Rain didn’t keep people from going about their business
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-As forecasters predicted rain fell consistently along the Central Coast.
Rain drops dampened down a pile of sand left for sandbagging in Montecito's Manning Park.
That is where a crew of professional meter readers learned they could head home early.
"Yeah to get the guys out of here is good we didn't die today," said Sean Hoskins.
Fewer farmers worked the Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market giving them a good share of the rainy day business.
Tom Hall of J. B. Hall Ranch J.B. in Upper Ojai gave samples and sold bags of delicious persimmons.
Hall came prepared to poke his tent to help the water run off without soaking customers.
"We have this little ritual we tap our easy-up so that all the water splashes out hopefully not at customers or ourselves it's Santa Barbara it's sunny all the time, so we have rain, it is kind of like yeah lets out and have some rain, " said Hall.
Rainwater flowed down the gutters toward beaches where despite health concerns people surfed.
But, they didn't have to compete for waves like they did on the sunny days before the rain came.
The rain didn't keep people away from their RV vacation spots along the Rincon Parkway either.
In areas with shopping people opened their umbrellas.
It looked a bit like a raincoat and umbrella fashion show.
One young woman said she got her reverse or inverted umbrella for Christmas last year.
It is black on the outside and has a sunflower on the inside. She said it doesn't get her wet when she closes it.
As night fell and the evening got cooler people could see their breath.
But the cold temperatures didn't keep people from ordering ice cream at McConnell's Fine Ice Creams on State Street.
Ryan Ewart, who attends San Marcos High School, works there part time.
The teen didn't expect to be busy on a rainy day.
"I guess, like they just wanted a treat or something to do, yeah, we had a long line, it was awesome," said Ewart
The open businesses gave people enjoying time off between Christmas and New Year's something to do with friends and family.
