Visiting New Mexico, I learned that what I had thought was a cloud dipping down towards the land was actually rain. I also learned that you can see where the rain is from a distance away, while you are perfectly dry. In the picture below, I was standing on the roof of one of those adobe houses the Southwest is so famous for. We were watching the sunset at the same time as a distant rainstorm, which you can see to the right.
I first learned about this phenomenon – if you can call it that, it’s certainly phenomenal to a girl from a forested area – while we were driving back to the house from downtown Santa Fe. My friend said to me, “We’re going to drive into that rain, but it’s dry where I live.” She was looking to the left, where it was raining, and then to the right, where the sky was clear. I found this remarkable. Rain-spotting is something people do on a daily basis in New Mexico, so it’s no big deal to them. As for me, I am used to either being in the rain or out, completely surrounded by the weather, not able to see different spots unless I climb a mountain (which I rarely do). And even that is iffy.
As she said, we drove through a downpour and then ended up at her house where it was dry and where I was able to take the picture above. Add this to yet another incredible and gorgeous part of living in the desert Southwest.
