“Rainy Days & Mondays….”

“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down….”so sang Karen Carpenter.  For many people days, like today, that are cloudy with grey skies, persistent rain, slightly windy, cold and wet may be the cause for the blues or even grumpiness.  I, however, generally like rainy days and enthusiastically enjoy thunderstorms!

I like to think of rainy days as God’s way of forcing us to slow down our busy lives a bit, enjoy the company of things that bring you warmth and comfort….a furry friend nestled in your lap, snuggling under a warm blanket, warming your hands around a hot mug of tea or cocoa, baking and filling the house with a sweet aroma, listening to the sound of the rain as it pelts the window, getting lost in a good book….I could go on and on.

If the rain is gentle enough, I even enjoy a leisurely stroll out amongst the droplets.  There is something about the rain that enhances the scent of the great outdoors….even in suburbia.  Rain makes things smell clean and fresh again. My dogs love to for walks after a rain…their olfactory senses go into overdrive!  I also love the way the raindrops appear when they cling to the branches and leaves of trees and flowers.  Some of the best photographs are taken just before or after a rain.

Oh, and we can’t forget all the ecological benefits of the rain!  The washing away of dirt and debris, the nourishing of the plants and crops, enhancing river and lake levels.  Then there is the anticipation of breaking of the clouds, the first beams of sunlight and if we’re lucky the appearance of rainbows!  Seeing a rainbow never grows old and it always seems to fill me with awe and fascination!

So the next time it rains give yourself license to indulge yourself in the things that give you comfort and warmth.

Post Script:

After writing the above I decided that taking the dogs for walk in the rain was a great idea.  Below are just a few pics of things I found interesting.  Some other things I enjoy about the rain is how it makes the trees look….the bark looks so rich & dark, the moss and lichen really come out in this damp wet weather.