I sleep at night to the sound of artificial rain. It's like something from a Ray Bradbury story. Each night I turn off my lights and huddle under the cover, then I plug the earbuds first into my ears and then into my iPhone. A couple of gestures and I have my choice of "Wet Rain", "Soaking Rain", "Rainy forrest with singing birds" or (my favorite) "Gentle rain on the canvas of a tent". I think I like this one best because of the years I spent sleeping in the WESTFALIA. The white noise relaxes me and after a time I begin to have this strange conflict in my mind. The retinal, logical part of my mind knows that the rain is only an audio recording but the soft animal side wants it so badly to be real that it spread over my conciousness and that is when I know I will soon drift off to sleep. I like that part most because I often have trouble shutting off the "voices in my head" that clamor with what NEEDS to be done loudly that it keeps me from the sleep I so badly need to get any of them done.The Governor declared that we were in a drought last week but anyone who has lived for any period of time in California was well aware of that in December. Natives, like myself, know the rhythm of the season here, dry towards the end of the year but with the taps opening and drenching us through the late winter and early spring. There is no sign of that this year, and it was not much in evidence last year either. Californians are also used to the cycle of fires, we are used to the natural order of things and when the state will catch flame and burn for a time. We are used to the pictures of the flames from space and most Californians can tell from just a hint of smoke in the air what is burning near them and when. The cycle usually starts in late May or early June and peaks in August and September. This year though the South has already begun to burn. It doesn't bode well for the year and no amount of digital precipitation will help the forrest that stand as tinder waiting a match.
