Friday, October 8, 2010

The First Rain







http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd88/Cats/funny-pictures-cats-umbrella-rain-f.jpg

I enjoy rain.  I enjoy lying in bed at night as I listen to the sound of fat raindrops "thunking" the window.  I enjoy the thunder and lightening even more; the bright flashes of white light that illuminate your whole room for a split second, the deep roar of the thunder which makes you snuggle deeper under the covers.  This is my favourite thing about rain.  

Unfortunately, however, living in England, I no longer get to experience these thunderstorms.  All I have there is the constant light mist of rain which falls relentlessly.  The great mystery, of course, is how I can become absolutely soaked from this irritating mist without even realizing it.  But besides that, I do miss South African thunderstorms in England.  

But let me not be so negative, I did once experience a thunderstorm.  Well what I mean by that is that there was (for lack of a better word) a fart of thunder, which sent the Brits screaming and running for cover, and me wondering if someone's car had backfired.  But that is not the point of the story.

I experienced my first South African thunderstorm last night, well first in about a year, but I was still very excited.  I got home to find the electrician already here, pottering about with the electricity... I hope.  I tried to make myself scarce, but when it started raining quite heavily I decided it was time to enjoy the rain.  The three dogs and I rush outside, mostly I rush, and the dogs saunter after me, where we frolic about in the rain.  It is when I am returning in doors that I notice the electrician and his helper standing just inside the garage. staring at me with slightly surprised, and possibly concerned expressions.  It is also at this point that I realize I am in fact wearing a white t-shirt.  Fabulous.  Let me just slink back indoors to hide myself away.

You would think that would be the end of my outdoor frolicking in the rain, but it was not to be.  And it was not to be that I should think to put on a darker coloured t-shirt.  Thank you Gryphon for so kindly escaping up the road, where I had to run up and down in soaking flip-flops and a mostly see-through t-shirt.  Could this get any worse?

Ah ha, but it can!  After the electrician had left, he did seem a bit nervous when he spoke to me, I decided the black night sky would be a perfect backdrop to some lightening photos.  As it turns out, trying to take photos of lightening is not as easy as it sounds.  Especially when it starts raining.  Of course the best way to remedy the rain on the camera is to hook your t-shirt over the top of the camera, leaving just the lens exposed.  Which I of course did without a second thought.  My plan was quickly foiled as I realized I was standing with a camera underneath my WHITE, now see-through, shirt in the pouring rain.  On the balcony.  For all the neighbours to see.

Right, I thought, no more rain.  And with that I slunk back inside and snuggled under a blanket.  Not before I had to arrange a series of bowls underneath the leaking roof above the only couch in the house.  Stupid rain.

2 comments:

  1. haha
    Thanks for making me laugh! I can just picture this whole scene so clearly: you express yourself extremely well. I miss the Highveld thunderstorms too. And I wish I had been there to witness this particular one, what with a white-shirted fairy plus dogs frolicking in the rain. Was there any singing??

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  2. I definitely wasn't singing... but the same can't be said for Gryphon... though that may just have been him squeaking to back inside. Who can tell... :)

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