Into Each Life - Rainy Weekend and Some Longfellow

Lee Jones begins her street painting in the lower courthouse park

This part weekend was Janesville's Art Infusion event.  There were art demonstrations of various sorts, live musical performances, and street chalk painting.  Over at the fairgrounds the Rock River Valley Carvers were showing and selling their creations, and there were all sorts of other late summer events going on, fund raising walks, farmers markets, and fall festivals.  All had one good day - Saturday.  Friday and Sunday it just rained and rained and rained.

 Jones, a bit further along on Saturday

Another street painter at work on Saturday

I clumped around downtown on my sore foot, taking pictures, watching people of all ages chalk the sidewalks, listening to music, and munching Kettle Corn at the farmers market until my tootsies couldn't endure another minute and I went home to crash.

Then it was Sunday, and the rain just pounded.  When it let up a bit at about 11 in the morning I went to see how the pro was doing, and found her at work finishing up her scene of Rotary Gardens in a borrowed tent.  A couple of nice paintings across the street were covered with plastic, and all the kids' colorful creations were gradually washing away.  There was almost nobody else in sight downtown.

Sometimes the process has to be reward enough. I hope it was.

The Rainy Day

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

THE day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
  And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains,and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
  And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart, and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
  Some days must be dark and dreary.