Wednesday 8 July 2009

Even the ducks are sick of it!

Yes. You've got it! Rain!!
It is warm, it is Summer,therefore there are rain clouds. That seems to be the logic of it.
It is very pleasant weather for most of the time but every now and then huge black clouds come in - my friend G, if she is reading this, will no doubt know what kind of clouds they are- and then there is a downpour. On Monday we had two downpours. The first one in the early afternoon when the rain came down so fast that it poured off the house roof, bringing great clods of moss with it, missed the guttering and cascaded down the windows. When it stopped I could hardly see out for mud. Lo and behold, ten minutes later my window-cleaner arrived. He had been working two miles away and they had had no rain there. Half an hour later he left, leaving behind sparkling windows. Two hours later rain cascaded down again, rain poured off the roof.............need I go on.
I read somewhere that the Inuit have thirty different descriptive words for snow. Well up there above the Arctic Circle snow must feature heavily in their lives. It would seem to me that on this island of ours, where the weather is heavily influenced by the vagiaries of the jet stream, where we frequently get WEATHER off the Atlantic (often via Ireland, where BT The Gardener
often complains about wet weather), we have a fair number of descriptive words for rain too.
I gathered a few together:-

Fine rain - this kind of rain is so fine that you can hardly see it falling. It is only when you get out in it, without wet weather gear, that you find yourself soaked to the skin as it wraps itself round you like an all-enclosing blanket.
Misty rain - up here in the hills we get a lot of this and what it usually means is that the cloud is very low and we are walking about in it.
Gentle rain - this is the kind that we love on a nice Spring day. We feel like walking out in it - we hold our hands out to catch it and say "this will be doing a lot of good for the flowers."
Steady rain - the farmer's favourite. This is the rain that gently soaks into the garden, swells the peas in the pod. If you have recently weeded then it cleans up your work no end and makes everything look fresh and clean.
Thundery rain - Kids love this. It bounces on the road like dancing fairies; it rattles on the roof
courses down the gutters, fills the drains. Marvellous fun if you are under ten and wearing wellies!
Pouring rain - not to be confused with the above. This only falls on very, very wet days and is quite unforgiving.
Horizontal rain - always accompanied by the serious gale, this rain cuts into you, hits your face like shards of ice, is thoroughly unpleasant.
I'm sure you can think of more descriptive words for rain. All I know is:-

Rose heads hang heavy in it.
Lady's Mantle leaves collect it like crystals.
Peas swell visibly in the pod with it.
Strawberries moulder in it.
Children revel in it, splashing in the puddles.
Cats hate it, lifting each paw daintily as they make their way through it to complain at the back door.
Must stop there. It is raining again. Have to get the washing in.

20 comments:

Jinksy said...

Yeah - my kind of day - wet! I had enough sunshine last week to last me until September when the weather is less vicious. Perhaps I should move to Ireland?

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Edward hates it too. I love a good hard rain, but not everyday. I also adore your very apt descriptions of the many varieties of British rain. I often chuckle when I am in Scotland and they refer to a perfectly horrendously wet and windy day as, "a bit fresh"!

Bob said...

Hi Weaver, I know what you mean about the weather, I keep expecting to sse all the corn flattened but so far it seem to be standing up okay. This time last week the heat was killing me and my eyes that sore from the sweat I could hardly open them at night, I came that close to jumping in to the childrens swimming pool at the hall. These temps suit me better for working in, it would be better for my work now though if it would stop raining as we have a big party where the gardens are opened to the public so I need to keep on top of the weeds which is hard if its wet weather. Basically speaking though I try to make the most of whatever comes our way because you know in this country whatever its doing today it could be just the opposite in a couple of days so you never suffer for long. Bob.

Tess Kincaid said...

I like a nice rainy day. And that's why your foliage over there is so wonderfully lush and green.

Jenn Jilks said...

We've had days of rain, Weaver! I saw sun and white, pouffy clouds today and put out my laundry. I think I may have t fetch it soon! This is the kind of July we had last year. The business owners, in this tourist town, really suffered.

steven said...

well weaver, you know how i feel about rain, fog, mist whatever it is. i love it. but sunshine has its place as well and like all things should be in balance with the rain. have a peaceful day. steven

Leenie said...

Ah, but how green the countryside is! We have had a wet spring and for once even the wild places look lush. Love your new header. Nice photos.

Raph G. Neckmann said...

Oooh, splishy-splashy! Some of us giraffes like wearing wellies and plodging around in the puddles too! I like watching the really heavy rain which bounces and makes a bubble in the centre of ever-increasing circles in the puddles.

Crafty Green Poet said...

I like the rain, but it is so annoying when a day starts off nice and sunny and I think, oh weather for dresses and sandals then it rains and I'm wishing for trousers and proper shoes, not to mention raincoat

Woman in a Window said...

Thundery rain! This kid loves it too!

I haven't even gotten my laundry OUT this summer. You're one step ahead of me. Rained again today! (although only from time to time.)

Amy said...

I love the rain, unfortunately we get so much here that in the winter you can't literally get outside the ground is so boggy but what I like best about the rain is when it's pattering on the roof at night - makes you feel snuggly and warm.

Jeannette StG said...

When you live in a rainy climate all you want is for it to stop (I understand, having lived in Holland long enough)! But here in California we clamor for rain, because of our drinking water (and the constant threat of fires of course). It's a toss up, isn't it...

Loren said...

I'd be more sympathetic if our long dry spell in America's Pacific Northwest hadn't suddenly turned cold and wet for no explainable reason.

Still if I enjoyed sunshine more than clouds I would have moved long ago.

EB said...

Oh I love your new header picture!

I think you and Bob the gardener are getting a lot more rain than we are.

Penny said...

YOu are sick of it and we need it! What a topsy turvy world. How are your collages? I am doing the words as well but not terribly well I am afraid. Perhaps I dont want to know my inner self. I certainly wont put up todays.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Jinksy - I think this hatred of hot weather is all down to age - I feel the same.
Pamela - here they call it a moderate day!
Bob - only those who work physically hard in the heat know that feeling of salty seat stinging the eyes.
willow - yes and that is why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Jenn - you live in such a lovely part of the world - I would willingly be there on a rainy day!
Steven - I must say sometimes I prefer it to hot sun.
Leenie - glad you noticed my new header.
Raph - sometimes I would guess you would have wellies on your feet and your head would be in the clouds.
Juliet - layers - at least that is what I am always being told.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Woman in a window - kids are kids everywhere, aren't they?
Amy - I know that feeling of being safe when you are indoors, but what if you suddenly find the roof is leaking - that takes away the feeling of snug and warm.
Jeannette - I don't think I could bear to live in a constant hot climate - the one thing we are assured of here with the weather is variety!

The Weaver of Grass said...

Loren - well said.
EB Thanks for noticing my new header.
Penny - shall pop over and see you shortly

Thanks everyone.

Kim Palmer said...

Ooh I love rain, in any of it's myriad forms of appearance! I do miss the fine and more misty varieties from living in a cool climate though. We have our own version of rain here in the tropics, 'bucketing rain'! It's the sort where one drop completely drenches you beyond belief. Where the gutters and storm water drains are over flowing across the roads inside 5 minutes! (but I even love that sort too)!