A day of drizzling perfection

"Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain..."

-- The Cascades

Funny guy... you should listen
to his stuff sometime.

The Maine comedian Tim Sample has a bit where he talks about the "Five Perfect Summer Days" in Maine...the idea being that vacationers like myself come up here during the summer, experience one of those five days, and become so enamored of Maine to wish to move there permanently.  They then discover the joys of the long hard winters, the May O' Mud, and other non-summer trials that the locals can tell you all about.

The hidden side of the joke is that Mr. Sample says specifically five days.  He knows, as does anyone who spends a long period of time here during the summer, that even the months of June, July, and August can present some mercurial weather.   The biggest culprit in this, especially in the western half of Maine in the shadow of the White Mountains, is rain.

A soggy camp

Rain is the "forced reset" mechanism at our camp.  Camp changes when the day is entirely marked by rain... there are no boys playing sports on the upper fields... the tennis courts are deserted until the water goes away and the surfaces have been jet-blown and squeegeed.  If the administration knows (with as much assurance as anyone can have about weather forecasts) that the day will be rainy, they might even announce "late breakfast," which also means everyone can sleep in another hour.  As I write this post, my lovely bride is taking full advantage of that extra hour.  Almost everyone loves it when late breakfast rears its head.

I say almost, because I am an early riser, and I like to eat a hearty breakfast; and, unless the said rainy day occurs on the weekend, I have to start my normal job somewhat on time, no matter what time the mess hall opens.  So I combat the elements with an umbrella, a quick trip to the gym (to workout indoors!), and then I jaunt up to Lovell, ME, to a lovely little store & diner called Rosie's.   I get a great breakfast, Rosie gets some of my money, and there is even a 0.0005% chance I might see Stephen King having breakfast there as well--it has been known to happen.

But back at my desk in the cabin, I sat and listened to the rain...and I realized that this day is no less perfect than any sunny day I get here in paradise.  True, it's not as much fun, or even advisable, to go out and shoot archery or kayak or hike, but there is an inordinate amount of peace you can get just sitting in this cabin and watching the rain, listening to it, savoring the sounds and smells and sights of the Earth refreshing itself.

I realized that I can hear the rain in this cabin far better than I could in a house.  There is no insulation to interfere, and the lack of an interior ceiling makes the muted drops on the roof quite audible to one who listens for it.

Rainy days are vital to Nature;  today I realized they are vital to us as well... we all need time to contemplate, and to meditate.  Yes, it is uplifting to the soul to spend time in God's creation, floating down the lovely Saco River or paddling Moose Pond.  But...if you can see the opportunities that a rainy day presents... a chance to read, maybe peruse some poetry, or do a crossword puzzle, write a blog entry.. or a poem!...or to just sit and think... and to do all that to the soft serenade that whispers all around you... you realize that maybe this day is a perfect Maine summer day as well.

Categories: Maine, summer