What Won't I Do for My Dog?

The rain! The RAIN! The rain is a PAIN! We don't get rain like this. California has two kinds of rain. The "it POURS" variety makes the news. It's the kind that comes suddenly in voluminous amounts and proceeds to move mountains.

The other kind, I call "Pissy Rain." It's kind of like the heavens are spitting on you. When I moved here, it gave new meaning to the old saying "run between the rain drops" because I could! My Jeep's slowest wiper setting is 10 second intervals. I wish it were 30! Ten is way too fast! I drive around turning it on and off, on and off. One more thing to worry about in L.A. traffic!

But the rain we've had since last Thursday night is not common. It has been slow and steady. This kind of rain can also move mountains if you get enough of it... which we have. It reminds me of a rain back home in Louisiana save for the fact it has stayed so long.

And all this being shut in... drives active pups CRAZY! Mabel's shut in days started Wednesday morning when I took a whirlwind road trip with the BFF to see her (our) niece in Nevada. Our hiking buddy fed the girl and put her to bed and fed her breakfast as well. I was hoping to get home Thursday in time to walk her before our storms hit. We were an hour north of home when the rains started.

Steady rain and exhaustion from my trip kept us in on Friday. By Saturday, we were looking for the break that our storms always have to make a mad dash for the creek. Even if we end up getting soaked, it's always nice to start the hike with an illusion of being dry. But it was not to be.

Sunday, we were both nuts! I drove to our favorite breakfast haunt in the pouring rain. I took towels to dry off the picnic table and another to sit on. I also took Mabel's big fuzzy softie and placed it as close to the windows as I could. We were damp but so happy to be out!

Mabel at our favorite restaurant on a dry day. 

Mabel's favorite waitress, Miss Lori, had Christmas gifts for the girl and the eggs and pancakes lifted our spirits. Fortified with lots of hot coffee, I bundled up and headed for a wet hike. Even with multiple layers and an umbrella, I got soaked. 

Mabel is so funny hiking in the rain. She seems to relish it. Unlike being at home, where she looks up at me with her best "Do I HAVE to?" look when I tell her to go out and potty - at the creek, she never minds the rain. But once we are home, she waits patiently on the porch for a towel dry.

So every day since, rain or ... rain, I've grabbed her - and Bart - and taken them out for a very wet hike. And I don't mind a bit. Their smiles keep me warm.