Autumn in Crete. Off topic

12 years ago

Yesterday morning, the sun was shining after three days of the first rains. I travelled in to the local town early, whilst the sun was still low in the sky.

It was magical. The whole place looked as though the gods had come down during the night to touch the island.

Everything looked freshly washed and polished.

Looking down onto the olive groves, it looked like a molten silver lake, with the sun glinting on the tops of the trees as they moved in a slight breeze, making them look like little waves moving across.

The cupressus and pine trees stood out, dressed now in a richer, deeper green than I had ever seen them in before.

Every leaf and blossom of the oleanders glistened and stood out against the sky as though every one had been separately etched by hand.

As we passed through the villages, the bright colours of the bouganvilleas and the hibiscus had an added brilliancy, so that it almost hurt the eyes to look at them.

Bright splashes of colour came from the pyracanthas and virginia creeper along the road. Even the grasses, which all summer, had stood brown and sere, now were spun from filaments of bronze and copper.

I have always said, that rain is magical. You can water your garden all summer, but it never looks as it does after rain.

Daisy

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Comments (9)

roseseek
12 years ago
Sounds beautiful, Daisy! Much of the description such as the Bougainvillea, blue skies, oleanders, hibiscus, pyracantha, etc., sounds very much like here just over the hill from Los Angeles. Rain makes such a tremendous difference!

It IS magical! You can water your rose seeds religiously, but let Nature water them once with a good rain and they KNOW the difference! They come up like grass after good rains! Kim
bart_2010
12 years ago
That DOES sound beautiful, and I want to throw in my own praise of rain! Sadly, here in Tuscany, we are going through a long, anguishing "endless summer" of hot, dry sunny weather.We had no spring this year and it's looking like we may get no autumn either, just sun,sun, summer...Some people seem to like it, but to me it signifies sterility and worse. We can't live without the magical blessing of rain. Water is life!!! bart
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mendocino_rose
12 years ago
What a lovely inspired description Daisy. To people living in dry summer climates as you and I do the first rains are indeed like magic. For me over night the watering chores are over for the next six months(oh joy!) I adore the fresh temperatures and the fuzz of green on the hillsides. The garden is so happy with every inch of it well watered.
seil zone 6b MI
12 years ago
You paint a beautiful picture with words, Daisy! And I agree, the air is never so clear and fresh as when the sun comes out after a rain. Seems to make everything lovelier.
luxrosa
12 years ago
I love rain, and from growing up near Seattle ,Washington, a wet city, I had lots of experience with it.
A double rainbow arcing over a waterfall, after a refreshing rain leaving the rocks all sleek and shiny, with great drifts of fresh green Maidenhair fern on each side of the waterfall, is one of my loveliest memories.

Lux.
ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9
12 years ago
Daisy, that's pure poetry. You made me see those olive groves and everything else you described in the most magical way. I hope it will be our turn here soon. After a cooler spell it's now quite hot with the dreaded Santa Ana desert wind looming.

Ingrid
melissa_thefarm
12 years ago
A lovely description, Daisy, and I'm afraid I'm feeling envious. What Bart said about his Tuscan garden perfectly describes the situation here as well: a year of no spring and no fall, and summer that refuses to end. However, it's supposed to end soon. The forecast is for temperatures to drop beginning today, and we may see some rain starting in about a week. Though I'll believe it when the water begins to descend from the clouds. Meanwhile, enjoy your beautiful island.
Melissa
daisyincrete Z10? 905feet/275 metres
Original Author
12 years ago
I also posted this message, on the local ex-pats web site. The first response I got, was from one of the local wags who posted just one line.....

(Did you get what you went into town for?)

Lol, that cracked me up.
Daisy
rosefolly
12 years ago
So very true.

The water that falls from the sky does the garden so much more good than the water we supply. I suspect it is because the rainwater is purer. It also leaves the air fresh and clean, and that is a bonus, too.

Rosefolly

Autumn in Crete. Off topic

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