Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Rainy Days

This weekend's rain had me thinking about rain, specifically the summer rain.


That's Carole when she was 3. In the summer, we would grab umbrellas and go walk up and down the sidewalk in the rain. Many times, we would ditch the umbrella and let the warm summer rain soak us to the skin. We'd walk to the end of the driveway and stand in the gutter on those days when the rain was a "gully washer".

I can't find a photo I know is somewhere. Perhaps my mother has it. In it are my brother, Steve, and me with umbrellas, standing ankle deep in water in our farm driveway. I have such memories of sitting in the mud and making mud and pebble dams to divert the flow of water down the incline. We didn't have that opportunity for Carole as our drive, though partially gravel, was too hard packed to generate the required mud.

I remember being excited for rainstorms and permission to just stand in the driveway with or without an umbrella and let the water fall on and around me. I hope Carole has the same happy memories of doing that too. We would jump and splash in the puddles we'd fine. I'm sure the neighbors found it amusing to see a mother and daughter out in the rain.

Now days, I don't go for walks in the rain. I generally take a mug of piping hot tea and sit on the deck, getting soaked to the skin. Rain water is great for your hair and skin. I don't go for walks when there is lightning and thunder and I don't remember last year, there being a warm summer rain without the fireworks. That's the key. You need a rain in July or August, a warm rain, a steady rain, that comes without the explosions. This weekend, we had rains that started out okay but turned explosive. I'm going to be watching the rains this year, hoping for just the right one to sit on the deck and get soaked.

When I get to be a grandmother, I want to take my grandchild for a walk in the rain. I think I'd like that to be part of my legacy. "My grandmother would go for walks in the rain with me and we wouldn't use an umbrella."

Beverage:  Edinburgh's Finest tea

Deb

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful memories... I think you'll be that kind of wonderful grandma one day!

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