Cats and Trails and Garden Tales
Musings on cats, travel, gardens and life
The Rain the Park and Umbrellas
If you’re going to live in the Great Northwest and enjoy life at all during the long and rainy winter months, you’re going to want to invest in a good umbrella. You will likely have the small travel versions stashed here and there about the house or stuck in the trunk of your car for emergencies. You know the ones, with the short stems and uncomfortable handles that will pop up and over unbidden in a windstorm, but I am not talking about those. No, I’m talking about those versions with the nice handles and wide circumferences that you are proud to carry.
Recently my husband brought two new umbrellas home and allowed me to choose first. He knows me well and I happily chose the blue one with the polka dots while he went with the red plaid. We tested them out this morning on a long walk around Gene Coulon Park in Renton. Here Bob is modeling his red plaid umbrella at my request.
I’m sporting mine next to the cold and stony people. They could use one themselves.
The umbrellas had to stay up most of the time though occasionally the rain did stop. Either way, we enjoyed all the usual shapes and colors of Coulon.
~ Susanne
Cats and Trails and Garden Tales 
But my hands are too busy with my camera! And I don’t want the weight if an umbrella, or the wind in it! I love my Carhart hooded waterproof parka! Not only does it free my hands and stow my stuff in its prodigious pockets, but it keeps me dry! If the wind is blowing, an umbrella is not going to deflect the rain effectively. Worse, an umbrella is going to put me in the middle of a dual between the umbrella trying to escape the wind and trying to pull me along with it, and getting soaked. Uh-uh.
In a light rain I agree a hooded jacket works fine for me. But we get heavy rain here in the winter and I like the protection of a good umbrella. Our new umbrellas are ultralight weight and so easy to carry. And my little compact Sony camera is easily operated with one hand, yes true! see the pictures for yourself! 🙂 I avoid walks on a windy, rainy day altogether and just run from the car to the store or wherever else I am forced to go. And honestly, can you get a blue parka with polka dots? I rest my case. heehee 😉
Is your lightweight umbrella engineered to spare you a dual with a strong wind? We get very strong wind here–this is the prairie! The wind has been 115 mph, but admittedly that was extraordinary. Usually it only blows in the teens or twenties. My parka is wind resistant and actually truly waterproof. And it keeps my hands free! 😊
I don’t take an umbrella on a windy rainy day and don’t usually go walking in it either… (I hate the wind and rain together.) In a light rain I don’t use an umbrella.. But if I go walking in a steady rain (without wind) I like a good umbrella and I was pleasantly surprised at how light these new ones are… But whatever works for you is great! viva la difference! 😉
For those who haven’t been to Seattle during the “off season”, the overwhelming sense of GRAY GLOOM is something you have to be ready for – while it makes those beautiful days even more enjoyable when they arrive, it can bring you down day after day after day while you wait for the weather to improve….so, nice to see some pops of color in the umbrellas!
Yes, so true. We have the beautiful green scenery and mountains and water, but pay for it with the off season weather! 🙂
Seattle sounds a lot like Beetley!
I think so! We can’t let the rain hold us back right? 🙂
I can’t, because of the dog. I am not sure I would have gone out today otherwise, in all honesty. It was awful!
I don’t blame you a bit. I don’t go out to walk when it’s miserable either. I tolerate mild or steady rain, no wind no sleet!
I had a miserable walk i freezing sleet today. I didn’t take my umbrella, as it was deceptively dry when I set out…
Best wishes, Pete.
Ah, sorry about that! Sleet is even worse! Hope you get a good fire going to warm up by!
It’s almost bedtime here now, (11:45 pm) but we had our central heating on 25 degrees most of the afternoon!.
I enjoyed seeing pictures from the walk on a rainy day, Susanne! Sometimes I enjoy walking on a damp gray day if it isn’t too cold.
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s not been a very cold winter here just awfully rainy! Still we had a nice walk. thanks 🙂