The Friday Five for 21 February 2025

Answers to today’s questions over at thefridayfive 😀

1. What type of mood are you generally in on a rainy day?

Rain and damp in some form or another for most of the year is the norm here in Finland so I don’t get special kinds of moods because of rain! It’s just the way things are. I don’t even notice it’s raining when I’m inside, particularly in the winter when it’s so often gray and air is so damp that even though it isn’t raining, everything is still damp anyway. It needs to be a lound, windy storm for me to actually pay attention.

It rains less in the summer, but even that depends on the summer – we’ve had dry summers a lot lately, but a lot of wet summers historically.

I don’t mind rain. I certainly prefer it over heat and bright sun of summer.

2. What are your favorite things to do when the weather is gloomy?

I do my normal stuff and just go about my day; rain and gloomy weather doesn’t have effect. That said, if it’s a warm summer’s day that at some point gets a shortish gentle shower and maybe a rainbow? That’s a nice one to sit out under an awning at my Mom’s garden and listen to the pitter patter of rain on the awning. Particularly if it’s still warm enough not to need long sleeves.

3. Have you ever been kissed in the rain?

Nope!

4. After the rain stops, do you continue what you were doing, or do you run outside to do something else?

Just keep doing what I was doing! If I even noticed it was raining, and that it has now stopped. Which probably I don’t.

5. What is your favorite drink/food to have when it’s raining outside?

It rains too often here for this to be meaningful. In the winter, we get many consecutive weeks where it’s either raining every day or the air is so damp, that even without raining, everything is so wet and damp that it might as well be raining.

And additional question from spiralsheep:
 
6. And y’all? Also, how do you feel about raingear: waterproofs, wellies, brollies, etc? I wannna know!

I pretty much hate them! All my spring/fall/winter clothes are waterproof and I usually carry an umbrella in my backpack all through the year because rain happens all the time here Finland. But I don’t own actual rain clothes anymore – no wellies or raincoats for me! Instead I just buy winter clothes and shoes/boots are all waterproof (except for one coat because I wasn’t thinking when I bought it that I should replace but can’t be bothered to). The last time I used actual rain gear was when I was a kid and it was terribly cumbersome! The wellies made my feet cold and the yellow raincoat didn’t breathe so I was always sweaty after wearing it even for a bit. Bringing them inside was nasty because the raincoat practically poured water on the floor and tracked it all through the home to the bathroom where it would need go to dry. They were all just more trouble than its worth! This was in the 1980s – maybe the raincoat tech has advanced since then and they are more comfortable now? I’m not curious enough to try!