It began in spurts, 
The rain that is. 
Starting with some drops on Tuesday,
Followed by a few more on Wednesday. 

But today, much to our delight,
we awoke to the drumming of droplets
upon our metal roof,
and I couldn't resist heading into the woods. 

One Jack, or rather Jill-in-the-Pulpit,
lay down its sweet head
upon the wet ground
as if to kiss the moisture gathered there. 

In a boggy section,
it made the Hickey's Tree Clubmosses 
suddenly stand out in contrast 
to the pink and green sphagnum below.

And upon every surface,
or so it seemed, 
raindrops gathered,
sometimes hesitating for a moment. 

Other droplets 
enhanced guidelines 
and supporting threads
of a spider's web. 

Because it was raining,
I decided to play and poked a stick 
into the resin blister of a Balsam Fir,
then placed it in a tiny puddle.

My sense of wonder
was well rewarded
as the essential oils
created ever-changing rainbows. 

But my real intention
for heading outside so early
was to search for slugs
who haven't had an easy summer. 

I was rewarded 
when upon a snag,
I found a Western Dusky
dining on smaller organisms than I could spot. 

My other intention was to hunt for suds
and though I found some in the morning, 
the pounding rather than pitter-pattering rain of the late afternoon 
provided many an example. 

As the droplets dripped toward the base,
dissolving chemicals on the bark,
the surface tension changed,
and with the turbulence came air, thus forming foam.

It's all a matter
of one drop at a time,
but when the rain is heavy,
those drops form and release quickly. 

Upon one of the older White Pines
between the stonewall and old cow path,
I found lots of pine soap,
on the eastern side. 

The same was true on the western side,
and as I now sit inside all cozy and dry,
it is pouring out there and I suspect almost every tree
has a base like this.  

It's easy to think
that only pines offer the suds, 
But I've learned from observation, 
That others do the same, like this Red Maple. 

And much to my pleasant surprise, 
I found a gathering of suds,
within an old Pileated Woodpecker hole, 
on one of my favorite trees.

I like to think of it 
as the Stairway to Heaven Tree,
for such do its branches remind me,
as if I could climb them into the sky. 

Because I was looking,
I discovered an insect,
this being a Hemlock Looper Moth,
taking refuge upon a trunk. 

When I originally headed out the door this morning, 
and told My Guy I was going on a search for Slugs, 
he said, "Who is this person I married?"
And we both chuckled. 

All told I only found three. 
Nevertheless, I know these three
and many other critters and humans 
join me in praising the rain.