I just went for a walk around a few blocks. The past couple of days have been warm, but there was a cool light rain that started up as I headed out. It turned out to be worth it, because as I rounded a corner and started heading east, I saw two full concentric rainbows dead ahead and just a little to the north. They were gorgeous, bright and distinct against the grey clouds ahead.
I kept heading east to keep the scene in view. Occasionally the wind would blow from that direction, making it hard to look at the rainbow, but I kept looking as much as possible. A park lay along my path, so I headed toward it, thinking it might offer a wide enough opening to take some photos of the whole display. As I got closer, I noticed the secondary bow fading on its northern side, so I walked a little faster. Then, as soon as I arrived at the park, the rain stopped, and the rainbows were nowhere to be seen.
It made me laugh that the rainbows dissipated right when I was set to immortalize them in JPG format. I'm glad that I spent my time drinking them in with my eyes and not fussing with my phone camera. Sometimes the most beautiful things are also the most fleeting, and the best way to appreciate them is to be fully alert in those moments. Trying to hold on to them forever by recording them can be a waste if it distracts from the actual experience. There will be other rainbows to photograph in other times and places, but this one made this evening special.
I'm also glad that I didn't turn back when the rain started. Sometimes it's worth it to get a little uncomfortable to catch those rare glimpses of rainbows from winter showers.