Friday, February 29, 2008

There’s rain … and there’s RAIN !


Last night’s rain started in the wee hours of the morning. I have a tin roof on my little house and I awoke to the music of wet drops drumming a hearty tune. It was a comfort and a relief since our area has been in drought conditions for almost a year.

I drifted back to sleep and when I woke for the second time it was 7:30 and I realized that it was still raining, but very softly. This is unusual for our part of the country. I come from New England where 2 or 3 days of a gentle, steady rain is common. Here, in the South, however, we are more apt to get heavy downpours that last for a few hours, followed by a quick return to sunshine.

I noticed this difference when we first moved here 30 years ago. I was in my car with the radio on and I saw a sprinkling of rain on my windshield. All of a sudden the music stopped and the DJ announced that we were in for a torrential rain and to pull over and stop if we were driving.

I couldn’t believe my ears. What sort of wimpy place was this where people were actually stopping by the road sides rather than drive in a little bit of rain? Those were my thoughts just seconds before the heavens opened up and I was awash in so much water that the windshield wipers were useless. NOW I understood and I carefully pulled over to join the rest of the “wimps” in their stopped cars.

I’ve never made light of rain storms since that day and “caution” has become my catchword. I even came to understand what my young co-worker meant when she said, “I used to jump into bed with Granny when I saw a ‘big black cloud’ coming up”. She was referring to that ominous blackish-gray sky that precedes a storm.

Even as I write this I realize that the quiet “New England” type rain that I was enjoying this morning has stopped. I live in an area called “The Sandhills” so it won’t be long before the moisture is absorbed and we’ll be back to our usual dry state.

I love the rain, as do many poets and lyricists who give homage to it. Remember Shakespeare‘s famous lines from The Merchant of Venice? “The quality of mercy is not strain’d, it falleth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath; it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes”.

A fine note on which to end this post. Thanks for your company.

10 Comments:

Blogger Anvilcloud said...

I hope that you get the right amount of rain this year. We may get some here next week. I am looking forward to having some snow washed away. Unfortunately, we're getting some more snow between now and then.

1:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

England gets it's fair share of rain, but I have never seen such heavy rain as I have experienced in various parts of the USA.
Still that's America for you. Even the weather has to be 'OTT'. :-)

7:14 AM  
Blogger KGMom said...

Hope the rain helps break the drought.

6:44 PM  
Blogger Bud said...

I'm also a New Englander as you know Ginnie--and you are so right about the rain. Even funnier is when it snows around here--a tad of slush and the schools are closed for a week!!

2:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, I can SO relate to this! As a former Bostonian, I too was used to that New England rain you described.
21 years ago when I moved to Florida, I had NO clue what a southern rain was all about. I also quickly found out when I was out there driving around doing my RN home health visits! I pulled over many times to sit it out. Better safe, than sorry.
Glad you got the rain though, as I know you needed it up there.
Terri
http://www.islandwriter.net

6:05 AM  
Blogger dmmgmfm said...

We received a good soaking rain on
Saturday. It was a pleasant change of pace from the snow and for once it didn't freeze immediately afterward so I was able to get out and walk today! Rain is GOOD!

8:24 PM  
Blogger Chancy said...

I hopoe and pray that Georgia, my state, gets more than our share of gentle rain, hard rain, or just any sort of rain this spring and summer to end the awful drought around here.

I enjoyed reading about your delightful rain.

8:26 PM  
Blogger Cazzie!!! said...

PLease send the rain this way. We are the only state in the country NOT getting the rain. Even the arid outback has had more rain than we have just this year than we have had in 5 to 10 yearsperiod. Our reservoir is at a low 36% capacity or some such thing.
Rain on a tin roof, I love it, it makes me fall asleep :)

3:35 AM  
Blogger Crayons said...

I liked reading your ruminations on rain. The sound on your tin roof must be frightful. I like rain, but only if I'm safe in a cozy spot. It makes me want to write and draw and read.

7:35 PM  
Blogger ellen said...

Thank you! I appreciate the lovely words and the images.

7:43 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home