The Name of Rain

Saturday is my official day of rest.  I honor it and I listen to it.  Listen because this is the Northwest and in winter one can listen to the weather of the day while the sun is napping (which it does for about 16 hours a day).  This Saturday morning it is Raining.  It is winter in the Northwest, of course it is Raining.  It will be dark for another 40 minutes so listening is what I do.  It is a mild swooshing sound.  The rain on this day is not yet up to splattering.  I just read Greg Blanchette’s 2005 article “365 Names of Rain”.  There may be more names but Greg is off to the right start: Magical Rain and Mystical Rain weren’t included in his list.  Scouring Rain was missing as well. Light Fog Rain that Freezes to Black Ice in Winter needs to be there as does Eerie Rain.  We know rain in the Northwest.  Much of this land must have been like the Northwest at some time in our Earths long history.  It should be experienced by everyone at least once.  I’m sure that the constant rain drives people away.  The air is wet and the sky often dark.  Still, the rain here feels like life to me (Life Rain just added to the list).  One has to work for dry dehydrated skin living on the Sound.  Motorcyclist and people on bikes, boat people and walkers all have to learn to adapt and they do.  Learning to drive in 365+ different kinds of Rain is a challenge but it can be done.  Better All the Time Rain than No Rain.  I did No Rain in the Central Valley.  I know the face of drought.  A Plethora of Rain Drops is preferable to No Rain.  Hard Driving Rain is also vastly preferable to SNOW. Did 42+ years of SNOW in New England I never have to shovel rain.  Okay, I will admit that I would live in New England again if someone else would shovel snow for me as that is not likely, the Northwest is it…for now.

Did you know that they make Rain Coats for cameras?  I’m waiting for one to arrive in the mail.  When we have Hard Driving Rain all photographing must be done from inside the car.  The Camera Rain Coat should change that.  I dry off but my Cannon has mechanical parts that need some protection.  I’m off to explore more state parks tomorrow.  Sunday is supposed to be a day of Showers.  Today it is time to read a book that is not work related, catch-up with dog care, reclaim the house once again, and sort mounds of unread newspaper ~ reclaim life day.