The onset of rain provides many chances for reflection, and not just in the puddles. Some of my observations, in no particular order, are -

- The bizarre set of circumstances surrounding umbrellas. Umbrellas which are rarely in the same location as their owners when rain commences, umbrellas which, if in the possession of their owners, are only infrequently required due to their ability to cause rain to fall elsewhere when in their owners' possession. Umbrellas which, if in possession as mentioned above, will frequently be abandoned when their owner departs, leading to the situation first alluded to.
- Pets love rain, and this love affair bubbles over into their relationship with their owners. When your dog or cat feels good about themselves due to an extended frolic in the showers, their greatest desire is to share their enthusiasm by entering into lap-snuggle mode.
- A sudden shower will immediately identify to the driver which of the windscreen wipers has perished in the summer sun and needs replacing. This is normally, but not always, the driver's side one.
- 'Brain Training' on your Nintendo DS is not required provided thunderstorms are sufficient in their ferocity. Your ability to navigate through your home in the total darkness occasioned by a night-time, storm-induced power cut, to the location of the candles and matches, will provide the necessary cerebral massage. The massage of your shins after their encounter with the coffee table will further assist your grey cells in their Pavlovian ability to remember small things. Like the location of the coffee table.
With rain-induced benefits such as these, why would we ever want a return to sunshine? That's rhetorical, by the way...