Instead of beating a dead horse (Who would actually beat a dead horse? And why would they do so?) about my disdain/apprehension of winter I thought I would talk about something different.
My hatred of rain.
There are those that love the rain and I am honestly curious as to how that is even a possibility. Rain is wet and cold and damp and did I mention wet? And cold? I’d use the term “moist” but it’s on my “hated words” list.
I spent the first nineteen years of my life on the North Coast and the following six years in Vancouver. I KNOW RAIN. It’s good to know your enemy, I suppose.
When we moved to the Okanagan nearly nine years ago I rejoiced about the fact that I would be living in desert country. People here don’t even own umbrellas. As a girl who always had at least three umbrellas in her possession (One at home, one in the car and one at work) the idea that you could live somewhere that did not require an umbrella was absolutely fascinating. Also, absolutely wonderful.
These past few weeks have been filled with rain, rain and (Guess what?) MORE RAIN. Yes, we need it, blah blah blah, yada yada yada but I don’t care. I suffered through enough rain in my first twenty-five years of life to have made my lifetime quota. I am done with precipitation.
Wednesday morning there was a break in the clouds. Before I knew the sun was shining. The sun! Was shining! It never ceases to amaze me how the sun’s rays can bump my mood up ten (or twenty) notches.
Needing a break from work (Three hours completed by 9:30 a.m.), I asked the kids what they wanted to do. They replied in unison. “Go to the park!” I called Amanda, threw my camera into my new purse and bee-lined it to the park of their choice.
Can I just point out that those letters are raised? And that my kids would stand up, rub their butts and say, “OW” every time they slid down? Then they would start all over? Even though there were three other slides with no bumps? My children are considered intelligent and yet often make no sense. Kind of like their Mom.
A few more, since it felt so good to actually take photos.
I would have taken photos of all of the pretty leaves but my fingertips were turning blue (Really) and I didn’t want to take my hands out of my pockets for the last half an hour we were there. Amanda told me that her brother suffers from the same “condition” but that it’s nothing to worry about. I’m not worried; just annoyed that my fingertips go numb when the temperature hasn’t even gotten down to the freezing mark. I may or may not have dipped my hand in my coffee to thaw out my fingers.
You might have noticed that a certain child by the name of Graham is missing from the above photos. It was a school day for him which meant that he was busy completing assignments such as this one:
That one’s getting framed and hung on the wall.
*Lyrics from U2′s Beautiful Day. It had come on the radio the other day when the rain was reaching Ark proportions and I laughed at the irony. It came on again as we were driving to the park and thus, a title was born.
I have to admit that I am one of those crazy people who like the rain, from a covered area that is. I love waking up and hearing the rain on the window or driving in it, but not actually getting wet from it
Looks like a fun day at the park – I was wondering about those raised letters on the slide…Ouch!!! Of course, it doesn’t stop the kids though! And as I said on Facebook, I LOVE that door sign! There’s nothing like true love spoken from a child!!! Here’s to more sunny days for you!
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Since I live in Auckland (New Zealand’s equivalent of Vancouver, as far as I can tell), I also know rain well. And hate it. Never have I enjoyed a “stroll in the rain” like some people. Can’t understand what’s good about it (apart from filling our water tank). Nice that you had a break in the weather for a trip to the park. Those letters on the slide do look rather painful, and a pretty strange embellishment for a kid’s playground! But they are cute, all the same.
Love Graham’s bedroom door sign! My boys both have signs that say “Beware of ferocious beast, ______ Blair” on their doors
.-= Hannah´s last blog ..American Meatloaf =-.
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I am one of those people who likes rain, the summer kind, not this awful cold Autumn kind. I LOVE thunderstorms too.
Also, moist……is a word I cannot stand. It makes me cringe.
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I’ve heard that “moist” is the most hated word in the English language. I have no idea who determined this or if it’s true. However, we now have a running joke and everytime anyone says the word moist we all crack up laughing.
That slide looks quite uncomfortable. I’m glad you explained it because I was going to ask.
Lovely pictures- we’ve been getting too much rain down here as well.
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Why in the world would they put raised letters on a slide?? That was the first thing I noticed about your pictures (besides the precious kids).
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This will be my first fall and winter in Vancouver and the last few days coupled with the forecast showing nothing but rain for the next week is getting me slightly worried. Fingers crossed that the weather man doesn’t know what he’s talking about, it seems the weather forecast changes here every hour.
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It’s been raining here practically all month. At least it’s supposed to be nice (cold, though) for Halloween or else I may have had to hurt someone.
I noticed those raise letters in the first picture of Emily trying to slide down them and thought to myself “doesn’t that hurt?!”. You quickly answered my question. heh. Kids. And what a stupid idea for a slide.
.-= C @ Kid Things´s last blog ..Bad Mother =-.
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I have the same thing with my appendages!! I have Raynaud’s syndrome….maybe you do too?
.-= Karmyn´s last blog ..Saying Goodbye =-.
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I love Graham’s sign, are you sure he’s not 16 cuz I’m pretty sure my brother had a similair sign stamped on his brooding forehead at 16. Heehee. Glad you guys had a sunny day!
ps. I’m a rain lover. I don’t like to exit the house in it but I do love the sound of it and the smell after it. I too marvelled in the umbrella-less Okanagan and while I have been back on the coast for 2 years have still neglected in include my umbrella in my car gear, big mistake. Big, BIG, mistake!
