Rain Days

As a kid, and then later as a teacher, I ADORED snow days. They were filled with possibility, pancakes, and sleep! As a farmer's wife, now, rain days (depending upon the number of consecutive ones. . . last year was not the year to rejoice in the rain) are comparable to snow days. Joe is usually near the house, able to help with the kids to give me an opportunity to run to the grocery store without having to talk about every single purchase, what letter it starts with, and why we cannot buy PEZ dispensers.

This weekend, "they" (who are these weather gods anyway?) are calling for rain. Now, I have quite a dilemma. Typically, rain is a really good thing for the new crops. We have been able to "row" crops that are already in, which means, from the road, see little promises of corn plants (it's still too early for beans to be in the ground here) in their perfect little rows. Anyway, this weekend is a race in which I have been in training for quite some time. The girls are in the youth run (a 1K, isn't that funny?), and we are returning to our dear Alma Mater for the weekend. It's supposed to rain.

As a runner, I should be disappointed in this, however, as a farm wife, I am ECSTATIC! I don't have to be a single mom, or beg my mom to come and babysit the girls while I participate. We can actually do this activity as a family!!!! Oh the JOY!!

Farmers are not the only folks at the mercy of the weather, it's all really relative to whomever you are. We all want green grass, but not a flooded basement. Don't most adults need sunlight to get kids out in the yard, attend Little League games, and just be a generally nice person. Isn't a rainy day good for all of us to not feel like we have to be potting plants, mowing the grass, pushing the kids in the swings, plant the garden, and grill out dinner. . . all simultaneously, of course!

My Facebook alerts in regards to this run and the potential rain have been pretty funny. I laugh at the comments of, "OH NO!" or "I am hoping for it to be sunny!" That was me, just a few years ago. Now I have a piece of me that would like to not have to run 13 miles in a torrential downpour, but if it means that Joe can be there to watch me and the big girls cross the finish line, and will give our crops a well deserved drink, I'll take it!