I’m trying to love the rainy weather. Or at least to appreciate it. Continuous swaths of grey. Mist. Moist. Unrelenting cloud cover. Day. After day. After day.
I’m failing.
Miserably.
This morning I looked through our front door out into the ever-present grey and misty air. Looking down I saw several bruised and battered phlox blossoms and a smashed slug on the granite step. It occurred to me that I could take a picture of that and entitle it “Summer 2023.” That felt a bit dark. But oh so accurate.
Yesterday, I drove to the grocery store. When I emerged into the misting rain, I found not one, but two snails crawling along the sides of my car. I’m pretty sure I brought them along with me from home for the ride. I didn’t appreciate the stowaways, and flicked them to the paved ground with grim satisfaction.
“Take that!” I muttered gleefully, fully embracing my newly arisen homicidal snail urges.
I keep telling myself that we’ve been spared the risk of wildfires, the smoke from Canadian wildfires, and the slow relentless burn of drought. Despite limited sun, my gardens are in full bloom…at least those plants that haven’t been eaten by the snails and slugs. Weeds are running rampant since I haven’t gotten outside to pull them, but, on the other hand, I haven’t had to lug water to the hanging and potted plants. Also, rainy days offer some motivation and opportunity to tackle long-deferred household projects. I should appreciate all these things. Right?
That’s great in theory, but it just isn’t happening in reality.
I cannot bring myself to appreciate this.
Recently, having given up hope for a break in the pattern, people have begun to say, “Maybe this is going to be the new normal.”
I can barely rouse myself from the fog of rainy weather torpor long enough to protest.
Ugh.
Nix the comfort zone 
Oh I can relate. So many misty, cloudy, rainy days where I am too. I love the honesty of your piece. Hoping you have sun today- we do!
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I’m not sure if it’s honesty, or whining! Fine line! We did get a bit of sun yesterday afternoon and are due for some today. Woot!
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Send it down! We haven’t gotten our usual allotment for the summer and it just means heat, heat, heat.
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I would if I could!
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Welcome to Ohio. (Although, we have had some sun, so I shouldn’t complain. And you’re right about all the evils you DON’T have when you’ve got rain, but still…)
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My husband always talks about how overcast Ohio is and somehow when I lived there, I didn’t really notice it! Weird. We have a sunny day on tap today and I’m heading out to take full advantage of it 🙂
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It can be so hard to find the joy when the gray seems to have sucked it all away. I hope you find a way to bring some of that into your summer.
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I’m constantly working on my attitude! Not always with great success, but I’m trying 🙂
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Rainy days are so depressing for me, too. We have been on the opposite side–drought conditions. I hope the sun will return soon! On the bright side, we are blessed by your foggy pictures. You seem to still find beauty in the dreary!
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I’m sorry to hear about drought in your area. I’ll try to send some rain your way, and I’ll keep looking for the beauty in the mist and drizzle!
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Molly, rain comes in torrents here when it comes but it does make life easier on my gardens. I do sad about the floods across the states. Sometimes, the news feels like a news blast about the end of the year.
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The weather news is quite concerning. I feel bad for complaining about constant drizzle after yesterday’s torrential downpours and flooding in Vermont! Yikes!
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The east coast has also been pretty gloomy and I pray that this is not the new normal!
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I’m on the east coast too, in Maine. I can’t remember where you are though…CT? MA?
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Oh right! I’m CT….heading to Maine Saturday. Hoping for a little ☀️!
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I believe the extreme weather is affecting all of us, and sadly, there is only more to come in future years. So how do we adapt?
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