Tag Archives: rain

here comes the rain again

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falling on my head like a memory, falling on my head like a new emotion…

Eurythmics song, 1983

Rain fascinates me, as do the clouds driven by winds that deliver it. Too much. Not enough. Devastating. Life-sustaining. Uncontrollable. Predictable…often, but not always nor to our liking much of the time.

Storms. Clouds. Floods. Mud slides. Burst dams. Destroyed crops. Drownings. Sunken boats. Swells. Waterfalls. Slick roads. Hydroplane. Windshield wipers. Blurred vision. Soggy socks. Wet rot. Wet clothes. Splashing in puddles. Hydration. Survival. Songs and sonnets about rain.

Perhaps what we need are more umbrellas! That’s it. What you NEED before you retire, or die, are more umbrellas. I can’t escape the NEED for stuff or plans or recipes or bucket list destinations or financial strategies or whatever someone is trying to sell me or change my mind about. NEED is a very strong word, but it doesn’t fit the daily mantra put out on social media, by influencers, advertising sites or governments. I don’t need what they are peddling no matter how wonderful it may seem. I know what I need.

I could list a bunch of real needs in this blog post, but I won’t. Not because I can’t, but because I don’t want to take up space discussing a list which would be construed with some controversy…we have enough of that taking place. Besides, this post is about a real need: rain. Also, we need sunshine. However, I got sidetracked because I believe we all need more umbrellas.

Recycled

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Question; “What is the most recycled element in our world (besides air)” ?

Since the conception of planet Earth and the introduction of water, not a single drop of this precious commodity has been added…it has simply been recycled. There may be elements in the periodic chart that are recycled more, but from an average human perspective, water is it. Without it, we perish. As I watched a Spring thunderstorm pour down bucketfuls of rain I thought this to be so.

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I thought about the monsoons of SW Asia and the deserts of many countries, the high mountains throughout the world and steepes and plains which are manifold…each receiving this precious gift we call water. Some get way too much of it while others not near enough to exist. Yet, to mankind’s chagrin, life does exist in the most extreme of places.

I have watched fascinating BBC videos named Planet Earth, and I am reminded how unbelievably intricate the balance of all life is in terms of resources, ingenuity, adaptation and even reasoning. God did a great thing when He created the Heavens and the Earth, and chose to populate them with such a variety of life that simply exceeds all imagination.

But, the basis of survival is simply water. Recycled. Joyful. Water.

Treat it with dignity !

BLUE SKIES

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I can see clearly now the rain is gone                   

I can see all obstacles in my way                                             

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind,

It”s gonna be a bright (bright)

Bright (bright) sun-shiny day

It”s gonna be a bright (bright)

Bright sun-shiny day

Oh yes I can make it now the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is a rainbow I’ve been praying for

It”s gonna be a bright (bright)

Bright (bright) sun-shiny day

 

By Johnny Nash in 1972 & then Jimmy Cliff in 1993

 

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D R I P S

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What comes to mind when you read the word drip? A leaking faucet, perhaps? A roof with leaks large enough to place trash cans underneath to collect the welcomed water? Images of thatched roofs dripping from monsoons? The outer edge of umbrellas shedding the rainwater away from your head? Or, dare I say, even the constant whining from a family member or acquaintance?

I thought of leaves and flowers dripping from a fresh watering. In the following photos, I almost waited too long to capture the dripping water. How beautiful water droplets are!

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Valentine Song (sort of)

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If the sun refuse to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.

Kind woman I give you my all, Kind woman, nothing more.

Little drops of rain whisper on the pane, tears of love lost in the days gone by. My love is strong, with you there is no wrong, together we shall go until we die. My, my, my. An inspiration is what you are to me, inspiration, look…see.

And so today, my world it smiles, your hand in mine, we walk the miles. Thanks to you it will be done, for you to me are the only one.

Happiness, no more be sad, happiness…I’m glad. If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you. When mountains crumble to the sea, there will still be you and me.

 

Song by Led Zeppelin, 1969, entitled, ‘Thank You’

Lyrics by Robert Plant & Jimmy Page

Flower arrangement (home grown plants) by Cheryl

 

 

Morning Has Broken

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Morning has broken, like the first morning. Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird. Praise for the singing, praise for the morning. Praise for the completeness where His feet pass.

Sweet the rains dewfall, sunlit from Heaven. Like the dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden. Sprung in completeness where His feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning. Born of the one light, Eden saw play. Praise with elation, praise every morning. God’s recreation of the new day.

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This song was made popular in 1971 by British singer, Cat Stevens, and is actually a Christian hymn. The lyrics were penned by Eleanor Farjeon in 1931 and was set to a Scottish Gaelic tune known as Bunessan (Wikipedia source). Many other music artists also recorded this song since Stevens did. Cat Stevens converted to the Muslim faith in 1977 and changed his name to Yusuf Islam. He is best remembered for this hymn. Born in 1948, he is still writing and singing music.

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Amethyst in Bloom

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Amethyst…a color or a mineral? Both, except the mineral doesn’t bloom, it develops. As soon as I looked at Cheryl’s flower garden awakening to Spring’s thaw, I immediately realized that several of these flowers are a particular shade of purple called amethyst.

 

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Contrasting with the deep greens of late April, the purples certainly stand out…they almost shout out, “Hey, look at me!”. The water droplets are from a rain we received last night. Amazing how a rain can transform a landscape. Years ago I was exposed to deserts and mountain meadows which revealed their buried treasures years apart and for only a short span of time-all because of rain coupled with the right climatic conditions. Imagine seeing what only few will ever see…fields of color which are usually monotone.

 

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No matter how you look at it, the Creator certainly has a flair for the magnificent!

Destination Unknown

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6-8-15 003This image comes to you as the result of nature’s generosity…this morning’s sunrise. We have had an abundance of rain this Spring and very little sunshine so this sunrise was a pleasant sight.

Tomorrow, I leave for a vacation with my wife. I don’t know where we are heading! This trip is her gift to me for my birthday. Cheryl decided to make this trip a surprise and has planned all of the itinerary and made all of the reservations without me discovering anything which would give away our destination. I am pretty confident we are not heading to Greenland or Antarctica because I don’t have to take a winter coat. I don’t think we are heading to the Mohave Desert or the Great Rift in Tanzania because I am not taking short pants or swimming trunks.

Funny, but I have anticipated this trip as much, if not more, than most due to the element of surprise that it presents me. Usually, we tag-team on making all of the plans for our trips, but I have purposely not wanted to know even though several friends and family members could barely contain their knowledge concerning this trip. I found this aspect funny. I will learn of our destination(s) tomorrow when we receive our airline tickets…perhaps I won’t know exactly where we are visiting until we actually land and get the rental car (burro or lama)! Either way, I am excited and grateful for this gift. And, I am blessed to be traveling somewhere with my best friend. Heck, I don’t care if we simply go to another state next to Kansas, as long as we are together. Well, maybe I would be a little disappointed.

Hopefully, upon our return, I will have learned where we went. If not, then I probably should have stayed there. Ha! In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine, appreciate the rain, and be thankful in all things. I am grateful for Carson who will be holding down the fort while we are gone.