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Gray Days Aren't Really All That Bad
by James Glaser February 15, 2012 
At least that is true if you are down here in the South. I know in Northern Minnesota a gray winter day can make you worry that snow is about to fall, but here in North Florida people speak fondly of the snow that fell that time 40 years ago when they were kids. Down here we want a gray day in hopes of getting a bit of rain. I was pulling weeds in the garden the other day, and they came out of the ground with ease because there was no moisture for the first couple of inches. You could pull the weed and the whole roots system would come with it. The truth is that it is so dry down here that ponds are drying up, and the rivers are looking low. Forest fire danger is high, and the State is telling people not to do outside burning. So, what do you do on a gray day? Well, it is great for taking photos, because there are no shadows. If it isn't too chilly out and the wind is down, it is great for working outside, and like I said, pulling weeds is a snap. It seems around our house, gray days become laundry and clean up days. Of course that can be said about rainy and sunny days, too. Wanda will use any excuse to push us in that direction. "Hey, let's clean up, the sun is out, the sky is gray, or it is too wet to go outside." Any of these seem to work for her. Of course if the other person in the house is always pushing to keep things in order, it doesn't take all that long to get the place presentable. That leaves many hours for doing everything else. It is always good to make that nightly list as you can use that as an excuse. Remember this—if your significant other asks what you are up to, and you pause to think, you are in trouble because they already have a job ready for you to start on. However, if you have that list right there, and you can start rattling off a whole string of projects you are working on, then you are let off the hook. Something about a sheet of prevention is worth hours of work. Er, uh, something like that. Well, I have spent the first couple of hours this morning doing nothing, and nothing is another great thing you can do on a gray day. The outside temp has risen to above 50, so I can start thinking about getting outside to work. It really doesn't take a list. All it takes is getting out that door and looking around. We are both now in the habit of carrying garden clippers with us whenever we are out in the yard. With a 12 month growing season here in Florida there is always something to trim where ever you go in the yard. There are all sorts of nasty vines filled with sharp thorns that will cause your skin to itch like the devil when they scratch you, and is seems like they can sprout up overnight. Also, if you leave them, the vine will climb to the top of small trees and actually will pull and bend that tree over. Every day is yard cleanup. There is always Spanish Moss to pick up, and if there was any sort of a breeze yesterday or last night, you will have small limbs or branches to pick up some place in the yard. Ah, the gray just turned to rain, and for us that is great. We need the rain, and from what I have read, we could use many inches of rain to get the ground moisture and water table up to where it is supposed to be. With it raining out, it looks like I'll be spending the rest of the day in my studio, and there is always a lot to do in there. You are always playing catch up with the cleaning in a woodworking shop, and I have lots of projects going on. Time in the studio always flies by.
Well, I got in several hours in the studio and several more out side. It was a good day, and I feel good about what I got done. The forecast calls for morning rain, and that means studio time. It really doesn't matter what the weather is like. It can be gray or sun filled, but either way we have a lot to do, and it sure does feel good doing it. |
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