Maybe It's Time to Get a New Umbrella

I Love The Rain, but Not Getting Wet

It rained last night. It rained on and off all day. I got wet going to the mailbox. Guess what! I don't have a decent umbrella because I'm not used to having rain this often. It appears we have a clear week ahead. Maybe it's time to get a new umbrella before the next storm hits. 

Do your children resist using umbrellas? They will love using these umbrellas! They can be ladybugs, sharks, or even frogs or butterflies. 

© B. Radisavljevic

One reason I haven't used an umbrella much is because it seems that by the time I get out of the car and get an umbrella open, I'm already getting wet. I've also had a problem managing umbrellas in the wind. Lastly, umbrellas take up room in the car and then, when I need them, they are out of reach. Since we have so little rain here, I've just opted to stay home when it rains or park close to where I'm going if I can, and dash in and out with a jacket and wide brim hat on. If I can't get a good parking place, I get wet.

Umbrella Choices

I was just looking around at Amazon and discovered the umbrella choices are much wider than they used to be. Now I can get a compact wind-resistant umbrella that I can open with one button as I get out of the car. It's no more than a foot long when folded down, so it will fit in a car door side pocket or a large purse or briefcase. I'm not even limited to just one brand. All of these below have lifetime guarantees for replacement  and will hold up in the wind, open and close with a single button, and be compact when closed. You can choose from many colors. Best of all, the lighter colors are easy to see on stormy days and can serve double duty as parasols to keep the sun off when the weather turns hot and sunny. Why not pick up one of these new umbrellas before the next rainstorm arrives?

You can get free 2-day delivery with Amazon Prime * on all the umbrellas below. I love my Amazon Prime membership, since I get two-day free shipping on almost everything I buy from Amazon and I don't have to wait until I meet a minimum order to get it. If you follow the link above to get Amazon prime, I will get a small commission which I won't get if you wait until the check-out page to add it on. You get much more than the free shipping. Follow the link to see what else you get in free movie and music streaming, free photo storage, and free Kindle lending library. I have a Kindle Paperwhite* that I love and use all the time. Here are the umbrellas.

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Bodyguard Travel Umbrella - Auto Open/close - Strong Waterproof, Windproof, Compact for Easy Carrying Totes - Wind Tested 55mph - Sturdy, High Quality - Lifetime Guarantee (Blue)Bodyguard Auto Umbrella - Upscale and Elegant - Strong Waterproof, Windproof, Compact for Travel By Easy Carrying - Variety of Colors - Sturdy, High Quality - Lifetime Guarantee (Purple)EEZ-Y Double Canopy Wind Resistant Travel Umbrella - Auto Open/ Close Button for One Handed Operation - Compact and Lightweight for Easy Carrying (Yellow)

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Photos after the Rain

Now that we've solved the umbrella problem, let's look at today's photos of what the rain left behind. They will show you why that umbrella would have been handy to have. It's been a long time since I've seen water along the curb like this. I took this shot this afternoon during a pause in the rain -- after I'd already gotten wet from getting the mail an hour earlier.

As I was on my way to the car to get the mail, I saw something I'd never seen in the entire time I've lived here -- a squirrel running near the sidewalk on my front lawn. By the time I got my camera, it was gone. But it was right where I put the brown dot on the photo below. In all my walks through the neighborhood over the years, I've never seen a squirrel except in the park down near the river. I have, however, seen them not too far away on Oak Lane.

The brown spot shows you where the squirrel was. © B. Radisavljevic

When I checked the back yard, there were puddles in what used to be the lawn before I stopped watering it. (Fortunately, I had some rain boots*.) I told the gardener to stop cutting the lawn because I saw what appeared to be lettuce growing in it -- perhaps from seeds that had drifted there when I was growing lettuce on the patio a couple of years ago. I also eat the henbit -- the weeds with the purple flowers. The entire plant can be used in salads, stir-fries, and soups. The lettuce seedlings aren't in this part of the lawn.

Puddles in the Backyard. Pink flowers are henbit. © B. Radisavljevic

Just as the sun was almost gone, I took this last shot from the front porch, since it was raining again.

Dusk on a Rainy Night. © B. Radisavljevic

Are you enjoying the rain, wishing it would stop, or wishing you were getting some of it?

*This post contains affiliate links which give me a small commission if you use them and cost you nothing extra.

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