Does weather influence human behavior? Not a leaf is stirring. The quiet morning listens to the sounds of a town waking up and going about its business. For many children, this is an exciting or frightening or bewildering morning — the first day of school! And, tonight they will be full of stories about classmates, teachers, and brand-new experiences.
Last night I noticed a beautiful cloud in the east. It looked white or gray against the night sky and within it, lightning flashed. Evidently, that cloud paid us a visit because this morning, grass, street and deck are wet. It’s nice to have had a quiet rain in the middle of August, even if it was very brief. It is unusual for rain to come from the east, but that one did.
Weather fascinates me, whether it is rainy and stormy or cold and snowy. In each of my four books, weather plays an important part, from the violent storm that threatens Darcy and Flora in The Cemetery Club to the blizzard conditions which hold Ednalee, Oklahoma in its grip in Moonlight Can Be Murder. This fourth book opens with Nettie battling through a blizzard to reach her uncle’s home.
“My car’s headlights cut a yellow swath through the swirling snow. Heavy, gray clouds, trees crowding either side of the driveway, and the lateness of the December day made it impossible to see more than a few yards ahead, but at last I glimpsed the dark shape of Javin Granger’s Victorian house through the winter twilight.””
I wonder if oppressive summer heat could have something to do with violent human actions? Just a thought, with no scientific research to back up my idea. Whatever the weather, life goes on and we go about our daily activities, grateful for the season, the rain or sunshine, and that God is still Lord of all.
Speak Your Mind