Photos: A rainy respite from the drought drying up our streams

by Marlene Berlin

On Wednesday morning, I set off early on a hike through Rock Creek Park. I wanted to beat the heat and the sun, but ran into some rain instead.

Soon after I started, around 6:45 a.m., I started to feel a light misty rain. It soon turned into drops. I could have turned back, but it was pleasantly warm and already quite damp due to the high humidity, so getting wet would not be a deterrent. In fact, I see this as part of the summer experience in DC, and an enjoyable one.

The rain was especially welcome given the dry conditions I’ve seen at our daylighted streams, Linnean and Broad Branch.

My husband and I recently traveled to Copenhagen and Berlin where it was also very dry, and upon our return I found many of the pools along the stream beds had dried up.

My favorite frog pond at the Linnean stream was perhaps a quarter of its usual size. But I could see a frog and tadpoles cavorting in the much smaller space.

At the Broad Branch stream east of Linnean Avenue, the pools were even more desiccated.

So as the skies opened up Wednesday, it was a welcome relief from these dry conditions.

The rain came down harder as I left the streets and hiked into the Rock Creek Park.

The canopy of the trees above the trail protected me from most of the rain.

Approaching Rock Creek, I could see the drops splashing into the water, but parts of the trail remained dry.

Even when the drops could touch me, I did not care, even with my glasses accumulating drops or fogging up. It felt great to feel the rain.

I even said so, to a man passing me with an umbrella. But I had more in common with the ducks I found further along the trail.

While I was studying the ducks, a blue heron flew by. I then arrived at a clearing and looked out at all the trees, feeling very grateful to have this wonderful national park in the middle of our city.