It feels as if it has rained every day for as long as I can remember. Those balmy summer days and that too-hot-in-September week seem like a distant memory. Every day I sit at home listening to the rain hit our skylight windows, sometimes it is soothing, other times it is so deafening I can’t hear myself think. And yet it still keeps coming down. Storm after storm, after storm. Today it is gloriously sunny and I’m pessimistically wondering just how long it’ll last. Perhaps until Wednesday, if the forecast is to be believed.
Yesterday, my friend and I went out for an early ride. I donned all my waterproof (until it isn’t) gear and resigned myself to getting completely soaked. We are both unashamedly fair-weather riders, but when the rain is ceaseless, sometimes you just have to get on with it or risk not riding for weeks on end, and with the last of the evening light falling away minute by minute, I’ll take what I can get.
We left the yard at 8am, whilst the rest of the world was still readying for the day. The roads were quiet and all we could hear was the sound of hooves on wet tarmac, a softer, more subtle clip-clop that complemented the patter of heavy raindrops on sodden leaves. Occasionally the wind would blow through the trees, unburdening them and scattering millions of water droplets to the ground below.
We rode through the woods, brushing against wet branches and releasing yet more water downwards. It ran down into my boots, and the gap between the base of my hat and top of my coat, trickling down my back. It dripped off the peak of my hat and seeped through my now not-so-waterproof waterproofs.
We rode through a small flood at the bottom of the lane, splish-splashing our way to the other side, my friend’s horse stopping to paw the water, kicking up a spray. And still the rain continued to fall. We turned for home, the world a little more awake. Cars passing us through puddles, drowning out our hoof-fall and conversation. It has been an adventure, time spent doing our favourite thing no matter the weather. Everything is different when it rains, and although we ride more often in the sunshine, there is real beauty and mystery, and magic in riding in the rain, too.
Yes! I'm glad you shared this - I often wish more people remembered the simple beauty and power of doing something fun when the weather conditions aren't what many might consider "just right." :) Kids know it, but adults often forget it! Looking forward to reading more about your journey - I hope you'll also visit me at Moments, where I share photography & stories about moments of connection in nature and everyday life :)