Curtains of rain
Sweeping across the bay,
The first tell-tale spots on the slate.
Then all in a rush
Cloudburst!
Mini water bombs hurtling against the roof
Snare drum on the windowpane.
Sixty seconds later
Nothing but drip, drip, drip.
One of the first things that comes to mind when I think of Ireland is rain. It is after all what earns the country its distinctive reputation as a land of fifty shades of green. And there are nearly as many kinds of rain, from the “soft day” mizzle that gently coats you in a film of moisture, to the driving curtains of water that sweep across the landscape and drench you in seconds. While in November a wet day can be an unrelenting downpour, in July a cloudburst often lasts less than a minute. As the familiar saying in Ireland goes, If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.
Melissa Shaw-Smith 
Fabulous! Writing, photos, all fantastic.
Most kind, Kathy. Glad you enjoyed them.
Nice shots – love the rainbow and the boats.
Thanks for sharing.
Irish rainbows are in a class of their own in my experience. Thanks for checking out my blog.
Everyone I’ve ever met that has ever visited Ireland says they will definitely go back….
and they never pause to breathe between words….
Know the feeling. Must be something in all that water!
yes it rains, but the rainbow :)))
Still looking for that pot of gold though.
Oregon also has its 50 shades of green. And, yes, rain is the culprit.
Always wanted to visit Oregon. I have a feeling I’d feel right at home.
So much weather, Melissa. Lovely shots.
Thanks, Tish. Weather is one thing Ireland doesn’t lack–now variety is another matter!
“Mizzle” is a word that is strangely absent here in the US; we seem to use “drizzle” instead for that “soft day” misty rain. But thanks to you I am henceforward using “mizzle”; “drizzle” seems to call for larger drops, don’t you think? And thank you for taking me back about 20 years to when I was in the south and west counties; it was for only 2 weeks but I will never forget those landscapes…
You’re welcome. Always happy to stir the memory bank.
What a beautiful poem, and love that rainbow! My single visit was marked by sunshine and more sunshine. We did have a couple days of weather and I went for a hike in fog and drizzle in Connemara. Seeing the locals all sunburned clued me in to the fact that the sunny June days were an aberration.
Thank you. And lucky you with the weather–there’s always one or two weeks in the summer when the sun shines. But it’s as unreliable as that proverbial pot of gold.
A very fun poem! =)
Thanks!
Love the bursts of colour on the grey.
Thanks. That’s what makes the coloring in Ireland so special.
Congratulations for the superb layout of the blog! What was already excellent became super excellent! Thank you! Take care! 🙂 Fabio
Thanks for the very nice comments–makes it all worthwhile.
Well deserved, Melissa! You keep a topnotch blog! 🙂
Kind words indeed. Thank you.
I love looking at other folks’ pictures.
Yours remind me very much of my time in Scotland, that rainbow sharp and bright enough to be the one I failed miserably to catch a month or so back; and that last shot is just so evocative~!
Thanks for the nice comments. Scotland–never been but would love to go one day. I hear it’s equally as photogenic as Ireland.