The rain is here! I know. You have heard months and months of me complaining about the unceasing rain. Last year it rained from May until February. But since the end of February it has been BEASTLY hot. Like this horrible heat that you just stand and sweat until your clothes are soaked.
When I went to meet the people who live up the road 2 days ago they commented over and over that they have never felt weather as hot as it was when we were touring their property. They have lived there for over 40 years, so it says something if they have never been in weather hotter than that day. Honduras was baking. It has been so hot and dry. Everything is covered with dust. As soon as you wash it off, it reappears. Dust and ashes from the forest fires. My lungs ache and my throat has been a mess. For over a month I have been sick with a terrible cough. This dry heat is horrific.
Friday the Dr diagnosed me with a throat infection and bronchitis. I had to take 4 medications and nebulizer treatments. I don't remember having bronchitis ever before in my life. This cough sucks. For the first time since I moved to Honduras I agreed to take antibiotics. (People take antibiotics here to cure a hang nail. Okay I am exaggerating, but antibiotics are horribly overused.) I was coughing up chunks of things that would fly across the room if I didn't cover my mouth. That did literally happen a couple of nights ago when I was in bed. It was quite disgusting.
You get the point. It was "H" "E" double hockey stick - ishly hot and dry. The night before I visited my neighbors I heard a little bit of rain on the tin roof but it stopped as quickly as it started. When I got out to my car the next morning their were little spots of rain on the otherwise dust covered car.
People have taken to watering down the road in front of their house throughout the day to keep the dust down. Some are even building their own speed bumps so that traffic is forced to go slower and can't kick up as much dust. It drives me nuts because they build the homemade speed bumps steep and it is rough on my car. But if my house was close to the road I might be tempted to do the same.
When I visited my neighbors they commented that we got some rain last night. I said, "Yes, a few drops." They found that very funny. Sometimes I say things that I don't think are funny at all, but people find me hilarious in Spanish. They said I am "pura Hondureña" the way that I speak, which I will take as a compliment from a man who has lived here for over 40 years and his Honduran wife. I think my Spanish has improved lately because more people are commenting about it and there are only a few words here and there that I don't understand now.
Anyway, we got a few drops of rain 2 nights ago. Then as I was touring the property the man kept saying it felt like rain when the wind blew. Well, he sure was right! It started raining yesterday afternoon and rained through the night. It let up early in the morning until about 1:30 this afternoon. Perfect for the Breakfast Program. Then the clouds rolled in and the thunder came and I saw huge bolts of lightening as I was driving home. It's only been a light rain so far today. Yesterday's rain knocked down all of the dust and poured garbage and dirt that has been sitting stagnant for months into the road. Today's rain has been uneventful so far. But it feels so darn good.
Jetty's asthma has been acting up since the humidity returned. My cough has been better for 2 days. Not sure if that is medicine related or weather related. Tempted to give the credit to the meds since what I am coughing up has changed color significantly over the past 3 days.
I have never, ever appreciated rain like I did yesterday. That must be how farmers feel. I was aching for rain. Marcela says hurricanes are blowing in from the coast this weekend. I'll make sure to have some food on hand that doesn't need to be heated (note to self) and keep everything charged. Keeping things charged becomes part of life here. As is stocking candles and matches throughout the house and placing headlamps/flashlights in key spots.
If this year is like last year and it continues through February with no break I know I will complain about the rain again. That was not fun. But for now, please God, let it rain.
