Rain in summer
Rain, slow, soft rain. Mist obscuring the valley, the ridge of Pen y Cloddiau vanished into solid grey. Dense grey cloud behind the oak tree. No sky, no view, no climbing hills. A small enclosed world of rain and grey.
A blackbird sings from the roof of the bakehouse. A bullfinch sits in the hawthorn hedge, its breast a startling rose pink flash against the green. I walk out into the meadow. Fine soft heads of grasses bowed down with the rain brush my legs. Roses drip petals and raindrops. Foxgloves stand tall. In the meadow poppies bend their brilliant heads under the weight of water.
The scent of honeysuckle rises up by the hedge and drowns me. Just for a moment, I let go of the wish for sun and summer and lie back in the water, into a dream of grey and green.
A blackbird sings from the roof of the bakehouse. A bullfinch sits in the hawthorn hedge, its breast a startling rose pink flash against the green. I walk out into the meadow. Fine soft heads of grasses bowed down with the rain brush my legs. Roses drip petals and raindrops. Foxgloves stand tall. In the meadow poppies bend their brilliant heads under the weight of water.
The scent of honeysuckle rises up by the hedge and drowns me. Just for a moment, I let go of the wish for sun and summer and lie back in the water, into a dream of grey and green.
Only you could make the current onslaught of rain sound so romantic. My foxgloves are horizontal.
ReplyDeleteFor some peculiar and annoying reason, the only foxgloves which are horizontal are white ones!
DeleteWhat a breath taking photo of your flowers Elizabeth, and your words are wonderful, the rain sounds quite refreshing after that x
ReplyDeleteI don't normally feel like that about rain. It just took me by surprise!
DeleteA vivid picture - and you're right that the wetness can be enchanting too. Though on balance I'm still longing for summer.
ReplyDeleteWell I am with you really. I love summer.
DeleteA beautiful word image.
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm - you've written my morning - but with the scent of ceanothus and lavender.......and the persistent light rain. June had more days of rain than any June since 1952.
ReplyDeleteWe too had more rain in June than we normally have in months!
DeleteThe rain certainly cleans everywhere and gets rid - usually -of the awful mugginess we've been experiencing. The thing is I get drenched walking down the garden path as everything leans wetly towards me!
ReplyDeleteI know! I went out carefully putting my wellies on but still managed to come back wet with the grasses from the meadow.
DeleteGrey days have their magic too. We were blanketed in mist this morning, but now the sun is up and the butterflies are dancing - so chores even if the chores are only half-done I'm off to the garden.
ReplyDeleteI love that shift - when the grey morning turns into the clear, bright afternoon.
DeleteThank you, Elizabeth, for transporting me from oppressively hot and humid New York City where the concrete radiates heat, and the street asphalt begins to buckle.
ReplyDeleteI feel quite refreshed having read this post!
I also very much enjoyed your previous post about the critiquing visit from the garden authority.
xo
Oh you remind me Frances! I know that New York heat in the summer. Makes me glad to be here in the green!
DeletePleasure even in the rain, lovely.
ReplyDeleteI must admit I wrote this on Thursday and then the heavens opened on Friday and I did not feel quite the same! Lovely today though.
DeleteI think we have your Welsh weather this summer! The gardens are loving it though and that is such a bonus. You are right to just enjoy what is. Lovely piece of writing, Elizabeth x
ReplyDeleteThe one thing which is good about all this rain is that my fast draining soil needs watering in hot water, at least for vegetables and the cutting garden. Seems hard to imagine right now!
DeleteI wih this rainy season would hurry up ad give us some sun!! But the garden is loving it!
ReplyDeleteWe have thousands of gallons of water storage in butts and huge tanks, many of them now overflowing down the hill!
DeleteWhat a lovely evocation of a rainy day. We've just had rain, too, but it means something different here in New Mexico -- more dancing in the streets, less coming to terms. Enjoy the softness and the honeysuckle.
ReplyDeleteHard to imagine the dancing in the streets just now Stacy! Still, it is all to do with where you are and what you are short of!
DeleteYou know what? I didn't mean quite this much rain.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could have had your attitude to the recent weather - I just got fed up and ate too much chocolate (oh, and lit the stove. In July, for heaven's sake). It makes me consider that the Welsh for July is Gorffenhaf - which translates as summer's end. No, no, please no...
ReplyDeleteBut then today (Saturday) is lovely, the sun is out, the garden is alive with insects and the chocolate is back in the cupboard. Phew...
Gorgeous day here today too. Just off into the garden for a spot of light weeding, who am I kidding, heavy weeding.
DeleteYes!
ReplyDeleteDo you need any mild Welsh rain and green over there Marcheline? I think I can post it.
DeleteHi Elizabeth, nice post. I have been working in my office with the door open and a jacket on just for the pleasure of hearing the rain over the slates. How come you have white foxgloves? Mine are all pink.
ReplyDelete