Rain and Gray
We’ve been having a LOT of rain here in the Valley of the Sun. One of my study sites I’m monitoring has received almost 6 inches in the past week! That’s more than it’s received in all the months previous to now! I can’t wait to see how much the site has changed after this rain! All this rain has reminded me how much I enjoy the greening and clouds associated with precipitation…so that’s what I’m blogging about today.
Although I do enjoy bright colors, gray is my favorite. In any shade. You know, that gray-ish blue tint the clouds sometimes get—almost a tungsten hue. And gray skies make me smile…because they’re pretty, because they bring rain, and because I know what (usually) comes after gray skies. But others fail to notice the beauty of gray. Or rain.
I was having dinner with some friends last night. One of them said, “I don’t like the cold and wet. Cold is okay, but wet I can’t handle. And the gray skies. I need sun!” Another said, “Well, where I grew-up, there were always cloudy skies, even if it didn’t rain. We had 300 overcast days a year. Here they have 300 sunny days a year. I don’t mind gray skies as long as it rains.”
These opinions are predominant in my experience. When it’s too hot, many people wish it was cooler—or wish it would rain to cool off things. When it's too cold or too wet, many people wish it was warmer and/or drier. Maybe I’m out of sorts with many folks, but I enjoy BOTH rain and gray skies (just as I enjoy sunny or partly cloudy skies). Whether the gray skies bring rain, or whether they’re just hanging around for a spell, I ENJOY them both. Really. It’s fun to play in the rain (or snow), jump in puddles (and snowdrifts), and watch flash floods (and avalanches)—from a safe distance!
So, next time the skies are cloudy and gray, and you might be feeling ho-hum because of them, look up at the sky. Really LOOK at it. And marvel in its beautiful mottled grayness. It is stunning!
Although I do enjoy bright colors, gray is my favorite. In any shade. You know, that gray-ish blue tint the clouds sometimes get—almost a tungsten hue. And gray skies make me smile…because they’re pretty, because they bring rain, and because I know what (usually) comes after gray skies. But others fail to notice the beauty of gray. Or rain.
I was having dinner with some friends last night. One of them said, “I don’t like the cold and wet. Cold is okay, but wet I can’t handle. And the gray skies. I need sun!” Another said, “Well, where I grew-up, there were always cloudy skies, even if it didn’t rain. We had 300 overcast days a year. Here they have 300 sunny days a year. I don’t mind gray skies as long as it rains.”
These opinions are predominant in my experience. When it’s too hot, many people wish it was cooler—or wish it would rain to cool off things. When it's too cold or too wet, many people wish it was warmer and/or drier. Maybe I’m out of sorts with many folks, but I enjoy BOTH rain and gray skies (just as I enjoy sunny or partly cloudy skies). Whether the gray skies bring rain, or whether they’re just hanging around for a spell, I ENJOY them both. Really. It’s fun to play in the rain (or snow), jump in puddles (and snowdrifts), and watch flash floods (and avalanches)—from a safe distance!
So, next time the skies are cloudy and gray, and you might be feeling ho-hum because of them, look up at the sky. Really LOOK at it. And marvel in its beautiful mottled grayness. It is stunning!
