Today it sure felt like the tropical rains had finally arrived after a slow start of the season...The grass sure needs it and mostly the Fire on near by Stradbroke Island sure needs it as well...It has been a few days now that we have been lost in a thick cloud of smoke with the distinct smell of fire in the air...making the sky's heavy and quite mysterious at time...
I must admit I do really love the Tropical Rain...I grew up mostly in the tropics and rain was very important for us...It meant we could fill up our tank when we would be on some lost Indian Ocean Island...It meant we could wash with fresh water as despite our tanks being 1000Litres we still had to be careful and most of our showers were done with sea water...I guess not having an actual shower made that part easier!
At some stage my father did install a 200L drum on top of the wheel house cabin and installed a shower, that was pretty cool!!! But it still was an out-side shower and one could not wash naked, unless it was done at night, so that's what we did!!!
But when it rained, we would all be outside, expect for my father, somehow it feel like he did not like the water, loved being on it, but not in it!
Us kids we would play in the rain, jump in the warm ocean, collect the water that would drip from the sails into buckets and use it to fill the tanks,wash laundry or ourselves!
Many a time I would start to wash my hair and be left with shampoo still in my hair as the storm had passed by!! So collecting the water was crucial to assure a rinse!
We would also maybe just wash in the Ocean, and let the Rain just rinse us as we carried out the job of filling the buckets, drums and tank!
I remember that when one would be done, there would always be someone inside with a towel...The feeling of going back inside would be one of feeling a bit cold, and somehow I remember also feeling humid?
I wonder why!!!
When we would be out at sea, on an Ocean Crossing, the coming of the rain was the most awaited on, as if we had not gotten rain in a while it also meant we would not of had a shower...Unless one was so keen and would of had a salt water wash, in buckets. Only when I was an adult did I actually really do that in the despair need to feel clean...As a child, I did not care...And when the rain came, we were mostly told to go outside and wash!!
And trust me, even as a child that weekly shower, felt great!!
We did not have a washing machine, all was done by hand, my mother had a lot of laundry to wash so I started to wash my own laundry at a young age,12 or 13 and I also had the job of washing my older brothers closes, and under the rain it was done!
I also remember tropical rain in the Comores Islands...I was about 3 or 4..My brother and and I would walk down the hill from the house we used to rent to go to what must of been kindy...I used to have a transparent rain coat and I would collect snails along the way and keep them in my pockets!
One morning one our way down it started to rain, and I guess we must not of had any jackets on that day...Some local boys were coming along, they were a bit older than us. I remember the darkness of their skin and they were joyfully on their way to school, using Banana leaves as umbrellas!
They stopped to help us, and grabbed a couple more banana leaves and off we were with them under our very own Banana leave umbrella! I somewhat remember a feeling of being so happy, and just loving the umbrella I had, the coolest one ever!
I have gotten to see many tropical storms, some very impressive ones and some very beautiful ones.
One of the wildest storms I remember were in the San Blas Islands, I was 12 and reality is we had lived many wild storms, but this one was for me my first experience as an individual person...
It was raining, and the winds were strong...We had all sails out and the shift in wind direction also meant we had to tack...And take 2 reefs in the main sail and lower our two head sails...My brother was yelling at me to help him get things done...I was frozen and crying...The bowsprit broke off, the jeep tore and I awoke...From my terrified state to realise that I was needed and had to snap out of it...I helped my brother take the reefs in the main sail and that day I learnt that in times of need there is no space to be scared,to stop, to cry...One just has to do what has to be done!!!
I sat in the rain for a while, alone after that, and let the rain kiss my skin...I let the rain take a little part of my innocence away and install a respect for the nature I lived in that day!
I love the rain, and even in Paris have danced in the rain to celebrate what it brings into our lives!
So let it rain...Let summer be the raining season!
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