Rain, Rain, Go Away by Tara Randel


I don’t know about the rest of the country, but this summer we’ve had a lot of rain in Florida. In fact, as I write this, it’s still raining.

The summer weather pattern in Florida is daily rain, usually coming late afternoon. This year? Late afternoon. Early morning. During the night. And while the normal showers last a short while, we’ve had longer lasting soakings. In years past, we were begging for a little rain because of drought-like conditions. It got so bad we had water restrictions and limited days to water the yard, usually twice a week. Right now, I have a pond forming in my driveway. Several counties have set up pumps in low lying areas to keep the water from rising and causing flood conditions. And there are sandbags if we need them. If my pond gets any bigger, I may grab a couple bags.




My husband has been building a deck off the back of the house for a few weeks now (that’s another story) and the daily rain has slowed him down. For Floridians, being housebound because of inclement weather is strange. We’re used to sunny skies. Clear sailing. Beach weather.

Being a author, I can take any circumstance and turn it around to talk about writing. I look at rainy days as great production days. I’m stuck in the house so I spend my time writing. And for some reason, when it rains, my brain works overtime, so I’m not complaining about the weather!

I look out the window and I see how much the foliage has grown this summer because of all the rain. Again, writing analogy- the rain, or my story ideas, grow and become full blown stories as I nurture the idea to maturity. Kind of the like the rain making my plants lush and green. It’s pretty cool to see it all come together, both on paper and in nature.

Even though we officially moved into autumn last Sunday, it still feels like summer here. Rain, humidity and heat. But I love living in Florida. What is the weather like where you live?

Comments

  1. I love rain, Tara! I loved it even as a child. I remember telling my parents that I wanted to live somewhere like England or Oregon because of the rainy days LOL. Maybe it is a writer thing ;). I do love writing if it's raining or snowing.

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  2. For some reason rainy days do bring out the creative spirit.

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  3. I agree-rainy days are perfect writing days:) The weather here in Edmonton, Alberta is COLD. This morning was a hat and mittens morning for my son. 3 degrees (in Canada temp lol) but usually it warms to about 10-15 throughout the day. Winter is definitely on its way around here. Last year we had snow before Halloween and my son wore a snowsuit trick or treating and lasted 10 minutes. Edmonton=cold.

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  4. I miss my memories of Tampa, and Miami (Mecca for any Cuban immigrant) But now, I live in New Mexico. Desert. No rain except during Monsoon season, then it comes down by the rain-barrel full. But then the sunflowers pop out and the desert stops looking like a moonscape and it becomes a kaleidoscope of purple, yellow and orange.

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  5. Hi Tara! My sister-in-law and YA writing partner, Joanne Rock, just moved to Florida and she reported the same weather in the Tampa area. I'm like you, I suppose- seeing rainy days as quiet ones filled with writing and no nagging guilt over my neglected weeding ;) I live on the Canadian border in New York, so it's getting colder here with those blue blue days and crisp air. A few leaves are starting to turn and farm stands are offering samples of cider and apple cinnamon donuts. I love living in New England, but I wish for a more temperate climate like yours, especially during our overlong winters!!

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  6. Here in Tucson this summer we've had too little rain. We treasure every drop and are short a few inches this year. It's been hot and dry. Our humidity barely sneaks into double digits. But--I had to smile about your blog. In Texas I once went to a workshop where the presenter said every writer needed to know how to write a great scene about rain. He gave us 15 minutes and then some people read their work. It was amazing as some people wrote about soft spring rains that bring flowers, others about dark, dreary winter storms that kept them inside, and I remember someone wrote a great piece about loving memories of a yellow rain slicker and matching boots that her mom bought her when she was a kid so she could jump in mud puddles on the way home from school. I think about the workshop every time I run across a rain scene in any book.

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  7. Hi, Tara! Okay - all you rain lovers have to come and see me! Oregon, particularly the north coast, is the big Mama of all rainy locations. We all own big, bad rain jackets with hoods because in January you could be soaked to the skin before walking one block. I worry a lot about Ron drowning while pushing his walker. I love Roz's class-mate's memory of the yellow rain slicker. My favorite book as a child was a Golden Book called 'Samantha and the Rain." I loved it because she had a beautifully coordinated pink rain outfit with matching pink boots with a furry cuff - and my rain outfit was a hand-me-down brown thing from Lorraine and those horrid boots with the little clamp things that ran from the toe to the top and looked like something a logger should wear. I'm saving for the LL Bean pomegranate fleece-lined rain jacket. I think rain does inspire creativity - probably something about life-giving water. And the intimacy of being closed in with a lover with the sound of rain on the roof can inspire all kinds of things.

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    1. Muriel, could you send me your email address at Jennifer@jennifersnowbooks.com I have something I'd like to send you. :)

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  8. Sounds like it's getting cold up north. Suddenly the rain doesn't seem so bad. LOL

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