Pluviophile (n) a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.
I went for a walk in the rain the other day and was reminded that, though I may be made of sugar and spice and everything nice, I don’t in fact melt when I get wet. Rainy days usher in a certain quiet peacefulness, which feels utterly appropriate in the spring. The trees are tinged with the soft hue of green leaves reappearing, and woodland wildflowers offer their tiny pink and purple blooms, delicate and fleeting. When you walk in the rain, you are almost guaranteed to have the sidewalks and trails to yourself, and I usually find myself noticing small details I might otherwise overlook.
Much like the Danish word hygge can be used to describe the cozy and comfortable feeling you get when sitting indoors beside a fire on a cold winter day, it turns out that there is also a word – pluviophile – to describe a person who enjoys rain and is fascinated with the sights, sounds, and smell of rain falling on the earth. I must be a pluvophile because I always love to watch the raindrops dripping off the tips of flowers and leaves, as well as the concentric circles that form and spread when rain falls on the surface of a lake. The rich, deep smell of damp soil is both comforting and satisfying (as long as it doesn’t become the smell of rotting earthworms), and I find the pitter patter to be calm and meditative, especially when I’m snuggled warm inside a tent or indoors with a good book.
I wonder too, if there is a word to describe the adoration I have for squishy, velvety mosses, fairytale mushrooms, and multi-hued lichen? It feels impossible to wander through the woods without pressing my hand into a grove of moss to see how far down it will sink. Nor can I pass by mushrooms without stopping to take photos and touch their silky caps. And, it goes without saying that I will also stop to touch the lichen, especially if it is the fruticose variety that looks like tiny trees or pixie cups.
If rainy days and the unfolding spring inspire you to get outdoors and explore a local trail this week, consider downloading iNaturalist to your phone ahead of time to help identify the plants, animals, lichens and mushrooms that you might find (www.inaturalist.org). You can upload pictures to the mobile app or join a site-specific project to help document plants and animals at a park or nature center (St. Croix River Watershed Safari, Tamarack Nature Preserve, or Mississippi National River and Recreation Area are a few local projects you can join). Browsing through these projects is also a fun way to learn more about nature in our area.
If you’re particularly interested in finding spring wildflowers, which are just beginning to bloom, there are several good locations nearby that you might want to visit. Sunfish Lake Park in Lake Elmo (3554 Kelvin Ave N.) has hilly trails that wind through birch and maple forest and are beautiful for hiking, trail running, and mountain biking. The friends group at the park has successfully acquired three separate grants from the Outdoor Heritage Fund and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to remove invasive buckthorn, and as a result, it is easy to find rue anemone, wood anemone, multiple colors of violets, jack in the pulpit, and bellwort. St. Croix Savanna Scientific and Natural Area in Bayport (most easily accessed from the Inspiration neighborhood, across from St. Croix Prep) has an amazing diversity of flowers along the ridgeline, including blue-eyed grass, yellow star flower, violet wood sorrel, birds foot violet, and hoary vervain. As for marsh marigold and skunk cabbage, try the path along Mill Stream in Marine on St. Croix, behind Nita Mae’s Scoop.
Bring an umbrella with you, in case it starts to rain.
East Metro Water 