Praying For Rain

Each Wednesday evening in the summer, we watch a sailboat race series come out of the Richmond harbor, zig and zag all over the bay, then tack back in before dark. It's one of the highlights of our week as we sit down to dinner. Sometimes, the boats are dodging a giant container ship or a car hauler loaded with autos from Japan and we hear the warning wail of the horns from the ships but, most of the time, they have the channel to themselves. Our contractor is frequently crewing on one of the larger boats, too, so we are always hoping that's he's the one out in front.

Last Wednesday was the last of the series, sailing out under a threatening sky. We are hoping that storm brings us some much-needed rain to begin quenching California's thirst. In the meantime, it makes for some pretty dramatic photographs.

We will miss seeing the Wednesday boats until next spring when they start up again. We do see sailors out on the bay in all weathers, but only in summer do we enjoy seeing a whole fleet of bright sails on the bay, all tacking together this way and that like pale butterflies winging across the water.