A Rainy Day in the High Desert

It doesn't rain often out here, so when it does, don't treat it as a washout — treat it as a rare kind of luck. A desert rain is a whole event, and the hours around it are some of the most beautiful you'll get.

The smell alone is worth it

When the first drops hit the creosote, the whole desert releases that unmistakable rain-on-dry-earth scent. Open a window, or stand out under the eaves and just breathe it in. The colours deepen, the mountains sharpen, and everything feels briefly, greenly alive.

Move indoors, happily

This is what the house is for on a wet day: a long breakfast at the boulder table, a book in the living room, a soak in the indoor tub with the courtyard curtains open to the weather. Cook something slow. The kitchen's fully equipped, and a rainy desert afternoon is made for it.

Then watch the after-show

Desert storms usually pass fast, and the clearing is the best part — washed light, dramatic clouds, sometimes a rainbow over the Joshua trees, and a sunset that can stop you mid-sentence. If it's cleared by dark, the post-rain sky is often the most transparent you'll see all trip.

A couple of cautions

• Skip the dirt-road adventures. Backcountry roads and washes flood and turn to muck fast; save Giant Rock and Covington Flats for a dry day.
• Flash floods are real in the low desert washes — don't drive into water.
• Bring the dog's towel; the yard gets muddy and joyful.