Clouds and Thunder

Today is the first day in my many months that I have seen actual clouds in Baghdad. Some people saw a few drops of rain this morning. I didn't see any precipitation. When I awoke this morning, I noticed that it was a little darker than usual outside and my immediate thought was that another dust storm blew in. So I was not looking forward to going outside. I was relieved as I made my walk to work.

To my surprise, in the middle of the day I heard thunder. I almost thought it was another explosion, like a distant car bomb or something, but this sound rumbled and echoed like only thunder can. It was somewhat refreshing to think that it might rain. I've been told that as the weather starts to cool, more clouds and rain will roll into the area. I had no idea. I'm not really looking forward to the rain in this dusty environment because it will cause a lot of mud and dirt to infiltrate our rooms and offices. But I will welcome the cooler temperatures.