Sounds of Rain

I’ve never noticed before just how many different sounds the rain makes. It rains more in some places than in others so if you’re used to it, you just may not stop to take notice. And if you do, depending on where you happen to be at that time, it sounds different. The soft constant tap on a plastic cover over a patio sounds different than the steady drum of water on metal as you sit in your car. And again, the rain through the trees in the Amazon Rainforest, I imagine, sounds much different than the rain against the leaves of the tree in your back yard.

If you’re in a great mood and nothing can bring you down, the soft pitter-patter of rain on the streets is going to feel melodic and alluring. Watching the rain race towards the gutters can bring a serenity to the already relaxed. On the other hand, if your day is born of misery, that soft drizzle may actually feel like a thousand tiny pins being bore into your head as you race from your car to dryness of the grocery store.

I have encountered a lot of rain the last few days. And each day it seems to sing a different song. The first few days in Holland the rain was more of a nuisance than anything else. We wanted to be out exploring and enjoying our time here and to those in Calgary that hide indoors when it rains, it just was not what we wanted to see. Along with the rain, obviously comes clouds. Clouds are mostly grey and grey to the majority of people is depressing. Neither white nor black, it lies in between, emotionless. But yet we convey strong emotions at the sight of that low lying cloud cover that brings drizzle, downpours and even thunder and lightning.

After a few days of dreariness that of course didn’t keep us indoors because we’re on holidays and if we stayed cooped up all day long we would have killed each other, and the fact that even though it rains a lot here, it’s warm. Muggy. But warm. We had a few days of glowing, searing, hot sunshine. The clear blue windless skies were welcomed. We smiled and of course complained that it was so hot but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We really are never happy are we. Too hot, too cold, too muggy, I’m sweating. Whatever. You never here, I am absolutely perfect. But that’s the way it is and that’s the way it’s always going to be.

Now the last few days have been full of rain. Scattered showers I believe we call it at home in Canada. Where it rains for a few minutes, stops and warms up and then just when you think it’s done, it rains again. Just a little more for good measure. To remind you it’s still there. But again, it didn’t stop us from doing anything at all. Even today when it rained quite a bit. I was out trudging through the second largest Canadian War Cemetery in the Netherlands. I don’t think it could have been any other way. It was the perfect day as I stood beneath a tree staring out at a field of white stones, and listened to the rain crackle like fire through the leaves and branches that protected me.