Missing Rain

When I tell people that I love rainy weather, they look at me, puzzled. They don't usually ask me why, they just say, "oh" like I was a bit off my rocker.

Why do I love the rain so much?  Because it rarely rains where we live in the south of France.  There's a "rainy season" which starts, quite predictably, around October 20th, lasts for 4-5 weeks and that's it.  During these few short, cloudy, wet weeks, is the only time of the year when there's any significant rainfall.  That's pretty much it for the entire year. The rest of the year there's barely any rain, just brilliant blue sky.  I'm not saying this to make anyone envious, it's just a fact.

I really miss the rain, in fact, I crave it like a plant in the garden.  My friend Meghan who lives down the coast from us in the village of Beaulieu feels the same and when it rains we phone or text each other, sighing about how fabulous the day is and what we're doing to make the most of it.  Well, come to think of it, maybe I am a bit off my rocker!

The best thing about rainy days in Monaco is that when I go out during rainfall, and I always do, I have the entire village all to myself.  Almost everyone stays indoors, cowering, as though they would melt if they became wet. Some businesses even close when it rains, fearing the worst,  like no customers!

It's not like in Ottawa where rainfall can occur at any time throughout the year except when it turns cold and the delightful rain  becomes dreaded snow.

I miss Ottawa's spontaneous rainy days. I miss the sound of heavy rain, how it makes everything smell earthy and fresh and sweet, how I feel calm and how I always have an urge to park myself in the kitchen and bake.  

So this morning when the rain was pelting down with thunder and lightning along with it, I suited up and went to the Westboro Farmers' Market to take it all in.

Fruits, vegetables, and Farmers' Markets sure look pretty in the rain!