Sunday, July 19, 2009

Rain!

We've had plenty of liquid precipitation today. Bucket-loads of the stuff. Yes, I got wet too!

I still find it fascinating to watch and have fond memories of it at key points in my life. Well, perhaps not all fond memories, but mostly so. I love my rainy day experiences.

Whenever it drops and I have time to stop and stare, there is invariably a memory attached.

One family totally wet day of the past was on holiday at lake Coniston. We had set our tent up next to the lake. It was a lovely holiday but with little opportunity to windsurf, which was one of the main reasons for going there.

I was woken up very early on the last day of the holiday by the howling wind and rushed with great excitement and anticipation to the lake with my windsurfing equipment...David was already there, zooming along and hanging on for dear life! It wasn't even light yet!

We were on that lake with Donald Campbell somewhere beneath us, wetter than wet, but totally overjoyed. It was just incredible!

The family did not share my joy. After a few hours I returned to learn that they were also wetter than wet. When I left, I hadn't noticed that the tent was virtually floating and I had, in effect, abandoned the family who had to cope with packing everything without me.

I have felt a bit guilty about being so selfish as I look back... and Bev has often fanned the flames of my guilt and selfish actions of that day. But what an incredible two hours that was and worth every bit of criticism over the following years. I've long since been forgiven as Bev is very forgiving once a decade or two have passed!

The other incredibly wet family day was a truly family affair...again shared with the Flinn family.

We'd reached the summit of Mount Snowdon and the family were very tired. The train wasn't available to go back down so we set off on foot just as the weather turned. Long before we reached the bottom we could be no wetter if we had jumped into every puddle...which we did! We have never been so wet in our lives and couldn't imagine ever being warm and dry again.

We were stretched on that day and found out a great deal about ourselves and each other...as is often the case when we are stretched.

Fond memories indeed.

6 comments:

  1. Swine flu Eileen19 July 2009 at 22:29

    My memory of that day at Coniston was the Kelloggs cornflakes box floating about in the tent awning. Memories of the Snowdon descent - bubbles coming out of Katy's sandals as she squelched along with Ash. All good fun.

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  2. I loved your humorous stories! It sounds like your family knows how to have fun.

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  3. Hi Randi
    You call that fun!!???
    Actually, you are right. We had some great times as a family before they all married.
    Time really does fly.

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  4. We could never afford Kelloggs Eileen...if you hadn't written it first, I wouldn't have even been able to spell it!

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  5. I remember that day-all the dye ran from my coat and turned my skin blue-we had to run into the supermarket to try and get some soap to get it off-what a state we would have looked!

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  6. Just noticed your comment Juli.
    Memories, eh! It's what colours life.

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