Rainy Routines

Squamish is known for its wind and rain. Like most of the Pacific North West, some weeks can be gloomy and dark.

Very little inspiration seems to arise in these times.

I spend a lot of energy on certain sports that are dry weather dependant. When I wake up in the morning and see the rain raging down, I have a hard time coming up with alternatives. Usually the poor weather activities don’t excite me as much and I have trouble being motivated to get moving!

I found I used to get a sort of anxiety when I had a day or afternoon off and the rain started. I would fear that it was my only chance to have completed a project or done some great mission.

Recently I have found joy in getting lost in the rain – and luckily I have the best furry friend to boot me out the door!

Doc is a purebred Weimaraner: “A  large dog that was originally bred for hunting in the early 19th century. Early Weimaraners were used by royalty for hunting large game such as boar, bear, and deer. As the popularity of large game hunting began to decline, Weimaraners were used for hunting smaller animals like fowl, rabbits, and foxes. The Weimaraner is an all-purpose gun dog.”

AKA: They have a TON of spark and vigor.

Doc requires frequent exercise to keep him chill and happy. Which in turn means that I must always keep myself moving even when the weather is miserable. I really value the fact that he is an agile dog because it keeps us in the type of terrain I love.

Reminding myself that these sort of days are needed is extremely important. Learning to slow down and live for what is currently happening around me has been my goal this year.

  “For unless one is able to live fully in the present, the future is a hoax.
There is no point whatever in making plans for a future which you will
never be able to enjoy. When your plans mature, you will still be living
for some other future beyond. You will never, never be able to sit back
with full contentment and say, “Now, I’ve arrived!” Your entire
education has deprived you of this capacity because it was preparing
you for the future, instead of showing you how to be alive now.” -Alan W. Watts

Absorbing the moments around me has been a challenge in the past. I become so goal oriented and driven with favoured hobbies that I forget about this present moment. In this moment the rain is falling almost silently. I can hear the distant sound of traffic looming on the oceanside highway. Time is moving ever so slowly. Doc jumps, dives and weaves around me. I am not climbing a wall, riding a steep downhill trail or getting lost in some high elevation.

But I see the beauty in this moment – and that’s all I need.