green this evening. Though the ground is strewn with rose petals, I know the plants must be grateful for the drink after the prolonged drought last summer and fall. I read in the paper this morning that central Austin ended 2005 with a deficit of 11.32 inches of rainfall. Today’s rain doesn’t make up for that, but it’s a good start.