Singing In The Rain

"I'm laughing at clouds so dark up above

The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love" -Arthur Freed

I've been after myself for years to make the trip. 

All I needed, I told myself, was one day of sparkling sunshine, and I'd zip down to the Seattle Center to take in the masterpiece of glass + color + light that is Chihuly Garden and Glass.

But the conflicts and delays piled up far faster than the clear blue skies and I kept waiting for that perfect sunny day to make the trip. Finally, when my third-born daughter added this destination to her things-I-want-to-do-when-I'm-home list, the urgency overcame the need for perfect weather conditions. 

Despite the gloomy winter skies and classic Pacific Northwest rain, we drove down, determined to make the best of what I assumed was a less-than-ideal situation.

Holy hand-blown glass, I couldn't have been more wrong!

This amazing greenhouse full of rapturous red flowers doesn't need sunshine; its glory is set off best by

the overcast sky,
the colorless landscape, and
the rivulets of rain pouring down the side of the greenhouse

that make the building fairly quiver with light and life.

No doubt this space is beautiful in any weather, but it truly sings in the rain.