Rain, rain, rain

Austin is so funny. It's hot and dry one day, raining and cold the next, and hot and dry the next day again! It's raining right now. It's been raining since yesterday, and Austin is now really starting to resemble Dunedin or Bombay more than the capital of Texas. However, I'm not complaining. People think I'm weird when I say this, but I love rains. I love it when it's dark and cloudy and windy, with a hint of rain in the air. I don't mind it so much when it actually starts to rain; but I prefer it in that 'twilight phase', as I call it, just before the rain. I dislike what people consider nice days -- hot and sunny and bright. I think I might've been a bat or something in a former life! I don't particularly love the dark, but I don't like bright sunlight either. Gentle sunlight filtering in through dark clouds is my type of day.
It's still raining. I can hear the pitter-patter of rain drops on the roof, the sound filtering down through the chimney. I almost expect to see water in my fireplace, but that hasn't happened. There's a large tree with red berries right outside my balcony that my coworker, Matt, said was an 'invasive plant'. It's now swaying slightly in the breeze, and perhaps under the weight of water. Large, luminous teardrops of water have formed on its leaves and some of the berries, which look like pearls, they glisten so. I can also see rainwater pattering down onto my blacony wall, from where it is dripping down in a steady rhythm onto the floor of the balcony. My patio chair and table are soaked, and I can see droplets of water gathered at the cross-beams of the table and chair. Outside, the roads are wet, and shimmering as they reflect the streetlights. The sun isn't up yet, or even if it was, I doubt it would be visible through the thick blanket of clouds. Water is running down the window of my study, trickling down and pooling at the base, before dropping off the sill. Outside, through the distorted view produced by refraction of light through the water droplets, I can see the gray skies with some luminosity, as if the sun were struggling to get through but failing. The green grass outside is weighed down with water, as are the fresh spring leaves of the trees outside. It's a scene worthy of a painting.
But I can't sit and admire it for long, as I have to get going for work. It's going to be tricky going to work again, as my tires tend to skid when I'm changing lanes while it's raining; but I'm sure I can make it. So I should get going, and take advantage of the fact that the rain has abated for a bit now, and driving the car should not be that hard. Adios!