The advantages of gray…

Or, I’m really trying hard here to not get depressed by the weather.

We awoke to yet another gray day, which, unfortunately, happens frequently in Geneva in between November and April (yet, some years it is truly that long!). I call it “the eternal gray” as some years it doesn’t seem to lift for those six months unless we have our very cold “bise” wind, or snow followed by some sun.  It is caused by a high layer of fog and if one goes up 1’000 feet, one can come out of it, however that rarely happens to me as getting up the energy and facing the traffic on the way up the closest mountain usually kills all my good resolve to see the sun.

So I decided to look for the good in a gray day – not that it was an easy task!

• Most cars put on their lights, making driving somewhat safer
• You don’t have to worry about sun stroke or putting on too much sunscreen (actually some of the UV does come through so one needs to always use sunscreen
• You don’t need to have dark glasses in the car (or anywhere around for that matter).
• You can eat heavier soups and food – the mood lift is worth the calories
• You can use the excuse to sit by a fireplace, read a good book.
• You can also use the gray outside to put more color on the inside
• Working in an office with good lighting can actually become a positive
• You don’t have to worry about how you look in a bikini
• Going to bed and being toasty under the covers is a real plus
• Meeting friends and family for meals or coffee becomes highly desirable as when the weather outside is gray, the soul needs nourishing

And, last, but not least, for the photographer in me, one can use the “magic” button or photoshop some magic into the pictures of the gray. Also this blog was a very good exercise in finding the positive – although you will note that half the pluses were simply an absence of a minus.

"Black Magic"

Watercolor "magic"