Thursday 22 May 2014

Proximity


Some of you may remember that, many moons ago, I wrote briefly about being a pluviophile (having just discovered the word). A pluviophile is defined as 'A lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days'.

After a long weekend of glorious sunshine we're back to rain and gusty winds and lowered temperatures. But that doesn't bother me. At the risk of sounding a bit Pollyanna, rain at this time of year is something I savour. Practically speaking it's not great (what with having an energetic, outdoors-loving toddler who seems to attract mud even where you thought there was none) but there's something about long grass and lush hedgerows, heavy with rain, that I find deeply satisfying.

I remember once seeing a cream-coloured vintage wedding car outside a country church. It was summertime and the world was green, and the rain was falling. The leaves were hanging, sodden, from the trees. It was one of those moments where you feel inspired to write a novel (I didn't get that far).  


Even more pleasurable than rain during the warmer months is that sensation you get when you're close to the weather but just out of it's reach: taking shelter from a storm under a bridge or lying on the bed with the window open, listening to the raindrops drumming against the glass.

I always dream of having a porch attached to my one-day house. And the appeal of that lies not in the thought of summer evenings dreamily basking in the warmth (lovely as that would be). For me, I'd love to sit and watch the rain dripping from the edge of the roof and smell the wet earth, close enough to enjoy it but still - just - under cover and dry.

Few things are better than hanging out the washing on a warm, breezy day but if you manage to get that washing indoors just as the clouds gather and big fat drops start to fall - well, it's one of those simple pleasures I love.

So right now I'm indoors gazing out at leaden skies and not minding one little bit. The plants are getting a drink and the world, once we venture back out, will feel fresh once more. We may have to wear wellies for a day or two but I for one am a welly enthusiast.

(Note: I reserve the right to retract any comments made here should we have a washout summer.)


18 comments:

  1. One of our best holiday weeks in Tuscany was spent on a deep sheltered verandah looking out at the torrential rain, reading and playing card games. Nobody got heatstroke or sunburn.

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    1. Fab, isn't it? You reminded me of a holiday in Greece where we watched the most incredible electrical storm from a clifftop taverna... one of those things you never forget. And the storms abroad are really something, aren't they?

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  2. I agree... as long as it is interspersed with bouts of sunshine. We've had a fabulous storm this afteroon but now the sun is out again and it smells wonderful outside.

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    1. The rain does refresh things... and make them seem even greener, somehow.

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  3. I love the wet earth smell too ... your words are so evocative ... I don't mind the rain which is fortunate living where I live ... we see more than our fair share, but the feeling of being indoors and sheltered is lovely ... I also really enjoy the sound of rain on the roof when I'm cosy in bed ... enjoy those showers ... Bee xx

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    1. You too! We get a lot of rain here in the North West... I suppose it's one of those things you get used to. I do like the sound of it when I'm under cover - it adds to the whole feeling of cosiness!
      Have a nice weekend x

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  4. We've had a huge thunderstorm here too this afternoon, but now the garden looks so fresh and green. I love your black and white river image.

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    1. Thank you! One of the few 'archive' photos I have which I didn't lose when the hard drive died...

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  5. It wasn't until I moved to the desert that I began to really appreciate rain. But now I love it and look forward to every little bit.

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    1. It can be lovely, can't it? Although we have more than our fair share in this part of the world. Sometimes it lasts for days, weeks even. And that's when it starts to lose it's appeal! Hopefully we'll have a good summer...

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  6. I do love the rain and those moments you talk about of the rain falling and you watching it in a dry place, and the smell when it falls on hot dry ground, wonderful.

    It just gets a bit too much when it is day after day of it accompanied by grey heavy skies which is what we had all winter.........

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    1. Oh, I agree! That feeling you get after endless brooding skies and miserable drizzle. It feels so smothering after a while...

      Spring and summer rain (in small doses - cloudbursts and storms) is so much more appealing!

      Have a lovely weekend.

      S x

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  7. I am definitely not a pluviophile but I do like a good thunderstorm with heavy rain on a hot summers day. I got my washing in just in time today, you are right, it is a simple, enjoyable pleasure. Have a lovely weekend. x

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    1. You too! I hope you don't get too much rain for your camping trip.
      S x

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  8. Fantastic, I love the rain too, in fact I wrote in a post last night how much I like it now. And I'd love to have somewhere to sit underneath while the rain pours down. My next-door neighbour used to have a big table with a clear roof overhanging it where you could sit while it rained, it was wonderful. I like sitting under the skylights in the rain as well.

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    1. Thank you for the tip - our (whisper it) new home has an attic room with skylights. I may have to put a couch underneath for stargazing and storm-watching purposes!
      And that covered table sounds incredible...
      Have a lovely weekend x

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  9. Ha! I loved your last comment! I wish I shared your views, honestly I do, but I am miserable when it rains. I am the opposite of a pluviophile. I am grumpy and restless and can feel my mood lightening as the sky clears. I should live in the desert like Jennifer, I want unrelenting blue skies. But what a thoughtful and interesting post although, I have to say, if I saw a wedding car outside a church on a rainy day I would think how pissed off the happy couple must be. Hopefully they would be too loved up to care. :-) xx

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    1. Oh, I'd hate a wet wedding day too! Apparently it's supposed to be good luck but even so, who wants mucky feet on their big day?
      I am a pluviophile in summer, but in winter I dream about living on a Greek island where it's warm underfoot and you're in a permanent good mood because it's sunny all the time. Maybe I'm romanticising a bit there...
      Talk about the grass always being greener! x

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