.-= Ashley´s last blog ..Lists are Neat!* =-.
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We have been getting gobs of rain too. It’s killing me slowly. Sk used to have the lack of rain thing going for it, and that might have been the only think it had going for it but now? We’re moving.
(ha! I wish)
.-= Kami’s Khlopchyk´s last blog ..My Blog in Print =-.
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Even here, on the prairies, where there is supposed to be THE MOST SUN, it’s been raining. I HATE RAIN TOO as you and I grew up in the very same area. WE KNOW RAIN.
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Grace in Small Things: Part 10 of 74 =-.
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I’m okay with some rain. I’m okay with spring rain, when the temperature is warm and the sun is peaking out from behind the clouds. The rain I hate is the rain we’re currently experiencing – buckets and buckets of rain, cold temperature, low clouds. It’s been like this for days and I’m slowly going nuts. I crave sunshine.
Also, the slide? With the bumps? Looks a bit hazardous. And ouchie.
.-= hillary´s last blog ..With A Twelve Pack From 12th & Porter With Billy 4:30am At Night =-.
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I am one of those crazy souls that absolutely loves! the rain. Can it be a little too much sometimes? Sure! But it never depresses me, or bothers me, or makes me crave sunlight even.
It makes me either a) want to run out and play in it; b) think of my dad; c) listen to it drip drip dropping off the leaves and pavement; c) curl up cozy warm with a blanket and a great book. And I guess I just don’t mind any (or all!) of those scenarios.
(I was also 100% serious about wanting custom Dykstra artwork for Christmas. Because seriously? So awesome.)
.-= Kerri Anne, Rain Lover´s last blog ..This Is Something; This Is Nothing =-.
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that’s not a slide but a type of rock climbing thingie with letters. We have one at our park (well it has shapes) it is amazing how many kids slide down it here too! LOVE the new purse. As for the rain, I don’t mind it as long as I am not in it. I love summer rain because its warm and sunny. I also freeze (finger and toes) when it gets to be this time of year. I have gone in a couple of times to see about it, they told me it was probably related to the other heaps of things that are wrong with me, but not to worry, just to try to keep them dry and warm.
.-= Heather @ Domestic Extraordinaire´s last blog ..He makes me smile =-.
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Nice, nice, nice. But mostly, I loooove that you used a U2 line in your title, cuz I’m still coming down off the high from last night’s show!!
.-= Jennifer Kirk´s last blog ..Audrey & Tyson =-.
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Awesome photos.
I know TONS of people who hate the word “moist.” Why is that? I guess it is kinda gross…
I have to say, however, that I find rain damn sexy. Maybe that’s because I live in a state that went 157 days without any precipitation.
.-= Coach J´s last blog ..Stupid is as… =-.
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Oh that Graham – he’s such a character!
.-= Dayna´s last blog ..Taupo Trip =-.
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Funny, it’s pouring rain here as I type this. No lie.
Glad you got some time outside…
That sign for Graham’s bedroom is the greatest!
.-= Elaine´s last blog ..PSF – My Baby Girl =-.
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Nothing to do with your post here, but had to let you know how sweet we think your kids are. My daughter and I saw Emily walking with her pre-school class several weeks ago and thought how adorable she is. Nathan came by our care home today dressed in his halloween costume and melted everyone’s hearts. His class came to sing to us. I looked for him immediately and told him he was my neighbour, and he just kept smiling at me and saying,”Hi, I know you are my neighbour”. I don’t think he really does know, but he charmed me none the less. And as for Graham, well, we can’t believe how grown up and handsome he is. You really do have the most gorgeous children!
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When I lived in Arizona, I LOVED the rain and cloudy days. Because we got like 5 a year, so it was always a nice, nice change. And the rain there is pretty warm, like summer rain.
And then I moved to the Bay Area where winter = rain. I don’t much care for the rain now, unless it is on a morning when I can sleep in!
Also, that first shot of Nathan on the slide, I was like “THAT HAS TO BE THE MOST PAINFUL SLIDE EVER!” And then I was like “I SO WANT TO TRY IT!”
.-= Kristabella´s last blog ..DINAO Week 15 – The Halloween Edition =-.
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I love the photos. Good weather at this time of the year is like gold.
Graham’s door sign is priceless. I laughed my head off.
.-= kim @ mommyknows´s last blog ..With Her Head in Her Hands … =-.
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Me thinks Uncle Lance has been a bad influence on his nephew. Tell them to keep all girls out of their bedroom especially their girlfriends !!!
Lance’s Mom
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Coming from a Vancouver resident, I think that people who love rain are just people who like to stay indoors and maybe just inside their home. Now that I have a small child at home rainy days suck on a whole new level. I already have secured my spot at a children’s playground that is right by our apartment that is….under a bridge. Brilliant idea. I didn’t get it at first but now that we have a dry place to play outside on a rainy day.. I totally get it.
.-= Mama in the City´s last blog ..The Tales of a bear and a pillow =-.
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That sign is all kinds of awesome, and I have to say that I’m curious about what other words are on your hsted words list.
.-= Danica´s last blog ..Today is November First =-.
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