neither rain...

Tempus fugit and all that. Today was the rehearsal before the dress rehearsal before the performance. By the time we community members (bird-watchers) arrived, the sky was getting very dark. As we took our places, Whitney pointed out that she is not local, and wanted to know what locals did or knew about lightning. I answered (being more local than she, having lived her 13 years, but still definitely from away) that really, locals or semi-locals didn't have a bead on lightning.
We all concluded that the cars present (two, I think) and the truck (one, but big) would suffice to keep us safe. Especially since the tower was taller than we are. We just planned to stay off the tower. Also no one was flying a kite with a key on it.
As we stood thinking things over I heard a drop of rain splat on my pink hat. It was followed by many more, and we all fled to the dryness of the truck. We stood and sat inside. Wendee took a nap with her head on her backpack. Stephanie ate an energy bar; Emily snacked on mustardy pretzels. I drank some water and sweated, in a friendly way. The rain, visible beyond the open back of the truck, seemed to be coming down in sheets. It didn't last long, and out we went.
And we ran through pieces of the performance. Nigel's band played and we counted. And counted. We did what we do, then did it again. And we weren't the only ones. The porcupines and the gulls did their thing. Carol mimed being a truck (you had to be there). Much of the cast had been at the quarry since 12 or 1 pm. We (bird-watchers) arrived at 3.
Even with time out for rain, we got a lot accomplished. We smoothed out some of what we do; we fixed entrances and exits, and checked out one short cut that I think we would need crampons and carabiners to use.
Tomorrow is a dress rehearsal. I'm not sure whether I'm wearing my new pants from the Turnstyle so they are not new at all, or some pants I've had for, I think, 27 years. I'm pretty sure I'm wearing sneakers.
It's coming together. I expect to see you through my binoculars, sitting on the edge of the quarry, watching us. We certainly will be worth watching.