Rainy day question

How does everyone here deal with taking photos on rainy days? Without the waterproof "armour" of some cameras, what are some good ways to shoot outdoors under rainy conditions? (Also assuming you don't have someone else to hold an umbrella for you.) The rain's just started here and the forecast is pretty much rain for the next couple weeks with only one or two breaks. Because I don't want to shoot just indoor shots from now until late spring, I thought I'd ask.

I spent a couple of hours traipsing around an old cemetery today, with intermittent rain. Even when the rain let up, there was a thin mist hanging in the air. I had to shove the umbrella handle down my shirt front a couple of times, but for the most part I was able to manage just by keeping the camera covered with my jacket as I moved from shot to shot, wiping moisture off the camera at intervals. The lenses I carried today all have hoods, which helped a lot. Still, I don't necessarily recommend this strategy.

plastic bags and such

some places you may be mistaken for a flasher or worse

but it can be done

out taking photos in really heavy rain and wind (81 mph gusts) - though I wasn't out in the worst part of the rain, that was mostly a matter of timing.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/qnr/sets/72157622551527657/

Edit, basically, I just put the camera inside the bag, and use a rubber band or something equivalent to attach the open end to the end of the lens (this is with a DSLR) with enough slack to change the zoom if necessary. I also generally put a filter (UV, for example) over the lens, to keep the rain from getting on the lens itself.

Incidently, whenever I receive medicine or electronics, I try to keep the desiccants that come with them in a Ziploc bag. When I come home, I dry the camera and put it and the lens in the Ziploc bag with the desiccants to suck up the remaining mositure - hopefully that will help prevent fungus growth in the lens, but it's just a guess on my part.

...pick up a ShutterHat. It's great for rainy climates, and has made two of my shoots this year possible when I would otherwise have had to abandon to avoid frying my camera. (If you have a Sony or Konica Minolta camera, like I have, you'll need to get a Sony-to-standard hot-shoe adapter as well; fortunately, they're always available cheap on eBay.)

lens shade will give some protection to the front of the lens, ziplock with hole cut for lens should take care of the body. good luck!

Thanks for all the replies and useful suggestions, everyone.