A Gray Day in May

Alex Coolman

Several days of muggy weather finally broke into rain Wednesday, turning

early summer into something that felt a little more like the middle of

winter.

Wednesday’s dose of precipitation wasn’t a thorough drenching -- more

like an affectionate spritzing from Mother Nature, and its effects around

town were modest.

At 32nd Street in Newport Beach, where he was drying off after a quick

surfing session, Costa Mesa resident Juanjohn Ramos said he didn’t mind

floating around in the drizzle.

“It’s been pretty glassy,” in spite of the rain, he noted -- good

conditions for catching a few waves. “I don’t worry about it. When it

rains, I like it,” he said.

The stakes were higher for a family camped out near the shore.

April Mayokos and her three young children had driven for two hours from

Hesperia specifically to enjoy the beach. Most of the way here, she said,

it was drizzling.

“I was scared the kids were going to be freezing and want to go home,”

she said.

But once the light rain had given way to cool, breezy conditions, the

beach seemed pleasant enough to her.

“This is actually really enjoyable,” she said. “And we’re not going to

get sunburned right away.”

Over at Haute Cakes on Westcliff, where they were enjoying a late

breakfast, Frank and Audrey Tinkham said they had weathered the tempest

without too much concern.

“Fortunately, I just sealed my skylight,” Frank noted. “It would have

been a big deal if I hadn’t.”

Audrey sounded ever more philosophical.

“It doesn’t matter to me whether it rains or shines,” she said.

The drizzle is expected to continue off and on through Friday, according

to forecasts from weather experts. By the holiday weekend, however,

sunnier conditions should prevail.