Enjoy the Rain in These Collections of Illustrations

I have a daughter who loves to walk in the rain. Not in a raging thunderstorm, of course; that's just silly; but in one of those gentle English kind of sprinkles.

Boy, is she happy this spring. Ask anyone around here and you will hear the same song. Everyone's singing in the rain these days.  Spring, the season we yearn for, the season when we come out of hibernation to enjoy warming temperatures and sunlight, has been a bit of a disappointment this year.

Waking to another rainy morning we glance hopefully at The Weather Network's long-term forecast and are delighted to see promises of sunshine. Our hopes, however, are ultimately washed away with the dawn of each new gloomy morn.  It would be a good year, therefore, to try to discover the charm my daughter has found in a rain shower.

And what would that be, you might well ask?

There is something cleansing about the rain, she says. A stroll in misty or gentle raindrops makes her feel refreshed and renewed.  A heavier pour is less pleasant, she agrees, but there is still an element of childhood pleasure to be found in the soaking you get, the splashing and sloshing you do. After all, if a rainy day is what we get, she says, we might just as well look at what's good about it and enjoy it.

Yeah, I still don't know about that, but perhaps we can at least find some pleasure in these terrific collections of rain illustrations.

iCLIPART.com Rain Illustrations

iPHOTOS.com Rain Illustrations

Acclaim Images Rain Illustrations

ClipartGuide Rain Illustrations

ClickArt Online Rain Illustrations

TOONClipart Rain Cartoons

Go on Vacation With These Illustrations

I'm moving in on some vacation time — a few brief days away at a favourite destination.

I'd lived a long time without seeing the beautiful French River even though it was only a few hours away. It wasn't until my daughter met her future husband that I became acquainted with it. He, an avid outdoorsman, had been camping, portaging and fishing there for years.

To say he met his match in our girl is an understatement. A 5', blue-eyed, blonde, she might not have looked rugged, but she certainly loved the life. Swimming at dawn in icy water,  jumping into rapids, camping in the woods and doing what the bears most assuredly do there, was her idea of a perfect holiday.

Add in the natural splendour of the picturesque French and the love affair wasn't just with her new beau. It was there that he proposed and there that they married.  Their weekend celebration was our first trip to the French and like them, we fell in love. So much so that like them we return every year. Unlike them, however, we stay in a charming cabin, with incredible views and all the amenities.

Though we love boating my husband and I certainly don't embrace the same active lifestyle as our girl and her guy. For us, it's the solitude and quiet, the retreat from daily drama, from cellphones and telephones, internet and email.  As we exit the car upon arrival, I literally see my husband sigh, as his shoulders relax and his steps slow.

We all choose something different in our vacation plans. Some want a busy time of touring and nightlife. Some long for rum-soaked days by the ocean, others margueritas by the pool.  For us, right now, a little peace and quiet is all we need.

You can go on vacation with these wonderful clipart collections.

iCLIPART.com Vacation Illustrations

iPHOTOS.com Vacation Clipart

Acclaim Images Vacation Illustrations

TOONClipart.com Vacation Cartoons

ClipartGuide Vacation Illustrations

ClickArt Online Vacation Illustrations

Going Back to the Country With These Photos

Way back when, when I was a young girl, I used to spend part of my summer vacation each year with my cousin. I was the town mouse, she the country one.

I loved visiting the farm.  There seemed to be endless spaces to explore,  extra hours in a day and imaginative ways to use the former and spend the latter. 

We added some burlap and binder twine to the side of an empty stall and voila — we had a horse. Climbing into the hayloft was a whole new world of adventure. Fishing in the stream with a string and stick, eating green apples in the orchard or simply lying in a field and looking at the clouds filled each day with imagination and freedom.

Even chores were better in the country. For example, the promise of being able to use the chicken coop if we swept it out was very exciting news.  The fact that by the time we had finished there was no time to play and the next day the coop was full of chickens again didn't seem to faze us. And going to the garden to pick vegetables or berries was one of the best jobs we ever had, as after hours there we usually came home with bellies fuller than baskets.

The best part of all was the animals. Dodging cow patties in the pasture to move among the cattle,  holding piglets, chasing chickens, cuddling kittens and playing with the pup were integral parts of each and every day. 

They were truly magical summers for this town mouse.  With enjoyment I let these photo collections take me back to the country:

iCLIPART.com Farm Animal Photos

iPHOTOS.com Photos of Farm Animals

Acclaim Images Photos of Farm Animals

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month

After losing her lovely cat Hannah a few years ago, it took some time before our daughter could convince her new husband that they needed another feline friend.

When she finally got the okay,  which happened with the promise that they would name the poor creature Stir-Fry, there was no question where she would go to find one. A visit to the shelter and a crazy little grey bundle of psychotic energy had a new home and plenty of love.

Giving a homeless kitten the chance for a quality life has always been important to my girl. Having volunteered at the SPCA she understands the need. Her beloved Hannah, who even this dog lover admits was a pretty cool cat, came from a shelter, so there was no reason to think a shelter animal deserves any less consideration than one from a breeder or from a loving home.

June is Adopt a Shelter Cat Month.  If you're thinking about getting a pet, keep in mind there are millions of kittens out there right now waiting to be adopted by a loving family.

To highlight the event we offer these photo collections:

iCLIPART.com Cat Photos

iPHOTOS.com Cat Photos