rainy days

Nearly all of my fondest rainy day memories are from under the towering pine trees of the Adirondack mountains and from the shores of Lake Pleasant.  

Rainy days remind me of splashing through puddles, running through the raindrops, and chasing bright orange salamanders at sleep away camp in upstate NY, spending rainy days in the tee-pee, bookstore, and gym at Camp-of-the-Woods, listening to the rain pound on the corrugated roof of the Smith house, and just hanging out together as a family in our rental house(s), nestled amongst the pines, in Speculator, playing games, reading, crafting, doing puzzles, and watching the rain.  

I cherish these memories.  I am so thankful to my parents and grandparents for helping to create such wonderful moments for me and my sister to look back on, and for being such a big part of them.

Lake Pleasant, from the shore of Camp-of-the-Woods (source)

We had a beautifully dreary day today - gray skies, off-and-on rain, puddles.  I found myself longing for the scent of damp earth and pine trees.  I opened the kitchen window, took a moment, and then inhaled as if the familiar smell would suddenly fill my nose and I would savor the fragrance, then, exhale with pure satisfaction.  

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The smell of rain is all that hit me.  Don't get me wrong, the smell of rain, itself, is something wonderful, but paired with wet pine needles, it's something *amazing*.  And for me, it's linked to so many wonderful childhood memories, so that adds to it's enchantment.

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My goal in life is to create amazing memories for Callan (and any future children) as my parents did, and continue to do, for me.  I want to run through the rain with him, build sandcastles by the lake, let him drive (on a lap) down a gravel driveway long before he has a driver's license, I want to hike and camp as a family, I want to laugh, dance, and embrace all that our adventures entail.  I want him to catch a whiff of something, 30 years down the road, and be momentarily taken back to a fond childhood memory, making his face and heart smile.