19 de novembro de 2007

November Rain

I was going to write about something serious today, but then the rain came... And here I am inclined for a eulogy of the weather... And honestly, I don't even like bad weather that much!

I freeze when it's cold, I get down under the weather (only the English to have an expression like this!) when days are colourless, I feel all sticky when it's foggy, furious beyond measure when it's windy, I've broken and lost so many umbrellas I don't have one anymore, I hate having my boots all wet when it snows and have water coming in my shoes when it rains. The only thing I really like about bad weather is those awful, frightening and monstrous thunderstorms. One or two thunders is not a storm. No, it has to be those crossed storms, lightening and thunder simultaneously. Apocallipse on Earth! That's my groove.

But today the rain came...

I opened the door and everything was gleaming. It had rained during the night, silently, softly. The rain came unannounced, gently, as a visitor. It left its mark on the garden and on the pavement. It left its mark in the air. That sweet and warm smell we only get when the first rain falls. A smell of earth and grass. It smells like the colour brown, for if colours had a scent this would be the one of brown: wet soil, brownish vegetation and dead leaves on the ground.

The rain came...

And I was missing it. I was missing the change of seasons. Like some primeval creature still attached to Nature, the creatures we forget we are in the midst of super-abundant civilization, I was missing it. I was getting exhausted by the frenzy of summer, that wild contagious energy that was still hanging in the air. Now I feel like just sitting still, coming home, getting lazy and let Nature take its course.

In my mind there's a letter Eça de Queirós wrote when he was in Newcastle complaining about that water-impregnated weather of the British Isles: "É o clima, é a horrível hostilidade exterior da Natureza [...] que faz com que esta raça viva sempre dentro de si mesma, e, em lugar de tomar como objecto de contemplação e de inspiração a natureza exterior, tome a sua própria alma". I guess I'm a bit spleenetic today, but departing from the gentle rain I long for some contemplation in the warm, comfortable seclusion of home.

I'm happy the rain came...

Quote: Eça de Queirós, Correspondência, vol. 1, INCM, 1983, p. 92.

13 comentários:

antonio ganhão disse...

Well, not a single drop starting 2025, says Antimio...
http://sempenas-ant.blogspot.com/2007/08/o-gigante-de-manjacaze.html

quintarantino disse...

I too loved seeing the rain falling. But reading you it ws much better, because of that quote about Eça. The great and only Eça.
Between you and me, "November rain" by the Guns'n'Roses would also be a great soundtrack for this post of yours.

Tiago R Cardoso disse...

Sinceramente gosto deste tempo, no meu caso estar em caso e ver la fora a chover.

Mas não tenho duvidas que o clima está todo trocado.

Patrícia Grade disse...

Hello there,

glad to find out there's more than one lunatic like me out there.
My excuse for loving thunderstorms has always been, having been born in Africa. Where you have lightning and thunder without rain and where the skies come falling down on you with such strength you'd think you're in hell.
There's something magical about thunderstorms and, with summer staying behind for so long now, magic is also in the rainy days, don't you think?
Loved how you described the scent of brown. That's how I'd described it if I was any good in this writing business.
Congrats...
I'll try to write that post about men who cry anyway...
Bless you for lighting my day!

quintarantino disse...

Blondie, this here pundit has a challenge for you... please go to NOTASSOLTAS, right column and read what´s there under "DESAFIO LITERÁRIO"... then if you care to be a good pupil, please...

Blondewithaphd disse...

Antonio,
By the looks of it, guess we have to hope for the best that the Giants, the monkeys, the Antimios and the Gores of this world got it all wrong!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Quinn dear,
I also thought about Guns, but honestly they don't go with Eça, do they? Remember Eurythmics "Here comes the rain again"??

Blondewithaphd disse...

Tiago,
In fact, what better than staying indoors and watch/listen to rain falling outside? Hmm, just the thought of it!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Dear Indomável,
Join freak club! Just to imagine those African storms... (in fact, just to imagine Africa...).
Who says you're no good at this writing business?????!!!! Sure!!!! And pigs fly and elephants live in trees!
Thank you me for your last remark.

Tiago R Cardoso disse...

Reforçando a ideia do Quintarantino, tens lá um desafio na barra direita do Notas soltas.

joshua disse...

Well, I'm realy not in the mood today.

Blondewithaphd disse...

Cheer up Joshua!

Blondewithaphd disse...

Blue,
it's getting Winter alright! I'm all for the fireplace too, but hope that cabin is not soooo isolated!