Ed Fuentes

Think managing just one umbrella is tough? If you get one child a new umbrella, chances are you will have to get one for each of them.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — As you bask in this morning's blue skies, take a moment to consider the victims of the rains and winds that washed through over this past week: the humble umbrella.

Forgotten and buried in closets most of the year, umbrellas are unappreciated until that second day of rain.

The initial days are clumsy. People work on the timing of opening and closing a wet umbrella before entering stores, cafes, or busses.

With a full week of rain, Downtowners had more time to adapt than previous storms. And by the time yesterday's quick rain covered the city, most of the umbrellas in use were new and sturdy.

They replaced those that didn’t survive the brisk winds. Some were left behind on Downtown's streets, a casualty of winter.