now that the rain has begun in earnest

July, August, September, and early October have been unnaturally bright and dry here. On Friday morning the rain began. All day we were surrounded by a fine mist that seemed to come from every direction and move in every direction, like a fine, cool swarm of very wet insects. I walked to work in my Gore-Tex rain gear, noticing how the mist got up inside the cuffs of my jacket and under the peak of my cap and onto my glasses despite the fact that I was wearing a cap. After an hour walking in this mist, everything about me was wet on the outside. Thanks to my good gear, my inner layers stayed warm and dry.

Today, the air is thick with fat bumblebee raindrops all propelling themselves straight to the ground where they splash-land in puddles and little rivers on the road and sidewalk. I am at home, warm and dry in non-waterproof flannel, procrastinating and enjoying the fact that I don't have to go anywhere or do anything.

I like the rain. Rain is the way it is around here, for most of the fall, winter and spring. We should embrace it. In the spirit of embracing rain, here are a few positive thoughts about rain:

• Rain is good for fish. The salmon need the streams to fill up now, so they will have an easy journey up to their spawning grounds. I hear that the Chum salmon are thick in the Coquitlam River now. Andy and I will go look at them this weekend.
• Rain is calming. I woke up during a break in the rain this morning, to hear 2 happy boys next door bouncing on a trampoline in the back yard. But it began to rain again and the boys went inside. The sound of the rain on the roof soothed me back to sleep for another delicious 45 minutes of rest.
• Rain gives us a soundscape of our outdoor space. We know when it is raining lightly, and when it is pounding down. We can tell when a car or bicycle goes by. We can hear wet footsteps. The sounds of animal and human voices are amplified by the wet air.
• Rain makes temporary evidence of our presence. I can see wet footprints in the dry concrete leading up to our sheltered front door. I can follow an umbrella's drip trail through the lobby of the building where I work, to find out who has recently arrived. At home, I can follow the damp clumps of coats, socks and other gear to know who has recently come in from outdoors.
• Rain reassures us that there are cycles and seasons. What goes up must come down. Everything goes around and around. Rain is the most persistent and obvious reassurance of continuity that we have in our world.

question: how's the weather where you are?

mompoet - I hope that you can find a reason to love rain today