Good morning and welcome to Saturday Snippets where my muse struts her stuff and gives me a word…a one-word prompt I still have no clues as to where she gets the ideas for my prompt from but I’m guessing she has heard me cursing the rain and wind all week…yes… my one-word prompt is “Rain” and more rain…the weather forecasts are pretty accurate here and the rain is playing havoc with my walking and getting my washing dry…it was dry early this morning so off I went and managed to get nearly home before the heavens opened…but happy that my step count is on target for today if I can find another dry window and nip out…
For everyone who is battling more than just rain…if you are in the path of Hurricane Fiona or Tropical Storm Orlene then stay safe my thoughts and prayers are with you…
Marie Fredriksson is one of my favourite female singers...gone far too soon…
Raining Cata and Dogs…a saying that I used to hear my mother say often …
Rain Tree (Samanea Saman)…is an impressive-looking tree with its characteristic umbrella-shaped canopy. When grown in the open it can reach the height of 50-80 feet with a canopy that is wider than the height of the tree…the rain tree is cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics and is important as a shade tree on small farms and along roads…
Although its timber compares favourably to black walnut it has not been developed commercially for its timber rather it’s limited to making carved bowls that are sold on local markets…
Rain Dance…I have notebooks and diary’s everywhere and on the front of my diaries is this ” Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass it’s about learning to dance in the rain”…
It’s about learning to live with and even enjoy the inevitable storms of life. Sing or dance, and enjoy your life, no matter what the weather might be. We all will face storms in our lives…
Many cultures though particularly those that live in dry climates where water is essential to life still perform this ancient dance even today…one of the tribes is the “Ohlone” who are located in a small town in the southern central part of California…where yesterday The New York Times reported that California is expected to enter a fourth straight year of drought…
The current drought afflicting California is indeed historic, but not because of the low precipitation totals…I don’t know enough about the causes to comment on this state of affairs instead I will treat you to a video of the ancient art of rain dancing…
Rain Doll …Japan…known as a teru teru bōzu… this small traditional handmade doll made of white paper or cloth is something that Japanese farmers began hanging outside of their windows by a string…these teru teru bōzu charms, serve a special purpose in Japanese culture.
They are believed to help stop the rain and guarantee that tomorrow will be sunny. Teru teru bōzu, which literally translates to “shine shine monk,” are typically made by children with tissue paper and are hung around window sills…what a quaint custom…
Rain Quail…or black-breasted quail is a species of quail found in the Indian Sub-continent and Southeast Asia; …A streaky, small football-shaped bird, most often seen in flight as it flushes from almost underfoot.
The male is unmistakable, with a natty black-and-white face pattern and triangular black splotch on the chest that resembles spilt paint…his song is a repeated series of high squeaks…
Rain Water…my grandparents and parents always had a water butt and our hair was often washed in rainwater as my mother said it made our hair softer which was probably in the pre-hairconditioner days…it also seems my grandparents and my mother knew that rainwater was very beneficial for healthy skin and hair not because they knew that the alkaline pH in rainwater helps to maintain the skin’s natural elasticity and moisture, while also supporting healthy hair…or maybe they did?
Rain Forest…I couldn’t write a post on rain and not mention the Rain Forests…they are the world’s oldest living eco-systems with some that have survived for 70 million years just as they were all those years ago…incredibly diverse and complex they are home to more than half the world’s plant and animal species, while only covering 6% of the earth’s surface…
Rainforests’ rich biodiversity is incredibly important to our well-being and the well-being of our planet. Rainforests help regulate our climate and provide us with everyday products.
Unsustainable industrial and agricultural development, however, has severely degraded the health of the world’s rainforests. Citizens, governments, intergovernmental organizations, and conservation groups are working together to protect these invaluable but fragile ecosystems…they can’t do it quick enough for me and I hope at the same time they learn a valuable lesson but methinks not..that’s the old sceptic in me…
Thank you for joining me today for Saturday Snippets as always I look forward to your comments…I am also praying that anyone who is in the path of these hurricanes and typhoons stay safe xx
I love the rain tree. Wow! Teaching children about the rainforest and the different animals in the canopies is delightful and important. I am always saddened (and angry) when the trees are chopped down.
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As do I Jennie its spectacular and so sad when trees are felled for the advancement and greed of man..
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Indeed!
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Rain is such a topic of conversation during these days of drought… and then there are those who need teru teru bōzu charms to make the rain stop (that will be me come February). I love the beautiful Rain Tree and, of course, our precious rain forests. Wonderful music too, Carol. 😀
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It certainly is Diana… Like you I think that rain tree is a spectacular sight plus the rain forests need to be protected at all costs so vital to mans very exsistence.. And music which we should all have in our lives… I hope you have a fabulous week, Diana.. 🤗X
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🙂
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A wonderful selection of ‘rain’ music, nature and info Carol… I remember the rain water and hair treatment too and they are banned from rain dances here! ♥
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Haha..you need a Japanese teru teru bōzu to bring the sun tomorrow…xx
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What a fun post to read about rain. I love the Rain Tree, how beautiful and your rain songs were perfect for this post. I like your mom, we always heard it was raining cats and dogs when I was growing up too.
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Ahhhhh thank you, Diane.. 😀 x
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The rain tree really is remarkable, isn’t it. I enjoyed the music too. Not a big fan of Roxette but that one was quite pleasant. You can never go wrong with Led Zep and Purple Rain is a rock classic! Enjoy your weekend 😊 x
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It so is, Clive… Yes, rain could be one for you sometime… lots of tunes to choose from even The Beatles sung about rain… Just saying.. 😀 Enjoy your weekend too, Clive xx
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Funnily enough I was playing with YouTube earlier and that Beatles one came up in my recommendations. Kinda scary! I did think it might be one for me – as well as that one, Guns ‘n’ Roses and Gordon Lightfoot immediately came to mind when I saw your theme 😊 xx
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Yes, there are definitely quite a few tunes for you, Clive that’s what I love about blogging as reading other blogs sometimes triggers an idea …xx
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One of the things I used to like to do with my classes was to have them draw pictures of English idioms. “Raining cats and dogs” was pretty funny, with characters holding out umbrellas while being pelted by cats and dogs.
It’s fascinating to imagine how the rain tree can support that much weight with all those branches.
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Yes the picture “Raining cats and dogs” conjures up in the mind is pretty funny…I agree the weight on the trunk must be enormous but I suppose the trunk in relation to the canopy is quite short…nature certainly is fascinating 🙂
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The rain tree is amazing.
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Absolutely , Dorothy a beautiful tree ..I love nature and all its variety 🙂
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Pingback: Saturday Snippets…1st October 2022…Today’s one-word prompt is “Rain” – MobsterTiger
Thank you for the reblog 🙂
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Since moving to Norfolk, I have become obsessed with rain. That’s why I enjoyed the recent dry summer so much! Hours of heavy rain yesterday did not help my mood, especially as it darkened the skies so early.
I now think of this old pop song as my ‘anthem’.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Join the club, Pete but at least we aren’t getting hurricanes like some.. Its wet season here and raining most of the time and 10 day forecast is no better… Thank you for the link I like Annie Lennox.. xx
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