Betty writes: I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.Reply: Thank you so much for your supportive comment, though I must apologize for in fact, neglecting this blog of late.
I guess one could say, I am, for the moment, "waiting out the storm."
It is, in fact comparable to something I experienced last night:
The weather forecast last night in NYC was for spotty thunderstorms and rain showers.
Nevertheless, determined, if possible to get some lap swimming in, I headed to the outdoor public pool located at the north end of Central Park.
Only about a dozen people or so showed up for the evening lap swim session due to the foreboding weather. The dark skies overhead were threatening, but when the session began at 7PM, there was no rain. We all hoped it would remain that way.
But, it was not to be.
After jumping in the pool and swimming 6 laps, the lifeguards suddenly blew the whistle as there were bolts of lightening in the skies. All swimmers immediately had to exit the water.
A few minutes later, the rain started to come down and presuming that the session would be canceled, most swimmers left the pool to return home.
But, the official rule of outdoor public pools is that whenever there is lightening, all swimmers have to leave the water for at least 45 minutes, but the facility remains open. If the weather clears and there is no further lightening, swimmers can return to the water.
The skies were dark and the rain came down consistently for about 45 minutes. But, there was no further lightening.
I was considering "giving up" and going home as most other swimmers had done, but then I noticed a small break in the skies and even the peek-a-boo of a setting sun!
Could it be? Was there hope of the rain finally ceasing and the weather clearing?
It indeed seemed there was!
Sure enough, the rain stopped, the skies suddenly seemed to clear and once again the lifeguard took the chair and signaled it was OK for (all three of) us to go back in the water!
It was a few minutes after 8PM and there was only a half hour left of the swim session.
But, what an incredible half hour it was!
How fantastic is it to have a huge, 60 meter pool practically to one's self under a soft, moonlit sky?
It's sheer heaven!!
When the whistle finally sounded for the end of the session, I had swum almost a mile. But the joy was not so much in actual laps swum, but in the fact, we were able to swim at all!
What just a half hour before seemed it could not happen due to storms, lightening, dark angry clouds and rain pouring down, actually did!
One just needed to wait it out........
Well, this summer has been like one long and seemingly hopeless thunderstorm for the animals.
Dark skies and rain coming down relentlessly in the forms of horrifying and seemingly endless "Euth lists" from our city shelters and almost a total absence of adopters (or "sun").
More than once over this summer have I considered just "giving up" on this "hopeless cause" and accepting what appears to be the grim daily machine of animal abandonment and killing, as well as all the lies and "spin" that keep this well oiled machine mostly hidden from the public.
But, last night's storm and swim experience gives one pause for thought.
After all, if one could "wait out the storm" to later experience a clearing sky, beautiful blazing, red sun and cool embracing waters, why not wait out the dark storms of callous animal treatment, abandonment and killing cloaked in obfuscation, secrecy and cotton candy fluff?
Hopefully, "this too, shall pass."
There will be a new Director coming soon to the AC&C (or, really an old one returning.)
This is not yet cause for celebration. It doesn't mean the rain has stopped or the skies have cleared.
But, there is perhaps that first crack in the blackened skies to show there might be some sun not far behind.
That only the skies would open up to expose and finally release all the toxic secrets, lies and "spin."
"Let the sunshine in!"
But, for the moment, to simply wait out the storms.......PCA
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