"Just a little rain.."

"Just a little rain, falling all around,
The grass lifts its head to the heavenly sound.."

I went round the garden with my trug this morning, cutting roses in the rain, and felt very like Elizabeth von Arnim in her German Garden. In fact, yesterday I even danced barefoot on the lawn, although I had no servants to hide from as I did so!

I do enjoy the rain. There are so many different types, and they create so many different moods.
Last Thursday it was dark and exciting: we had a thunder storm, and the crashing rumbles overhead were accompanied by thick heavy raindrops falling from the charcoal sky; they hit the windows with a steady drumming, and ran down in a great mass of rivulets.
This morning on the other hand it was much gentler - a constant mizzling which a friend of mine referred to as 'wet rain' - the sort that's so light you don't feel it, but so penetrating you end up drenched. It has got heavier as the day's gone on, but still in a rather drab, miserable way. However, I console myself with the thought that this is the sort of rain we really need. Instead of rushing down in a torrent and immediately sliding off the soil (where to, I ask?), it will all sink steadily down into the thirsty earth, and (hopefully, if they're not leaking) fill the reservoirs.

Oh, what would we do without rain?