Rain, you have blessed us at last

Facing the prospect of an 111th consecutive day without rain -- the longest span in 38 years -- Beijing's Air Force seeded the clouds yesterday and brought water down upon the land -- a steady, gooey downpour that made the entire day shitty (and me lose my umbrella).

But today it was beautiful -- crisp, temperate, a thin layer of blue over the light haze -- making the process worth it. I can always get another umbrella, but a clear day in February in Beijing? Bless the Politburo!

Of course, not as beautiful as Lijiang from above, but, well, not much can compare to this: