Rain Chasers

Today was a treat . Moe and I were sitting around the Condo BORED out of our minds doing nothing . He was sniffling from his cold , me, I was just wanting to go take a nap.I was staring out the balcony doors at some gun metal steel grey storm clouds roiling in from the sea . The BBC had predicted we would have possible rain over the next day .... MAYBE ! I got excited thinking we might actually get some rain when I spied the clouds but didn't have my hopes up since we had heard this all before . It looked like we might get that rain after all .

I asked Moe did he want to go to the beach and have a sandwich sitting in the car and watch the clouds roll in . Of course that was a stupid question ! He said yeah ! Off we went to the beach . We stopped got sandwiches and coffee then drove over to the beach which was deserted .We had prime parking choice .

We sat eating sandwiches watching the clouds move in to land from the sea . The ships at sea were heading for the port in town to avoid the storm .We could see in the distance the different parts of Tripoli that were getting the rain . The clouds were moving in land toward the farms deep inside the country side where they need the rain . It was thrilling to watch .

I had my eye on one blue black cloud that was dumping a ton of rain as it moved in our direction from the sea . I was anticipating the rain falling on us in the car . The sound , the smell but it never happened . It stopped raining just as it reached the THE EDGE of the sea shore ! I was soooo disappointed !

I had a brain child . We would drive toward the rain and follow it on it's journey to the inland farms .Off we went on our adventure of rain chasing . At first I was afraid we had left it too long and the rain was too far ahead of us to catch up with it . Plenty of clouds but no rain .

Then a drop or two of water hit the windshield .OK ! We drove further . Then it was sprinkling off and on . Now we were in the farm areas outside of town .All of the sudden the sky poured down lovely sparkling dancing rain .We opened the windows and let it come in the car . It felt so wonderful ! Cool , satiny smooth against our warm skin .

Sanity entered the picture and we had to close the windows , we were getting drowned , lol .We drove all over the country smelling the rain as it moisturized the parched the earth . We drove around for a hour or so following the rain where ever it went , not caring where we went . What a day ! The picture above is sorta what the clouds looked like . Just imagine that coming off the sea towards you and then you know what we saw today .Wish you could have been with us .

Morales Police And New Roads

Yesterday evening was nice . I went to a friends house for a get together of a few friends . She had just bought new furniture and wanted us to celebrate with her . She said it took her 18 years to get it and now she wanted to show it off , lol . She went all out on refreshments for us too , which was so nice to eat something delicious that you didn't have to cook for yourself for a change ! We really had a nice time chit chatting away about nothing earth shaking .

Today was spent doing nothing much . We slept most of the day since we were up very late last night . This afternoon we took a ride around the neighborhood .Went down some of the new roads that were made this past year . Right after they were laid , the area was so clean and neat . No trash or rubble from building . Today it was a different story . It is beginning to look just like the rest of Libya sad to say . Trash laying along the road . Bits and pieces of building materials laying around and dirt everywhere . It just doesn't take long long to ruin virgin land here .Oh , and speaking of new roads , there is a rumor that a German company is in charge of laying the many new projected roads here in Libya. They say the new company will start to work on the roads again this month . Waiting to see how this goes .

Moe and I were out and about one day last week doing errands here in Tajura . A lot of times when we have finished what we have to do , we will get sandwiches to eat in the car somewhere on the beach . We watch the terns fishing . The small fishing boats out at sea dragging their nets , or the larger freighters coming into port laden with all kinds of goods . Always something to see when we are on the beach .

Many times in the past years we have driven by the beach and seen many cars with young lovers , couples , and even a family or two just enjoying the view . The last few years the lovers have sorta taken over the beaches .Young guys will drive by parked cars looking for women to pick up that are being pimped out by the driver of the car the women are in . This has caused many a family to stop going to the beach just to have a relaxing time . They don't want to be thought of as " one of THOSE people " .

Moe told me that last week the Morales Police started a round up of such people here in Tripoli and also the beach areas . Things must have been completely out of hand for this to have happened, since I haven't seen or heard of the Morales Police since the 1970's . They were everywhere back then . God help you if you were caught in a car or anywhere else , with someone you were not supposed to be with back then !

I wondered how much effect that had on the "parkers". When we were on the beach last week , things looked just like nothing had changed . There were many cars with young kids University age sitting in their cars and it didn't look like there was a whole lot of conversation taking place between the participants , if you know what I mean . And for those of you asking me what the Big Deal Is , well , this is a Muslim country for one thing and these are kids that their parents would NOT be to thrilled if they were caught doing what some of them were doing . And if the police were to catch them , they could be in a world of big trouble and scandal here that could follow them the rest of their lives . It is a very small world here . Every one knows everyone else in Libya or they are related.People here ALL love to gossip !! Especially if it ISN"T THEIR KID ! Now if they would concentrate on the drug dealers all over town , that would be nice .