Monday, July 16, 2012

Raindrops - Falling on My Head


On Friday morning, I awoke to a sound I haven't heard in weeks: rain. Sweet, life-giving, moisture producing RAIN! Even as I wrestled with my umbrella while running errands I didn't complain. It had been so long since it's rained here that it was a welcome, blessed rain.

So what did I do first thing that morning when I woke up to the lovely sound of rain? I grabbed my camera, dressed it in its rain sleeve and took it out to play in the rain (per Judy's suggestion).


Here you see it on my camera after the rain adventure. The rain sleeve served me well and the collapsible lens hood that I use on my 50mm compact macro was ideal for shielding the lens from rain. Most any lens hood would probably do the trick. Although the camera appeared to be bone dry, I wiped it down well with a dry, clean rag and then did the same for the lens hood after removing it from the lens.

Now lets's take a look at what I found.



Lovely little droplets everywhere.


Impatiens that hadn't been this happy in weeks.


Birdbaths full to overflowing.


And, because you knew I couldn't resist it - raindrops on roses.

Although according to the official US drought map, we're just east of the drought area, our area is plenty dry and before Friday, certainly flirting with drought conditions. Our river birch trees have been struggling since they're water lovers; our grass is crunchy and yellow; our day lily beds have already gone to brown stalks; what flowers we have are stunted. Although we don't worry about watering grass, we do look after our trees, roses and flowerpots. Our next water bill may rival the national debt. So the rain from this past weekend was a welcome relief to us.

In addition to being overjoyed with the much-needed rainfall, I was tickled pink to be able to take Judy's suggestion from a couple of weeks ago and play out in the rain. What about you? Have you had a chance to play in the rain yet? If you have, I hope you'll share some of your rainy pictures with us on our Flickr page. In my book, they qualify as "Water".

Oh! And don't forget to label them.


A random thought: Have you ever thought about what fickle people we are? When there's not enough rain, we grumble. When there's too much rain, we complain. When it's too hot, we're unhappy. When it's too cold, we're grouchy. Something to ponder ...

(I'd also like to invite you to join me on my personal blog Camper where I did some musing on another kind of water.)

19 comments:

Linda said...

It's fun to play in the rain, isn't it! We've been having much needed rain and I'm eager to go out with my "rain sleeve" and take some pictures! Your pictures are so nice! Thanks for the inspiration!

xo,
Linda

Dotti said...

Hi, Linda! Yes, it is fun, much more than I expected. Not only do the colors seem to radiate without the harsh glare, it seems more quiet, too. Probably because nobody else is foolish enough to be out playing in the rain!

xo
Dotti

gina said...

These are wonderful rain shots -- love that first one with the little droplets! We won't have any rain here until early October, so I envy you the wonderful freshness that rain brings. I will save your tips on camera rain gear for then.

heyjudephotography said...

We got some rain last night and I can't remember being so happy for rain to come. Glad you got some too. And I'm so glad you were able to get out and shoot in it! yay! Your images are beautiful!

Dotti said...

Look at it this way, Gina ... You'll have plenty of time to get your rain gear together, get inspired and then show off your lovely rain shots at FOL.

Dotti said...

Thank you, Judy.There is something so refreshing and energizing about that long-awaited rainfall, isn't there? Thanks for the tips! :-))

Kim Stevens said...

Yes, in the rain, after the rain, and even if there is no rain...my handy dandy spray bottle, hehe! I have been fixated on water drops since the beginning of the year! The other day I captured the rain from my front porch while it was completely sunny out and it was so incredible! You got some fabulous shots, and it's always fun to do something new and fun and out of our ordinary. Have a great day! xo

terriporter said...

Love that you took Judy's advice and put together some "rain gear" for your camera! You captured some real beauty! Love the red leaf with the water droplets and your Marblecam shot! Hey, everybody, Dotti's and my minds were thinking alike (thanks to Judy's post!) so tune in tomorrow and see my take on shooting in (or actually after) the rain.

terriporter said...

Yes, there has been a lot of squirt bottle action going on in dry AZ as well but we actually had rain a couple of days ago and I did get out and shoot after it quit (hence my rain post scheduled for tomorrow)!

Dotti said...

Oh, I've used the spray bottle on more than one occasion, I assure you! But to be honest, I'm lazy and like it when I don't have to provide my own water. I am going to try your trick, Kim, of photographing from the porch while we're getting what we used to call "Devil's Shower", rain while the sun in shining. I actually could have done that today, it's been doing that off and on all day. Now that I have the time, of course, it's not doing anything.

xo

Dotti said...

I think Judy inspired several of us here, Terri, and that's a good thing. That's her job. And ours, too. :-) Thank you for your lovely words and can't wait to see your post tomorrow!

xo
Dotti

leigh said...

Sometimes there is nothing better than stepping outside on a rainy day. I just love the smell of rain and always look forward to the photo opps after the rain, but never thought much about shooting during the rain until reading Judy's post. Lovely photos Dotti!

Deanna said...

Rain?, you got rain?....now I am grumpy. We had some rain the other day but it came down in buckets and then was gone in less than 5 minutes, so that didn't work. I am anxiously awaiting some real honest to goodness rain, where it lasts longer than 5 minutes. But I am glad you received some much needed rain. I love that first shot on the red rose leaf, utterly magical. And yes, we are definitely fickle when it comes to weather.

Joddo said...

Your random thought made me think of something my grandma used to say whenever anyone complained - 'When it's cold we want it hot. When it's hot we want it cold. Always wanting what it's not. Never wanting what we've got.'
We, too, received rain the last few days. So much so that some people had flooded basements but luckily not us. When it rains in the desert it runs more than it soaks in but it is wonderful. I just need to go play in it.

Dotti said...

Thank you, Leigh! Now you have something new to try - taking your camera out in the rain to play. She'll love you for it!

xo

Dotti said...

I get it, Deanna, I really do. It's almost as bad as winter (that's my grumpy season) when the sun seldom shines and the world seems grey. Doing a rain dance for you, my dear.

xo

Dotti said...

Somewhere in the mass of cobwebs that is my brain, Joddo, I think I've heard that little ditty. Thanks for sharing it with us.

stephmull said...

I'm so glad you've finally seen some rain!! I love the raincoat for your camera....I'm going to have to get myself one of those. Unfortunately, we've not had much rain around here either, but next time it comes, I'm going to get out in it! Oh, and I love your birdbath shot....so cool!

Peggy said...

I loved your rainy photos, Dotti. You are always able to find the best shots. The rain was welcome here in Western Pennsylvania too and the cooler temperatures made everyone happy. Thank you for the blog comments. They are most welcomed. I've really enjoyed the blog by you and your friends. Peggy from PA season-to-season.blogspot.com

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