during the rain...

"during the rain there is a certain darkness that stretches out all objects. beyond that, its effect on our body forces us to withdraw into ourselves, and this inwardness makes our soul infinitely more sensitive. the very noise rain produces continuously occupies the ear, awakes attentiveness and keeps us on the alert. the brownish hue moisture gives to the walls, the trees, the rocks, adds to the impression these objects make. and the solitude and silence it spreads out around the traveler, but forcing animals and men to be quiet and to seek shelter makes these impressions more distinct. enveloped in his coat, his head covered, and moving along deserted paths, the traveler is struck by everything, and everything is enlarged before his imagination or his eyes. the streams are swollen, the grass is thicker, the stones are more sharply defined: the sky is closer to the earth, and all objects, closed up in this narrow horizon, occupy a greater space and importance."

the notebooks of joseph joubert (1754-1824)