My Love/Hate Relationship with Rain
OK, so I HATE rain...especially on days like this, when I swear we've received enough rain to water ALL the crops in ALL the drought-stricken areas of the world. Seriously...like 3 inches in one day, with no letting up. Driving, pounding cold rain. I can't even open my patio door because the rain is blowing sideways and will drench me, and I'm standing inside! It really makes me grouchy, especially since I know we will be dealing with this for the next 6 months. I have to say that the period between January and April is the most difficult time of year for me from an emotional aspect. I truly believe in SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder for those of you living outside of the Northwest), because it's real and I get it. Every year. Without fail. SAD.
I know what you're thinking about now: why in the world does she live there if she doesn't like rain? I mean, this is Oregon, right? The empire of rain (next to Seattle, of course). Just move already...
Well...
Here's the funny thing about rain - not only does it create beautiful green forests, plants and flowers, but it makes great soap! You see, rainwater is naturally soft and relatively free of impurities, so it's perfect for soapmaking. Collecting rainwater saves me from having to buy distilled water, which I do when I run out of rainwater (imagine that, running out of rainwater in Oregon!). This, in turn, helps keep my costs down and allows me to keep my prices low. I don't relish the thought of ever having to raise my prices, but someday I know I'm going to have to. But that's a story for another day...
Another plus to all this rain is that in Oregon we have some of the best tasting water in the country, and I suppose we take that for granted, but we shouldn't. I was recently in Arizona for a vacation, and let me just say how incredibly BAD their water is. Their water is so full of natural minerals that they can't even wash their cars with it because no matter how fast you dry it off, there will be spots. All the car washes there use treated, filtered water. I love it that I can drink fresh, clean water right from my tap.
Some other benefits to an abundance of rain:
- lots of mountain snow for skiing
- skin stays hydrated
- less dust swirling around (another problem in Arizona)
- natural, free landscape irrigation
- beautiful rainbows
- no droughts!
There are many benefits to having all this rain, and I know we need it, but geez, do we really need this much?