Willow trees like water, and it's a good thing.

Here, a mother mallard takes refuge, away from the photographer with her ducklings, under a large willow in the retention basin on West Campus.

The basin is usually dry in mid-July, but Tuesday's downpours filled it to overflowing. My rain gauge reported nearly three inches of rain within a couple of hours in the early afternoon with a third brief gusher an hour later pushing the total past three inches in a short period of time.

Adaites welcomed Wednesday's sunshine as water receded. (Monty Siekerman)