Power of the rain...

I am not completely sure it is just the rain that is responsible but I have a surge of creative energy this morning that I have not had for a few weeks.  We have been wading through our jobs todo list over recent days, trying to squeeze in the occasional cycle, be resourceful by making planters and growing structures whilst turning over veggie beds in preparation for autumn sowing of onions and garlic.  But over the past weeks despite still hopping out of bed at 6.40am to tend to cats and chickens and have an early morning cuppa in the garden office enjoying the fresh crisp morning air and accompanying sounds it has then been a bit of a trudge to get moving.  Each day we have either been meeting some calendared appointment or other, or heading off to markets in search of the buying masses and before you know it the night is drawing in and it has felt like little has been achieved that is new, exciting or innovative.  It is challenges of this nature that really float my boat and I imagine there are those of you who would claim this slight dull-drum experience has been due to the onset of autumn and changing of the season, but I love the weather patterns, I embrace the mist, mizzle and chilly edge, so to what can I attribute this slightly lack lustre passage in our journey? I have no idea. Truly it is OK to say I do not know as an answer to any posed question if it is the genuine answer.

A tangential moment to just mention here we recently visited Sainsburys on the Greenwich Peninsular to check out their provision for vegans.  Whilst at their deli counter we saw a green V on some produce and a green leaf with vegetarian written across it on others.  We enquired of the lady on the cheese counter who told us she thought it meant vegetarian but was not sure of the vegan sign so would ask her more experienced colleague.  He firmly told us the V showed it was vegetarian and on special offer.   Somewhat confused by this we pointed out some produce not on special offer with the V on the ticket, he said these were Vegan foods.  "Are you sure?" I enquired and pointed out the chorizo sausage carrying the V emblem.  "Yes" he firmly replied, "this is fine for vegans, not for vegetarian but is good for vegans!"  Somewhat shocked at this response I suggested he really did not know the answer, and it was fine to say so rather than give me inaccurate information.  But he would not have it, he was offended that I might suggest his answer was not correct. So all I need to find now is a meat eating vegan to try some and see if it is any good!.  When I suggested to him it is OK to say I don't know and will find out rather than make up any answer as it is quite important, he walked off upset with my suggestion of his lack of knowledge.

So back to my response to where this creative spurt has come from, well unless there was an unscheduled spurt delivery I was not aware of it must be the rain.  I am a rain lover.  There it is out there now.

When in New Zealand I used to love the rain when it would appear on a sunny afternoon and all the locals would throw open the windows and sniff it in saying how they could smell the tarmac on the road, and it was true you could too.  In Oz the rain would often bring a layer of red dust with it which would coat the car, cabin, deck, beach, in fact just about everything had a layer of red dust next morning and the whole country would unite in hosing it towards the nearest creek, one morning I saw an iguana walk across the deck of my cabin coated in a layer of red rain dust...made her look very tropical indeed.  In spain the campsites prepare for rain by digging moats around every awning and groundsheet because when the rain comes it hammers down for a few hours then steams lightly for another three until everything is dry and sweaty.  But my favourite rain experience has to be in Evian on lake Geneva when the locals hang out of their windows shouting "Tempête!!...Fermer les Fenêtres!" and one by one like a mexican wave the shutters crash across the windows of every residence.  All camping residents grab every article they can and rush them inside.  Tent window vents are zipped shut and sun roofs closed firm.  Anyone who heeds not the warning of the local mountain folk will without doubt have wet feet within the next ten minutes.  I was one of those cautious types who grabbed the chairs, broom and towels and threw them in the campervan.  Shut the windows and rear doors which had been allowing in a lovely summer breeze not more than five minutes earlier and sitting inside looking very pleased indeed had failed to notice the sun roof was still open.  The Tempête arrived at speed with a gale forced wind, unzipped the underside of the cloud cover and unceremoniously dumped the entire contents of its moisture collection on our heads in sheets.  The water ran in the sun roof straight onto my Motorola phone of the day... sizzle..., pop..., fizz..., glug ... it died instantly in front of my eyes.  I could barely shut the sun roof due to the pressure of the wind that had whipped under it, but managed to hang on it and squeeze it closed.  Taking one of my dry trusty towels I snapped open the phone to remove, chip battery and any other working part and laid them out to dry on the dashboard, only to be the luckiest person in Geneva when I put it together next morning and it all worked again.  But yes lesson learned about rain in Evian.
So based on my experience of rain soaked moments it is no surprise I am often to be found in the outdoor office when the rain is splashing on the polycarbonate roof.  It makes a lovely pinging sound and somehow when it is a little gloomy it always seems brighter under the dry roof than elsewhere in the garden...not actually possible given poly-C allows 80% light penetration but its an optical illusion that I like very much.
The freshness of the earth smells is another plus and the chill breezes that mingle the aromas of nearby gardens with ours is just an added bonus.  I had better stop here otherwise I envisage one of you sending a van round to cart me off to the local "lost-it" facility if I continue my rambling love of the wet stuff.  Anyway it can be the only reason for the return of the creative juices and vim and vigor of past months and I must now put those to good use and spend a wet day moving on some of the creative projects we are involved in at the moment.... depending on progress there might even be an update here later...
Go on get your wellies on and a brolly and take a wet walk round your garden or the local park, its a different place in the rain.

Our good friend Pete running the rain gauntlet to get fresh corn for lunch (NZ 2001)