Friday 19 September 2008

SkyWatch Friday: Rain

It finally came. And when it came (on Wednesday afternoon), it darkened the sky with its thickness, turning the blue into something akin to a bruise.

rainy day drain

The rain dutifully stayed away from Hania for four months without a drop falling from the sky. Umbrellas were stored away, raincoats hung up under summer jackets, boots stashed away in the darkest corners. The days were filled with sunlight. The Northern European tourists were thrilled to enjoy rainless days on their summer vacation, without the worrying thought that in the middle of their holiday, they may have to head for a covered passage or a large tree to avoid a sudden downpour, soaking them to the skin and dampening their happy memories of a Mediterranean holiday under the sun.

rainy day
(Street scene near the district court)

In the meantime, dust particles piled upon more dust, the earth dried up, our skins became parched, and everything had become as dehydrated as a sun-dried tomato. The arrival of the rain refreshes us, it washes away the dust and dirt, it cleans up the atmosphere, it moistens our skin, it fills up our reservoirs. We wear our raincoats, we search for our umbrellas, we close our doors and watch it falling from our windows. Drivers beware: the first rains are always more dangerous than subsequent showers, especially in dry climates like Crete. The water falls on dirty roads laden with dust, making them extremely slippery. When driving on such roads, do make sure to drive slowly.

The first rain in my town always comes on a day when I'm not able to stay at home to enjoy watching it fall from the window. I hope the next time it rains, it will be during the weekend.

32 comments:

  1. The first rain... I can't imagine. Bruised sky... interesting description.

    ReplyDelete
  2. great shots of your sky pics

    Please drop at my SWF post also: in HERE. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes Maria-kiwi, Autumn is here at last!!!
    Ευχαριστώ για τις ευχές σου!
    By the way, your son looks like a young and serious man with the newspaper in his hands!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rain on Crete - must be an experience.
    BTW - not all of northern Europe has rained away this summer. We have had the best summer "ever".

    ReplyDelete
  5. Your words are full of nostalgia. I miss those raining days. Very good pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You sure did get some rain. I love the bottom picture. I get a feeling some drivers just wanted to get home!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I do like your rain shots very much, especially the droplets lit up against the dark sky.

    ReplyDelete
  8. beautiful rain photos!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Interesting take on skywatch! Well done!
    Cheers, Klaus

    ReplyDelete
  10. That first image is awesome. Love the drops against the sky!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the first shot. Where I live rain is a distant memory. So I am glad to see rainy skies.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nice rain shots.
    Mumbai is getting the last outpours from the sky as the monsoon comes to an end.

    Mumbai Skywatch

    ReplyDelete
  13. That's an original ! Really neat and I can smell the wet...

    ReplyDelete
  14. We have had very little rain in our area... very dry summer here and it shows in our rivers and lakes... I welcome the rains one day but I think as the temperatures drop, it will come as snow.
    Beautiful pictures.. nice post.

    Have a really good weekend!
    ~Michele J~
    Mountain Retreat

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am so glad you have rain. The bushes and shrubs and trees and bugs and bees and all things living and some dead, cherish rain for the life it supports. I am so glad it came for you.

    My SkyWatch Friday photos are on my Canon Pixels Blog.

    I have reintroduced Better Blog Writing but pulled a hamstring muscle and have not been able to get a lot done.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such great shots, accompanied by very descriptive narrative. I can feel myself there - I'm sure you were glad for the relief of rain after so much dry time. Beautiful post!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Good photos, no rain for four months thats hard to imagine.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I very much enjoyed your beautiful narrative, Maria. Your descriptors are wonderful.

    There's not much that smells as fresh as rain on parched earth. What a welcome relief it must have been.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I LOVE how you captured the rain!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I LOVE your first photo, that's the most esthetic rain scene I've seen in a while.
    And yes, kinda difficult to imagine "the first rain", we are raining almost once a week. haha

    ReplyDelete
  21. That first pictures says it all--the joy of the first rain!
    It has been so dry so long in Israel that I can hardly remember the loveliness of water from the sky, but your writing here captures it all so well and reminds me of all the details.

    ReplyDelete
  22. μια βροχή ήταν ότι χρειαζόταν. το απαιτεί ο καιρός.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wonderful idea and angle in the first shot. Nice :-)

    ReplyDelete
  24. That first pic has an artistic magic! And love your comment about the sky being bruised! Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Have to admit though, it's a different kind of rain. 30 minute rain then a pause....then maybe another one during the day, pause....then another......

    The year before last (i think) it started pouring rain in late October and it continued throughout late December...(The same episode :-D )

    The rain in Crete would not upset.......a Brit (?) :-D :-D :-D

    ReplyDelete
  26. its a lovely picture of a rainy day that you have posted!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Sounds refreshing. I love gentle rains.

    ReplyDelete
  28. As my rain (what little there was) and clouds are ending, yours is beginning. Excellent photographs with this one. LOVE the first shot especially. All of it looks so moody and... RAINY!

    ReplyDelete
  29. i like the spout skyshot, maria. i love shots that has stories behind it.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Your first photo is such a lovely way to capture a rain shot!! Beautiful, both of them.

    ReplyDelete
  31. I love a good rainfall. Your photos I must say are always freaking amazing!

    ReplyDelete