Rain moving into the Valley ... snow in forecast?

It was predicted and we were expecting it -- rain in copious amounts this weekend -- and now it's arrived in my corner of Augusta County. The skies have darkened, winds have picked up, temperature is dropping after reaching a high of 78 degrees, and thunder is rolling off the Appalachian Mountains.

The first part of the day was on-and-off sunny and gorgeous, perfect for being outside. My kids went hiking in Shenandoah National Park knowing the rest of the weekend was going to be cold and rainy. They arrived back home just as the wind started blowing and even now, as I reach over and pull the window down until it's open only about four inches, trees and bushes are dancing around in the stiff breeze. The smell of rain is coming in the window, and the thunder rolling along the mountain ridges is a little scary and yet somewhat comforting at the same time.

I love rainy days. I don't know why the dark skies and raindrops are comforting to me. I find it cozy to snug in and wait out the weather. As a little girl, I would make a tent in the living room from blankets and chairs, and put blankets and pillows inside. When camping, rain presents an opportunity to wrap up in a blanket in the tent and read a book or play Scrabble. If there's a group of us, we gather in the screen dining tent where we hang clear plastic on the sides to block the wind and rain, and sit around the picnic table with the heat of the lighted lantern to ward off the chill.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a raw day with high temperatures in the lower 40s and rain. The woodstove will be cranked and SWAC Daughter is making her Santa Fe soup in the crockpot ... good cold weather food.

AccuWeather has put out information about possible snow for regions from western Virginia through Pennsylvania because of the low overnight temperatures Sunday and Monday nights. It's still April and our safe frost date is not until May 15 so this is not out of the question. But still ... the warm days and blooming trees and flowers have lulled us into a sense of comfort that we're safely out of the snow zone.

There's nothing to be done about the rain or the snow so we choose to take it in stride and enjoy our time together. Bring out the board games or a favored movie or a treasured book and kick back. It's a rainy weekend in the Shenandoah Valley....