It is raining today, quite heavily, so we are off for a walk! This is the UK and we have rain. Even in August and even when the weather forecast says it will shine! We don’t have too much, here on the Island we are in one of the sunniest spots in the country. But still, sometimes, it rains.
Not to worry, I love rain, the garden and woods need it, the animals don’t mind it, barn owls aside, and the surrounding hills, hedges and woods look wonderful in it. As Melissa Harrison says, ‘only wanting to walk in dry weather (is) like only ever listening to music in a major key’, and that will make you miss out on so much. Rain is a part of nature and walking in the rain is another angle from which to enjoy nature. Don’t hide away from it, get out and experience it. We provide umbrellas, but I recommend go without. Let the rain fall on your hair and stream down your face. Smell the freshness! See the rain running down the channels of the bark of a tree or splashing off the huge leaves of a maple. Watch the rain hammer the sea and wash the pebbles on the beach clean. Best of all, stomp through the puddles, just like you did when you were a child – reconnect with your wild twin! And when you get back, rinse your wellies off using the hose by the door, pull off your wet clothes, put the kettle on, and curl up by the stove!
When guests ask my advice on what to do when it rains, the above it my top suggestion. I do understand though that this might not be for all. Luckily there are plenty of other things to do here at Manor Bottom when the rain is coming down:
A more sheltered, but still beautiful, walk is through Wroxall copse, the canopy keeping you dry, the rain running down the tree trunks and seeping into the ground.
Board Games – And after a lovely wet walk, what could be cosier than getting dry by the wood burner whilst playing Cluedo. Perhaps with some tea and toast.
Home Cinema – pull down the screen, set up the projector, connect the Bluetooth and sit back and watch. My favourite for a rainy day is Dersu Uzala, but Butch Cassidy always satisfies.
Cook a blowout meal! Open the French doors wide so you can hear the rain hitting the veranda, shove on some Fats Navarro, and cook up a crab linguini in our wonderful kitchen, using local crab, local passata and tomatoes with a wonderful Adgestone red to sip whilst cooking.
Swim in the pool – again, why not? You are wet anyway. And looking up, from under the water, at the rain battering the surface of the pool is a delightful sight.
Dance naked and roll in the long, wet grass – ok, so this one is a bit out there, but there must be a huge and proven mental and physical benefit from doing this. Surely? No? Well, do it anyway! No-one will see you.
But after all that, if you prefer some more traditional rainy day activities, you can try Isle of Wight Guru’s top tips.
And, as ever, some great songs to listen to by the fireside after your day in the rain:
And, of course, Singing in the Rain