Let It Rain

Summer solstice is officially upon us, which means the wet season for the Everglades is here. These last few weeks have been filled with little sun and lots of rain and thunderstorms. To many, the rain can be a bummer, especially with Florida being known as the “Sunshine State.” To the others that count on the rain for much needed water during the dry season, rain is a blessing, especially since the Everglades gains the majority of its water from rainfall. During the dry season in the Everglades, beginning around December and ending near May, the ground where water once was turns to dried, cracked mud. The wildlife that once flourished near the ponds within the sawgrass along U.S 41 vanished, searching far and wide for water. 

About two weeks ago my mother and I were heading home from Naples, and right after passing the Port of the Islands I noticed a Florida black bear on my left trying to cross the road. It stood tall on all fours and although it was a black bear, I noticed it has a reddish tone to its fur. My heart ached as my eyes quickly went from its skinny, fragile body to its face. The look it wore showed its thirst for water and hunger for food as it panted while watching me pass by. “We got to be getting some rain soon!” I glanced over at my mother, “The wildlife needs it more than anything right now.” Thankfully, after checking my rearview mirror, the Florida black bear made it safely to the other side of the highway and onward with its quest to find food and water. Fast forward to today, I can only hope it is somewhere in the palmetto hammocks of the Everglades, feasting on delicious fish with a belly full of fresh rainwater. 

Growing up in Everglades City was delightful during the wet season and still is to this day. Each May during my childhood - and even now - my mother always told us to run outside when the first rainstorm of the season occurred. If you stand underneath the cool droplets trickling from the grey skies, it will give you good luck for the rest of the year. Each rainstorm brings with it inches of water in our yard, and although it is bothersome at times to have to wade to your vehicle until it eventually dries up, the water holds little creatures such as tadpoles that I love to catch! When I was young, I used to catch a bunch with a tiny dip net my dad let me use and place them in a jar filled with rainwater. I’d watch them each day as they grew legs and finally changed into a frog. One year in elementary school I brought a small tank full to class and the tadpoles became our class pets. Once they became mature frogs, we released them so they could continue producing tadpoles for us to catch. Today, I catch them with my niece in our yard and smile as her face lights up watching them swim around in the jar, reminiscing on my youth. 

The wet season also brings with it my favorite natural event, lightning. I love sitting on the couch looking out the window as the rain falls against the pane and lightning flashes in and out of view. Something that I’ve always found interesting about the rainstorms that pass through here, is that it will be pouring in Everglades City and the surrounding area while on Chokoloskee (the island connected to EC) it is dry. My dad always shares how he’ll be on Chokoloskee watching a thunderstorm filled with lightning charging towards the island, only to part completely and go around to head towards Everglades City. I’ve had my fair share of witnessing the phenomenon along with many other locals. The occurrence looks almost as if something is surrounding the island, pushing the storm clouds and splitting them in the middle as they go around. Many say this experience stems from hundreds of years prior during the period when the Calusa natives resided on Chokoloskee. They placed a prayer over the island to protect it from storms and danger in order to protect their people. Although the thought might be silly to some, once you witness the occurrence, you’d understand why we believe this story to be true. Especially noting that historical buildings on Chokoloskee such as the Smallwood Store still stand to this day, unharmed after countless storms and hurricanes that devastated the surrounding areas. 

Feeling very thankful for the wet season to officially arrive in the Glades and excited to see what adventures this summer will hold!