Let it Rain

Starting last Wednesday, San Francisco, the Bay Area, and the entire northwest of the United States got hit by a rain storm that took about 5 days to go pass San Francisco, but that is still lingering around Portland, Oregon, where rainfall has been uninterrupted for the past 10 days or so. Yikes!

I am the kind of person who loves the rain because it doesn’t come often enough, and have been eagerly waiting to get some real rain days.

I say real, because sometimes we get rain on our forecast, only to get some sprinkles early in the morning or late at night when I’m sleeping. No, this time it was real rain that fell all day long, for days!

If it weren’t for Bomber, I would have probably not left the apartment for the entire time it rained. I guess that’s yet another reason to love owning a dog: He gets me out no matter what, and not just to the tree outside our apartment, no. This little 11 lb dog needs more than that, he needs to stretch his 4 legs, burn some energy, play with some dogs, and run a bit. That is probably why, every time it looked like the rain had stopped, we were out the door, heading uphill to the park!

The symbolism of rain is what I really like. The idea that the rain falls from the sky and cleans everything is just so comforting. The cleaning can be figuratively, as you might feel inclined to take it easy and do some thinking while snuggling with a blanket (and/or your dog!) inside your apartment. But rain also does some literal cleaning, especially in a big city like San Francisco, where the streets could always use an extra wash!

I love the rain as it falls, but I also love how the rain makes things look. Plants look so happy after they are rained on. My dad used to say that plants looked happy after they were watered. Rain is the natural way of watering plants, and seeing the drops on leaves, flowers and branches, makes me think of my dad’s words.

 

But as wonderful as rain is, it’s really bad for electronics. That is why I didn’t dare to go out with my camera to capture the drops as they made their descent from the sky. But, the couple of times during the weekend when the rain stopped, Joe, Bomber and I ran outside, to go stretch our legs, play and to get some shots of drops, water, reflections, and wet nature!

I took most of these photos at Michael Angelo Park, a park about a mile away from our place that we didn’t know existed until a lady told us about it while our dogs were playing with each other.

The rain has now passed. Today was sunny but there are rumors that we will be getting wet again in a couple of days. I personally don’t mind, but I also know that a lot of people were badly affected by the storm, and it would be nice for them to get a break from it so that they can get back on their feet.

I also feel bad for those who have no place to sleep. Rain must be terrible when you carry all your belongings on you and have no home to seek shelter in. Yeah, maybe I like the rain because I’m lucky enough to have a warm place to sleep and take shelter.

 

I hope you enjoy these photos of rain. For more fun photos, visit my Etsy store at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WorldPhotosByPaola.  In 2 days we are flying to Minnesota to visit Joe’s family and I’m super excited to photograph the place that I called home for 7 years. Fingers crossed that there will be snow on the ground!