Season Shock

Nothing is harder than getting out of bed on a cold, rainy day. When the sun is shining in a clear, blue sky and birds are tweeting it’s easy to be optimistic about the day’s prospects. But this oppressive gloom does not inspire confidence.

Israel’s seasons turn on a knife’s edge. You flip from hot, sunny, sandal-wearing summer to miserable winter in the space of 24 hours. It’s a bit extreme and is, I think, the result of celestial bad planning. Seasons should transition gradually, almost imperceptibly, charmingly. Not this press-of-the-button, sink-or-swim method. It’s just not right.

Yes, all the people of Israel are rejoicing at the huge quantity of rain that has fallen in the last two days. All the people, except for me. My question is this: if everyone likes rain so much, why do they run for cover when it starts? I suspect this precipitation infatuation is just so much intellectualization.

It’s human nature to love sun and warmth and blue sky. We find it cheerful. We may know we need water and that is has to rain from the sky, but we’d really prefer it didn’t. It’s how we’re wired. Rain and gloom belong in England and upstate New York. This is the Mediterranean, for heaven’s sake.

Summer's End

It rained yesterday for the first time since April. Summer is gone and no amount of wishing can bring it back. Those hot, steamy, sunny days – all gone. Sensible people here pray for rain. We depend on it since our benighted government can't seem to manage sufficient desalination. So the water has to come from the heavens.

I don't like rain. It's wet, nasty stuff. It gets under your collar and runs down your neck. It's cold. And just when you think it's over, a great big drop hits you smack in the eye. But, and I realize this might seem like a contradiction, I love water. I love the look of it and relish every glimpse of the sea. When I have enough money for a water feature in the garden, I plan to spend every free minute just sitting and looking at it.

What I don't like is being attacked by those cold little drops from the sky that leave sludgy spots on the windows. This could be because I come from a place where it rained all the time, except when it snowed. We saw the sun once a decade if we were lucky. So Israel's glorious heat and relentless sunshine is a miracle to me.

It rained yesterday and again this morning. As I look out into the garden, the plants look wonderful. They've all been washed of their summer grunge and seem to be grateful for the extra water. I'll try to find comfort in this.