Picture credit: Darby Sawchuk

The darkness of the night was thick and heavy, occasionally lit brightly by lightning. Rain fell almost ceaselessly as the hours crept toward the dawn. Dust was washed from the buildings, garden walls, and trees, creating ocher streams that rushed down the streets collecting the flotsam and jetsam of urban life. As the sun made its way above the hills on the horizon the clouds scuttled away, taking their nourishing water with them. The world is scrubbed clean, if only for a short time. The morning air is crisp under the bright light and the moisture darkened pavement slowly reclaims its grey color under the weak sun. A few wispy clouds glide lazily across the sky. Darker clouds hover in the west like actors waiting for their cue. The day is filled with hope and promise.