A little under the weather

A few nights ago I fell asleep to the sound of rain on the roof.

At least I think I did.

It’s become such a rare occurrence that I can’t be sure. Maybe it was a dream.

I remember rain hammering on the roof a few years back, but it didn’t happen last summer. Once the snow disappeared in April, the country simply dried out. There was no green-up, no wet season, no rain.

I worry this spring is shaping up in similar fashion. So maybe I was hearing things.

But the sound of rain, like the sound of a dog gagging in the middle of the night, usually wakes me with a start. I spent too many nights in a tent to ignore it. Something always needed attending to, whether it meant zipping the windows closed or checking the boat, the sound of rain was a call to action.

Camped on a barrier island off the Gulf Coast of Florida a few years back, I woke in the dark to rain pounding on the tent. It was so loud my wife and I could only hear each other by shouting.

Our boat was docked on the other side of the island, and after pulling on my rain gear I splashed over there to find the boat nearly full to the gunnels. I bailed it out and returned to camp. The rain didn’t let up and shortly after I got back a ranger stopped by to tell me I needed to check on my boat.

He gave me a ride to the dock on an ATV and when we got there the boat was again nearly sunk.

It doesn’t rain in Montana like it does in Florida, but while the sound of rain in the evening can lull me to sleep, I still wake with a start if it’s raining at dawn.

Now, however, it’s with amazement, not the anxiety I used to feel.

There was enough snow last winter that the country will turn green even if it doesn’t rain, which is a good thing with little precipitation in the forecast.

We’re told this is our future: harsh winters followed by dry, hot summers, punctuated by an occasional deluge.

Montanans are fond of saying if you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes. I wish that were still true.

The monotony of drought is keeping me up at night.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected].