Friday, January 15, 2010

The Rain

It's January and I live in Seattle. That means it rains. Every day. Yesterday the sun came out and teased us for about thirty minutes. Then the deluge started. As I've mentioned before, I'm not from Seattle. I did not grow up with a rainy season. In Seattle only tourists carry umbrellas. I am still a tourist. I carry my umbrella even in a drizzle.

To appear busy, the weather reporters show when you can expect light rain, medium rain, supersized rain or even rain and wind. This morning was supersized rain. The kind where you get soaked in 2.9 seconds. The kind where your kids get wet from the top down and from the bottom up at the same time. Lovely.

My kids were born in New Jersey. We moved here 4 years ago when they were 2 and 3 years old. They don't remember New Jersey. They think they were born here. They act like they were born here. They don't mind the rain.

This morning at the bus stop in the supersized rain I had my umbrella. It's not a wimpy $5 Walmart umbrella. Mine is a giant Seattle-tourist-sized golf umbrella. I can fit an entire T-ball team under my umbrella. (Yes, I've done it. Twice.) But, my kids wanted no part of my umbrella. They would rather be in the rain. I watched them play. They acted like they didn't even notice the rain. True Seattleites.

I wonder how many more years before I stop noticing the rain?

14 comments:

Lynn said...

I don't know, but that would be hard to live with. I am curious if there is a lot of depression because of all the rain, or are people there just so used to it like your kids?

TALON said...

After reading your post, Cookie, I'm actually glad we have snow because at least it brightens up the landscape. And I'm laughing at how many types of rain there are - it's like us describing our snows (fluffy, light, wet, clumpy, dry...)

I don't know, but I suspect you might never get used to the rain. However, I think you're sense of humor is beautifully intact and that's the important thing. Like Lynn, I wonder if the depression rates are higher because of the constant overcast skies.

TALON said...

Darn it - I meant "your" not "you're" !

hokgardner said...

I noticed that about Seattle-ites when I was there. I was out in the rain because I had a limited window of tourist time, but if I had had my druthers, I wouldn't have the left the hotel. But everyone else was out and about like nothing was wrong.

It's raining here in Austin, today. Which is good given our severe drought.

Joyce-Anne said...

Talon is right, snow brightens up the landscape. I find that with rain, everything tends to be dark and grey.

girlytwins said...

I'd be snuggled up underneath that umbrella with you :) I am pretty sure I would never get used to rain. Growing up in SoCal I hate even cloudy weather LOL.

LL Cool Joe said...

Try living in the UK for a while!! Still the rain we had today washed away the snow.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

We don't have too much rain here, Cookie... When we do get rain, I gaze at it like I've never seen it before... ha... We do have several umbrellas around, but I seldom use one...

Cute post...
Hugs,
Betsy

Anonymous said...

This is how natives of Colorado behave . . . a few inches of snow is NOTHING to someone who has lived here almost their entire life, whereas to the newly relocated and the tourists, it is cause to freak-out! Thankfully most of our rain is limited to afternoon thunderstorms in the summer - I don't know that I could take the drearyness that seems to accompany rain.

LuAnne Lizotte said...

I thought of you when I heard the National Weather station say you were going to get like many inches of rain. I just wondered if you had aclimated yourself to it. I found out today, NOT!!! lol

Heidi said...

We get a lot of rain here too. I'm used to it, but not used to it. If that makes sense. Which it probably doesn't. I would take this over snow any day though.

Snaggle Tooth said...

You're lucky it's not all snow- cause it'd be five feet deep at that rate-
Kids do adapt well- but why should you get drenched when you don't have to?

Anonymous said...

Oh gosh, that would drive me nuts. Dreary days totally wear on my overall mood/happiness.

Magyar said...

__I actually like the rain. Those warm summer nights when soft rains sweeten the air, and wash away the day's dust from the trees; a night's music.
__I think, though, I'd quickly suffocate if each day was counted in raindrops and not moments.
__Smiling, I enjoyed your view of that rainy life and the acceptance of that enviornment by those >born< into that climate. _m