Rain, rain, and more rain

We've had six weeks of mostly rain and grey skies. It's the longest perior of unpleasant weather that I can remember. Spring normally arrives gently, giving up a few warm days here and there with less intervals of cold. This time around we've barely seen the sun, the weather is 10C below normal, and our flowers and trees are a good week to two weeks behind schedule.

Most of us are trying hard to remain optimistic since we know full well that this weather won't last, but I have to confess that keeping that upper spirit is becoming more and more difficult. There is only so much housekeeping, sorting, and preparation for spring that one can do until one is tired of it all.

We'vee been cooped up the whole winter and WE WANT OUT! Even my cats and my dog spend most of the day sleeping it away. They have some pleasure in going out but, like me, it is short lived when everything you touch is cold and wet.

Fortunately I have this new photography hobby that is providing me with a lot of challenges and opportunities to learn. Rain or shine, there is always something interesting to capture. Our tulips are at their prime due to our late spring, and I decided to take this opportunity to experiment with white balance and aperture. I crouched in front of my tulips trying to find the optimum pair to photograph, snapped one picture after another, and observed these lovely flowers that didn't seem to mind the rain. Droplets of water pooled randomly over their red petals while forming interesting mini ponds. The vivid red was a contrast compared to our grey sky. At that momemtnt, it seemed as if someone had just painted on some Coco Chanel red lipstick onto a dull day.

The camera lens, which forces a focussed perspective, is a vehicle that allows me to  either highlight or escape reality. Professional photographers bring out the essence of the subject and other put in some of their essence. In this instance, the subject round up illuminating my day. Another unexpected gift.