Beautiful Rainy Day

It’s a beautiful rainy day. I just stepped out the back door at WRAL TV and drifted down into the gardens here off Western Boulevard into the gray and emerald green hues of the morning. The weather is cool and the air seems fresh and full of life. As I made my way to a breakfast spot I started thinking about my favorite rainy places.

Glencoe in northern Scotland is much more beautiful in the rain than in the sun. And yet the chamber of commerce crowd still likes to put up on-line pictures of Glencoe under bright blue skies. Glencoe remains one of my all-time favorite destinations even though its history is marked with horrific stories of tragedy.

As for North Carolina I personally like Blowing Rock better in the rain. There’s something soul-stirring about the cool mountain air laden with mist. Golfers may disagree but I also like Pinehurst in the rain as long as I have a good book and a warm cup of coffee. And give me a screened-in porch and a fat newspaper on a rainy day and you’ve got one happy camper.

Smashing Magazine has captured some wonderful images of beauty in the rain. Check out these photographic marvels:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/09/07/35-brilliant-examples-of-rain-photography/

What about you? What was your favorite rainy day? What place is better in the rain than the sun? Please share.