It is remarkable how we can hold different views about the same weather phenomenon. Sometimes a summer shower may soak us a bit and dampen our spirits; at other times, even though the raindrops roll off our umbrella and drip onto our plate of goulash or dilute our beer, we choose to maintain our good spirits and even joke about the event.
The days leading up to Sunday, July 20th forecast exceptionally high temperatures for the 76th Greater Toronto Area Slovak Day organized by the First District Assembly CSL. Slovaks gearing up for the event envisioned cold beverages, ice cream treats, and lunch in the cool shade of the trees at Club Karlovac in Milton. But as Robert Burns often reminds us, "The best laid plans of mice and men/Often go awry": Slovak Day arrived but the sun did not, replaced by rain clouds for much of the day. But in spite of the inclement weather, the hundreds of visitors refused to have their happy spirits dampened.
Understandably, the change in weather impacted on the number of people attending the Slovak Day, and was directly responsible for some people leaving early, needing to get out of their wet clothes. But even all this was done with smiling faces. CSL president Mary Anne Doucette recalled that a few years ago an even worse weather disaster struck on Slovak Day. She remembered the rain running off her umbrella and into her plate of rezen (schnitzel) and salad; but today all that is but a fond memory of yet another great Slovak Day past.
At this year's event, even though the rain persisted from the end of the Byzantine rite liturgy throughout lunch and well into the afternoon program, one kept hearing refrains like, "So what's a bit of rain? We're here and that's all that matters."
Photos: Agnes Belosic and Steve Reistetter, text: Julius Behul