The Thrill of the Puddle Jump

I find summer storms thrilling–the dramatic thunderolls, flashes of lightning, the downpour of rain, and the smell of the earth. While the world is storming, suddenly I feel at peace. Once the storm ends and the sun reappears, rainbows are scattered throughout the sky and huge puddles dot the earth. Besides being a dramatic outlet for beautiful displays of nature, summer rains also produce giant puddles. Of course, puddles are a year-round occurrence; however, in summer the air is warm and the puddles are wonderfully refreshing–TO JUMP IN!

That’s right! I’m a puddle jumper and proud of it! At first, I just thought I liked water a lot, but I have this compulsive need to propel my feet into still (relatively clean) pools of water. Jumping with free abandon into a puddle as the water falls through the air getting you and everything (and everyone) around you drenched is the stuff of life. I never feel so free as the moment I leap into the air and come landing into a muddy puddle of water. I often list “jumping in puddles” or “puddle jumping” as one of my hobbies because I enjoy it that much.

So today as a storm rolled out, I grabbed my camera and heading outside to search for rainbows. While I didn’t see any rainbows, I managed to capture a few images that I thought were pretty cool, including one of a tree reflected in a puddle in the parking lot.

After I took this picture, I jumped in the puddle. Then I headed down to the creek, hoping to find minor flooding and maybe a frog. I didn’t find a frog, but the water went up way past my ankles. I searched along the banks of the creek for interesting images. The sun was shining. Wet leaves hung from their branches. And my capris were soaked. It was glorious. It was a God moment.

I was so overwhelmed by the aroma of the earth, the fun of the puddles, and the beauty all around me that all I could do was praise God. I kicked up water with joy as I thanked God for the rain and for this moment of worship. I haven’t feel so unhindered in weeks, so I cried, too.

This is one of my favorite places to sit and think by the creek.

Then I was joined by Sarah (who did not frolick in the water) who was walking the dogs. While Cassie was not in the mood to run through the damp earth, Maddy was game. I kicked up water and she chased the droplets and got caught in the spray. We ran through the water together–a girl and her dog having a blast.

At some point I ditched my fake Crocs, and let the muddy water trickled between my toes. Soaked from all the fun, Maddy and I made our way back home (with Sarah and Cassie). And I took this picture…