I Love A Rainy Day

It's raining today, with a soft breeze and any leaves that are still left on the trees, along with everything outside, are glowing.  I know a lot of people find the rain depressing (we had a very long ten-day string of no-nothing weather in September which even got me down) but I love a rainy day.  These are the moments from my childhood which I remember most of all.  You had the yard, and in most cases the whole neighborhood, to yourself.  Remember when children could still go outside for hours on their own?  The wet leaves and bark, the sound of the raindrops and scents are all still so vivid to me.  As a child your senses are so intensified and when grown your mind remembers it the way you saw it.  When we lived on an acreage in Peace River for 12 years I reveled in stormy days, playing Neil Young Unplugged loudly while I baked.  Here's a pic I just took:

I caught Clint Eastwood on Ellen this week.  He turned 80 in May and I was struck with just how vital and engaging he is; still busily directing movies and amazingly not too hard on the eyes!  We all admire people who through luck, good genes, great zest for life and humor plow ahead into their 80's, 90's and in the rare case their early 100's, living life to it's fullest.  This coming week I plan to profile one extraordinary senior each day; they fill me with a joy I can't quite put into words. In the meantime, I am off to haunt the second-hand stores and promise to fill you in on any treasures I uncover.  Cheers!