It rained today.

Yep. It rained. It only rained for about 20 minutes, but it was the only the second time since I've been here. The first was a brief thunderstorm almost a month ago, for a combine total of about .05 inches of rain (unofficially). Its more of a mental thing for me -- it's nice to see clouds in the sky once in a while. I'm hoping that this ushers in the start of rainy season here... Id rather it be wet and muddy than arid and dusty. Our sandstorm a few days got some attention by National Geographic on their website... http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/081016-sandstorm-video-ap.html?source=rss

Tonight would have been perfect if...

If I weren't in Baghdad right now. The weather is just right... high about 85, currently 75. Just a tad chilly but you dont even notice it unless you think about it. Im wearing shorts and a t-shirt and feel just fine, if I were going out jeans and a polo would be the attire for the day.

In addition to the temperature, I was walking with a buddy of mine here on the compound and came across the spot where two brick walls blocked out all the lights and the nighttime sky suddenly became clear. I couldve easily spent the night there looking up, not just because I enjoy stargazing but because aside from my time in Thailand I'd never seen some of these stars before -- the southern sky is totally different from the northern sky and I'm just starting to see both where I am. And... I saw a shooting star. It was a slow-mover... green at first and faded to whitish-yellow. First time I'd seen one in some time, and hopefully I'll be able to catch the next big shower in November.

The photo above I took tonight across the street from my building. I'm facing the airport and you can see a bridge in the foreground that crosses the canal. The brick wall separates us from Camp Stryker. There is a dirt road on the other side and when vehicles drive by it kicks up dust and dirt, giving that beautiful look in front of the light. Hopefully I'll get my tripod here and be able to get a crisper shot than I took -- this one was braced up against a sign post.