Rain drizzling down (or pouring sideways) is an occasion for a multitude of activities. If you have missed the thrill of being splashed by a king salmon struggled out from the sea, then the rain can provide something of the same feeling, right? Or have you found yourself prudishly holding off from using water to make slippery a piece of tarp for your children to slide down? I’m sure they won’t mind the second shower provided by the natural supplier.

And if you find yourself completely chuffed by the wet solicitation of the sky, just remember the wishes you made during July when the sun burned and our lawns almost needed to be classified under the desert biome.

Moreover, you may find yourself lacking luster under the cover of our gray roof. Pay heed, however, to the fruits of the hydration. The literal fruits. All sorts of berries are growing in unexpected places, like the raspberries of a golden hue which not only furnish the side of the Betster’s house with color, but provide a sweet treat to be picked delicately, gently admired, and then devoured.

Caution! As you wander out on your afternoon walk, please consider the small limbless creatures going out for theirs. In the rain they make haste to escape the flooded grass, only to present themselves as shoe sole targets to all the people that pass, and the slugs are not quite so pretty in their squirming, but when they’re crushed by blunt feet they’re even more alarming.

Of course, the rain provides a sometimes welcomed guidance for us to avoid the outdoors all together, and move sluggishly ourselves within our homes. Homer is lucky to have many yoga practitioners which provide classes online, too, if you’re feeling just a bit too limbless. The background noise of pittering droplets against your tin roof will be an excellent aura.

Since it is the summer, and not yet freezing, you may welcome the rain as a lovely sibling to the sunshine. If this is the case ,then watching or playing sports, approaching nature’s splendor on a trail, or even climbing to the top of a slightly muddy mountain may all be activities which are absorbing. Just as absorbing as your socks are, which you will again soggily remember.

Check out these Best Bets for more ways to enjoy the overcast days:

BEST COTTON CANDY AND COWS BET: The mood at the Kenai Peninsula Fair grounds shifts this weekend from festival to fair when the 71st annual Kenai Peninsula Fair returns in Ninilchik. The event runs Friday through Sunday with a packed schedule of performances and attractions across stages and rodeo grounds. Catch musical acts the Whiffenpoofs, an a cappella group composed of students from Yale University; Bethany, an 11-year-old singer performing a tribute to Hobo Jim; The Fearless Flores, a daredevil couple and their daredevil daughter featured on America’s Got Talent; and a marquee performance given by Home Free. Enjoy livestock displays, booths, scrumptious food and classic events like the pig races. Tickets to the fair are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, with discounted $3 admission for kids and seniors on Friday. The fair will be open Friday from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

BEST THE BIG LEAGUES BET: Middle school 8th graders of the class of 2022, you might have thought you were the Big People on Campus last year, but this fall you move up to Homer High School and become a mighty Mariner. Sure, some of the students can actually grow facial hair and those seniors may be way out of your league, but you’ll get a warm blue-and-gold welcome. Learn about Homer High from 6-8 p.m. today with an open house and freshperson orientation.

BEST SLOW DOWN AND WATCH FOR KIDS: Tourists and commuters, things will change up a bit next Tuesday, Aug. 16, when school starts. Unless you sleep in and work the late shift, expect stopping school buses and excited kids running about. At school zones, the speed limit drops to 20 mph, and that’s not advisory, citizens. Don’t pass school buses, don’t speed and make sure the young people who will grow up to make this world better have a safe trip to and from school.

BEST VOTE EARLY, VOTE ONCE BET: Next Tuesday, we get to exercise the ultimate power as a citizen age 18 and older of the United States and Alaska. That’s right — it’s Election Day. Aug. 16 marks the start of a new experiment in Alaska voting, the first ranked-choice election, where we rank the candidates for the special election for Representative to U.S. Congress to fill out the remainder of the late Don Young’s term. It’s also the primary election for the full 2-year term for Congressperson as well as U.S. Senator, Governor, Lt. Governor, State Senator and State Representative. Whew! You’ve got this. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

BEST SPIN THOSE TUNES BET: Want to try your hand at being a DJ? Think you have the chops to sample and mix tunes? Head to the Homer Council on the Arts at 6 p.m Friday for PREPMODE DJ and Turntablist, an interactive performance where you’ll learn about the art of Turntablism and attend a performance that will challenge the audience to open their minds on the many ways in which one can be a “DJ.” PREPMODE will give the audience tips on tricks to listen for within the performance to enhance the listener’s experience. After the performance, PREPMODE will give spectators a brief history on scratching records and allow participants to try their hand at the first scratch all Turntablists learn. This will be an interactive and engaging program for all ages with diverse musical interests. Cost to the public is a suggested donation and a willingness to consider that a DJ can be a musical artist as well as any other instrumentalist.

A shorebird — possibly a sanderling — feeds along the tide on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, at Mariner Park in Homer, Alaska. (Photo by Michael Armstrong/Homer News)