MEEKER | Wasn’t it wonderful to have a rainy-day last week? Our very dry ground can use all the water it can get. Not only do our crops and gardens benefit, but rain also helps mitigate dangerous wildfire conditions plus adds much needed water to our rivers and lakes that are running very low in this drought.
Selfishly, I didn’t have to drag hoses all over to water yard, flowers and gardens. They all got a very nice soak thanks to a gentle rain.
I just learned that the Meeker High School had some leaking issues, so that’s a problem, especially for a brand-new school and recent return of students and teachers. Who would think roof leaks would be an issue in such a dry period! So sorry to learn this.
I miss rainy days. In Indiana where I grew up, we had lots of rain, so I grew up with galoshes, umbrellas, raincoats and a mindset that life goes on even in the rain.
When I first moved to Colorado, I thought on any weekend that was sunny, “I can’t clean house,” I need to enjoy this sunny day. It took me a while to catch on that Colorado boasts over 300 days of sun every year.
Over time, I started to wonder, “when do the rainy days occur?” When do I clean and bake and read instead of feeling compelled to get out there and enjoy the beautiful outdoors?
Rainy days are like getting a free pass to tackle gentle things in a relaxing way. Go ahead! Bake those muffins you’ve put off. Clean out your files that you’ve avoided for way too long. Read a book. Take a nap. Or write.
On our trip to Oregon, we endured one especially intensely rainy and windy day that buffeted our trailer and kept us inside all day. Outside were mud puddles everywhere. At first, I was resentful that we were losing a sight-seeing day but then we settled in to just accept the weather and make the most of it.
Oregon receives on average over 100 inches of rain a year. That’s about 10 times more than Colorado’s average. We were camped on the southern coast where it rains even more. At the same time, much of Oregon east of us was suffering from drought conditions and soaring temperatures coming in at 90 and 100 degrees.
On this rainy day, we couldn’t get any Wi-fi service as there was some giant outage in the area. What do you do without the internet, no TV, and limited cell service? If you know my husband, you would not be surprised that he drew all day!
In Oregon, I wrote and wrote because rainy days give you time to think and reflect. I wrote HT articles including a prior version of this one, drafted emails to friends and family that I could send if we ever got an internet connection and cleaned up files on my laptop.
Last week when it rained, I finally did a deep dive into updating the archival records of Jay’s art. It’s not my favorite task, but thankfully I made much needed progress and can start putting that worry behind me. I cleaned house and even baked a bit. See how much you can get done on a rainy day!
Rainy days, thank you for a respite and the protection you give to this land and our lives.
By KAYE SULLIVAN – Special to the Herald Times
