Rain, rain, don't go away!

I just love rain! Love it, love it, can't get enough of it!! Well, ok, I might be overstating things a bit, but you get the idea. I love to watch rain coming down, especially when it's really heavy - not the boring old drizzle which just drags on all day and outstays its welcome. A really good torrential shower, nice and noisy, and even better if there's a strong breeze blowing it sideways or in sheets. It's so thrilling to watch.

Just take a look at the photo above and you'll see what I mean. The countryside landscape has been transformed by rain. The heavens have opened up and puddles have formed on the ground. Everywhere it is refreshingly wet and the rain keeps coming. And the combination of rain and gusting wind is awe-inspiring and is heightened by the sight of trees swaying in the wind.

A windswept stormy day in the countryside is an undisputed delight but there is little to beat a full-blown thunderstorm in town. Just cast your eye on the photo below. Isn't it magical? An ordinary uninspiring urban side-street has been transformed into a phantasmagoria of exciting sights and sounds.

The car headlights help to impart a certain magic to the falling rain and the wet road surface . For me, the rain, the fading daylight and night-time illumination combine to create a fascinating feast for the eyes. Add to this the beguiling sounds of heavy rainfall and you have the perfect recipe to delight the senses.

Unfortunately few people appreciate rain, even if they acknowledge its necessity, and I think it is because our culture has conditioned us to automatically dislike and complain about it. If people were to look at it objectively, it might be seen in a very different light. True, it is not very pleasant if you're caught out in a heavy shower, without a brolly and with some distance to walk before reaching shelter. But apart from understandable instances such as this, we should learn to appreciate what rain means for all of us and what's more to actively enjoy it. When it rains, cold weather becomes milder and hot weather cooler. There's a freshness in the air. The sight and sound of rain is restful and comforting. In hot weather, it's a joy to walk in the rain in as little clothing as propriety will allow and it's heaven to go swimming outdoors and feel the rain on one's bare skin. And finally rain is the indisputable giver of life - all earth's fauna and flora need it to survive.

So, since we need rain for our very survival, we might as well learn to delight in it when it occurs and to welcome it with open arms and stop whingeing that it's raining again. If it did not rain for some time, we would soon change our tune and be willing to perform Indian rain dances to get it to fall on us again. But, as they say, what you have you don't appreciate. You have to lose it first before you miss it and long for its return.