Bring on the rain -- even to our parade

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Most of us are desperate for drops of rain to fall.

Workers at the Soil Service Nursery are pretty tired of watering their plants so much.

“I just hope the guessers are right this time,” laughs Kent Maughan from Soil Service.

The heat and drought has brought their business down a bit and their water bills up -- 50 percent since this time last year.

Fall plants like mums are even behind because of the heat. Local supplies haven’t budded.

“The mums are three weeks away,” he said. He hopes Saturday’s forecast for rain will bring more customers.

“It gives people hope that the summer heat will end. Fall will come,” he said.

“I can’t wait for the rain, when does it start?” said one woman walking on the cloudy Country Club Plaza, a tease of what is to come.

But not everybody, believe it or not, wants rain.

A New Jersey family visiting Kansas City has rollercoaster plans for the weekend. “Worlds  Of Fun, hello! I want sunshine,” one girl said.

And in Bonner Springs, vendors set up tents and carnival games are poised for play. Fried cookie dough, fried peanut butter & jelly, even fried twinkies might get a big soggy at Tiblow Days.

For one of the first times during the 30-year-old town heritage festival, it might actually rain on their parade.

“The mayor says it has never rained on the parade as far as he can remember,” said David Block with the Bonner Springs Chamber of Commerce.

But seriously, Saturday it might. “All the witches are taken care of in Kansas,” he laughed. “No one is worried about melting."

A festival that welcomes rain? People that can’t wait for a rainy Saturday? 

“Just grab a cute umbrella and enjoy the rain,” said Stacy.

It seems that after weeks of devastating drought, what is normally a nuisance has become a blessing.