It seems I’ve been prowling the Internet looking at photos of autumn leaves.
On trees, on the ground, piled up – it really doesn’t matter what position, any kind of leaf porn is marvellous! Though photos from America are obviously the best, like these lovely shots taken by a blogger in the Midwest.
I know, I know, fallen leaves mean endless raking and bagging up, not to mention signalling that winter’s on the way. But when you’re a desert dweller, and surrounded by sand and palm trees, you miss the changing of the seasons.
That said, the weather is perfect right now and to make the most of where we live I’ve instigated a weekly trip to the beach, whether the kids want to or not – rather like the compulsory visits to National Trust gardens I remember my own parents insisting on!
Sunset over the Arabian Gulf this weekend
And while I’m talking about the weather, let me tell you about the rare treat we enjoyed last week – rain! The first in at least eight months.
You wouldn’t believe how excited we get. Anticipation mounts a few hours before, with all eyes cast skywards to see if it’s true.
Windows and doors are flung open to let the fresh air in – such a nice change from air conditioning – and when the downpour (or should I say dribble) starts, you feel like doing a rain dance outside.
Every single Tweet and Facebook update from a UAE friend will mention the rain and if you’re in the car, it takes a minute or two to remember how to work the windscreen wipers.
It’s amazing how rain clears the air, too. Seeing the enormous, billowing Burj al Arab (pictured above) from as far away as Arabian Ranches was quite a shock (had someone moved it, I wondered?) and just goes to show what a dust ball we live in the rest of the time.
But, rain in the Middle East has a downside if you’re out and about – the drivers don’t slow down and aquaplane along the roads, with car crashes all over the emirate. The drainage is also completely useless, meaning parts of Dubai, including our compound, actually flood if the rain is prolonged.
If the heavens open twice, puddle-loving kids can’t believe their luck, though may act confused. “Mummy, why is it raining again?” my friend’s four-year-old asked – boy, are our kids in for a shock if we move back to England.
Flooding in 2009: Who would have thought? It literally brings Dubai to a standstill
This is so very like Phoenix…right down to the awful drivers who don’t know to slow down! Rain was so infrequent that I remember at least once turning on the wipers and discovering that they had more or less disintegrated due to the months of dry heat and disuse. After that, we started keeping spares for just such occasions. Congratulations on your rain – I know you enjoyed it!
Some friends of mine here moved from Phoenix – I must ask her if it feels like home away from home! I also once worked on a magazine called Arizona Bride (published in Minneapolis!)…loved all the articles on Arizona, sounded such an amazing place and I wish we’d been able to visit before leaving the US – I’ll be back!
Glad to hear you finally got some rain! It must feel so nice. Leaf peepers are out in force here – although in some parts of New England it’s been renamed snowliage because there’s still snow on the trees after that freak snowstorm!
Snowliage – I like that! Yes, rain here is great – tho if you’re on the road, it can be scary! I’d never driven our car, which we got earlier this year, in rain before – had no idea how to put the windscreen wipers on – didn’t admit that in blog as makes me sound very stupid!