I don't know why people ( especially those on TV ) refer to rainy days as DREARY all the time. I wish they'd stop with the negative adjectives!!! ( Do weather people get paid by the word too?? I know that actors do ... ) Even when I had to be outside on very rainy days, I rarely thought of them as dreary. They were part of the variety of life... like the four seasons here in the north. Granted, if you want to go swimming and lay on the beach or something, they can be a real drag, but we had picnics despite the rain.... it might be harder when there are things you HAVE to do but it's not like you have to shovel or worry about the ice!
[ I feel for those who HAVE to be out in so-called "BAD weather" though. There are some jobs that are harder to do when it rains, or impossible in some cases, but that's true of winter weather too... And here's a thought> Any roofer will tell you that when it's hot and sunny and there's not a cloud in the sky THOSE are the days they dread most. But if you don't HAVE to be outside in it, enjoy the variety... even if it rains on your parade today... ]
Yes, a picnic on a rainy day ...
When I was growing up there were no propane stoves... only charcoal briquettes or wood. Part of the fun was the challenge of keeping dry and warm, and getting the food cooked. It always tasted so much better cooked outside, and more satisfying after a bit of a work-out on a chilly, rainy day. Ah, the joy of something cooking in open fire on the grill, on a stick, or among the coals, and of sipping something warm, after getting a bit wet... Ah, feeling the rain on my face and hands as we put a tarp up to keep the rain off. The rain and dampness would continue, and sometimes a DOWNPOUR, but under the tarp, we were dry and enjoying the moment, and the warmth of a nice, bright fire.
We usually started out using briquettes but would add bits of tiny branches a bit at a time ... As the pile of coals got hotter and bigger, we put larger pieces on. Ah, the red/golden glow amid the black and dark grey ashes; the heat radiating forth in the dark, dampness; the smell of the wood; the sound of the crackling and hissing of the wood as it burned, and the sound of the rain coming down... all the many tones of it! ALL the contrasts....
Of course, we would look for the driest wood we could find, putting it near the fire to dry some more, if possible, and that was part of the fun, too. We poked and prodded the fire, blew on it, added to it, sometimes poured little streams of water on it to watch the steam, and yes, of course, we cooked on it, which was delightful, but mostly we watched it and played with it... quiet JOY!
I daresay that if I used a propane stove, for a picnic on a rainy day,the whole experience would be more like a chore then fun! (But it's good to have for backup... or before you get the fire going... for hot drinks.)
Yes, even on a rainy, damp day, toasting marshmallows was FUN! ... and even though sometimes it was really so chilly that being near the fire only meant being toasted on one side and frosted on the other, it was still challenging. Feeling uncomfortable like that only made it feel so much better when we got home. Of course, we knew we would be going home to shower at the end of the day, to get cozy, and sleep in soft warm beds, in a house where it was dry.... It wasn't like being stuck in a situation like that for weeks or months or something... but this IS about enjoying A rainy day, or a few days. It's not about actual survival issues.
Of course, you might not want to go and do that, or can't for one reason or another, but you can get some recipes out and whip something up... or paint, or read a good book, or just ponder the sounds and sights of the rain falling and be glad it's still warm... or go the the gym where it doesn't matter what the weather is doing and you can still RUN or RIDE A BIKE ... maybe get a tan. Just because it's rainy doesn't mean the fun has to end... and if you are alone, as long as you are dry and warm, have something to eat, and something ( books, paper and pens, a telephone, radio, TV or the WEB .... etc ) to work with where you are, you need not feel lonely. Open a window and listen to life around you... and feel it!
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