Last night I was painting in my studio when it started to rain – big drops. I immediately wondered if I had left the windows in my car open a crack. No sense wondering that all night, so on went the raincoat and out I trudged. Once outside, the rain was gentle and warm. The smell of freshness in the air was exhilarating. The half light was magical and the trees swayed a rhythmic ‘thank you’ as the rain swished through them. I marvelled at the immense blessing of this ablution – and my heart said ‘thank you’ too. The windows? They were closed, but it didn’t really matter.