A brisk wind crossed my path and blew my hair across my face. I kept walking on, my little face shield protecting me from the elements even while they blinded me. I hummed a nonsensical tune at low volume. The clouds were impressive, but unimpressed with my vocal stylings. The wind instruments outplayed every other one on display.

The occasional pelt of rain hit my thin skin of clothing. I didn’t wince because I’m tough. Or because it was waterproof.

There were only a few other brave souls parading around the grounds. One man’s dog was having nothing to do with anything. They both looked miserable. Another pairing looked ready for the arctic. I wondered why both were within footsteps of me. I nodded solemnly to each as I passed.

The occasional lapping sound of water braved its way above the howling wind from time to time. The river was at impressive heights. From certain angles it looked like it should overwhelm the world. Here I was, at nominal sea level, yet largely dry. I spit a well formed loogy that hung briefly in the air above me before shooting past. It rode the wind with aplomb. I would not have expected otherwise of my expectoration.

A flash of light caught my peripheral vision. I didn’t hear the thunder, but lightning is hard to be missed in elements such as this. I sighed and took in a deep breath of quasi-sea air. The dark clouds at once beckoned and screamed for me to retreat. My car was silent in the near distance, but it called on me to return nonetheless.