Beauty Rains Down

Rain can sometimes ruin your fun. You can be excited to get some fresh air, but the rain falling can just leave you drenched and down. And let's remember that when it rains, it generally is cold. Wet and cold is never exciting. Oh sure you get your warm summer sprinkles every 4 or 5 years, but that just isn't enough to keep you happy. Unless on those cold rainy days the sun comes out to bring you a smile. I was given this gift just the other day. While spending some good quality indoor time dry and warm, I could see dark clouds off in the distance. I had to head back to the office to finish up so I left driving along the road. While on the road I received a call from my friend who told me of a magnificent rainbow he saw in the sky. I really wasn't thinking the rainbow would be much and told him, "Eh, well I'm not going to shoot it." Boy was I wrong.

A burst of rain near sunset brought a colorful rainbow in the sky over Hwy32 near Bruce Rd Saturday, January 24, 2009 in Chico, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

A car drives along Hwy32 near Bruce Rd under a full rainbow seen across the sky Saturday, January 24, 2009 in Chico, CA. (Jason Halley/Chico Enterprise-Record)

I was driving along Bruce Road when I noticed the intensity of the rainbow. Most of the time conditions aren't the best for digital cameras to capture the dynamic range in rainbows. But the setting sun beaming on the dark stormy clouds created an intense array of colors in the sky. I couldn't help myself by pulling over on the side of the road and taking a couple of shots. Most rainbows aren't this big or bright. You never know when you are going to get a chance to see one again.