I was one happy camper when the sky broke open Saturday evening and descended as the heaviest rain I'd seen in a long time.

That rain soaked all of our flower beds just hours after we finished transplanting, it gave me vindication for backing out on an excursion, and it made for the best sleep I've had in a while.

Often when I have an unusually good sleep, I can go to the door the next morning and discover it started to rain sometime after I fell asleep.

Saturday evening, I went to bed at about 9:30. The downpour had ended, but there was still a steady rain. I was able stay in bed until 6 a.m. It was still raining.

Earlier last week, my wife Pat had ordered me not to go anywhere on Saturday. My two sons were coming to celebrate my birthday.

I needed to work, I protested. She gave in with a hurt voice, and I was had once again. I rearranged my schedule.

Friday one daughter called to say she was coming. She reminded me about the hot air balloon show in Walla Walla. I said I'd go.

Saturday morning, the other daughter, also from Walla Walla, called Pat to say she was coming. I was glad Pat had insisted I stay. It's hard to get the four children to the same place at the same time.

Knowing my sons and a couple of working-size grandsons would be visiting Saturday, I brought home 29 salmon geranium plants and 96 purple petunias on Wednesday. On Thursday I picked up 11 pink and purple azalea plants.

Knowing Saturday would be long (planting, barbecue, Walla Walla), we prepared the petunia and geranium beds Friday evening. We were finishing when the younger son asked about fertilizer. Darn. I'd forgotten.

So Saturday I took off to Wal-Mart at 5:30 a.m. I parked by the garden shop door, and it was closed. I walked to the sundries doors, and they were closed. 

I went back for the car and parked it by the grocery entrance. Then I walked the entire building for two bags of fertilizer. I was tired, and the day hadn't started yet!

After breakfast, the boys and I headed out. First we had to lay down and work in the fertilizer. Then we moved about 25 rose bushes to complete rows that were decimated by last November's early deep freeze.

We went on to the azaleas, geraniums and petunias and finished at about noon. While the boys started to prepare the barbecue, I set about making sure all of the transplants were wet.

After the barbecue, or about four o'clock, I made the rounds of the flower beds again. Then I sat in a chair in front of the house to rest my legs.

Pat sat in the chair next to mine and said: "I don't think I want to go to Walla Walla. I'm feeling real tired from work this week."

Sweeter words were never spoken. But I'd promised Berney. 

Then Berney came around the house and said: "We just found out they may cancel the balloons because of lightning. Maybe you'd better not go."

Yea!

At about six o'clock I went into the house to relax in my Easy Boy. I thought everyone was gone.

But Teddy and his wife Sabrina and our newest grandson were still there. Turned out they were not going to Walla Walla without us. They wanted us to hang out with them.

Oh, did I feel bad. I remembered back to when they married and I really felt the empty nest. The fourth kid was gone, and I was wondering how I'd get along without all of them.

I was really too tired to go to Walla Walla, but I tried to talk Pat into it. She wouldn't budge. I reminded her of the times we wished the kids were still around. She didn't budge.

Finally, at my urging, Teddy and Sabrina headed for Walla Walla. It was about 6:30. Fifteen minutes later I heard a rumble. 

Yea! Lightning. 

Fifteen minutes after that, the sky caved in. I called Sabrina and told her what we were experiencing.

"I know," she said. "We're in it, and they've canceled the balloons."

Vindication, irrigation and a good night's sleep, all from one wild weather event.