Today, I learned something about life in southern California: rain is a life-altering event. Let me begin by saying that Sarah and I were on our walk when the unexpected happened; it started with a far-off lightening strike and a distant rainbow and ended with a few, remote peals of thunder and a second rainbow. In between there were a sprinkle of rain (1/8th of an inch) and a bunch of locals pointing at the sky. The top story of the 11 o’clock news (Fox) was, I kid you not, “Wacky Weather!” Apparently, the drizzle was accompanied by brief periods of wind (not high winds, mind you) that stopped flights at LAX and John Wayne airports. Those in charge thought the planes might “get struck by lightening and explode.” That was not a joke. The locals who were interviewed seemed flabbergasted that such an event (as in rain) could happen here. The news crews did their best to film the devastation by pointing their cameras at the sky. I’m quite sure that Californians would die if forced to live elsewhere; they just can’t fend for themselves. No offense, of course.