Picture Yourself…

I had a dream last night… a dream that I was…

…swimming in the lake on a warm day, walking in the mountains where no clouds blocked my view, lying on the back porch basking in the sun, running through the park naked and free (sans raincoat), playing fetch with my friends and flopping on the cool pavement in a heated exhaustion…

When I woke, I could hear the rain on the roof and it was all I could do not to moan and groan loudly. But I refrained and restrained myself, got up out of bed, and waited for Gretchen to pull out the red raincoat. I had to wear it as we walked to school, but while at school, the rain stopped and the raincoat got stuffed in the backpack. I can think of other places I’d like to stuff it, but in the backpack suited me just fine this morning.

Our first appointment of the day was with Ollie. Even though the rain had stopped, Ollie wore my old raincoat because Gretchen feared, as did I, that the rain would return. It did, but not until we got to Gemma’s house so that Ollie could see his girlfriend.

We walked to the tennis courts for a bit of romp and the more we played, the more the rain increased. No one seemed to mind and while I kept waiting for the emergence of the raincoat, it stayed stuffed in the backpack while we played. Whew!

Eventually, Gretchen decided to take us for a walk and we headed through the park and back to our house where I got left so I could eat my breakfast. Gemma walked Ollie home after that, rubbing him down once they got there because Ollie likes to lie on the couch while his family is away. Gemma headed with Gretchen across the ridge and then back to her house where she, too, got a rub down though by this time, the rain had stopped and, believe it or not, the sun came out.

Darn it! I was still at home resting after my meal while Gretchen walked Rosie who was lucky enough to walk without a raincoat on. The sun shone brightly on her walk so Gretchen posed her against the bright sky attempting to capture Rosie’s stoic profile (since her profile is all she ever really offers)…

…except when there is a treat to be had!

By the time the got back to Rosie’s house, though, the clouds were moving in and though there wasn’t any rain yet, in just a few blocks of walking the rain returned. Of course! It was time for Gretchen to pick me up and head over to Alice’s house.

Still, the raincoat stayed in the backpack and halfway to Alice’s house, the rain stopped. How fickle is that?

Alice and I walked up passed school again where the students were at their lunchtime recess. They wanted us to come visit, but Gretchen decided it was best to keep walking so up to the ridge we went, making our way south back to those tennis courts. Walking along the ridge let us check out the approaching weather and with fingers (and paws) crossed, we thought we could get a good game of fetch in before the next clouds opened up!

By the time we’d finished playing, though, the rain approached…slowly at first and then with a sudden burst right when we got Alice into the house. Whew!

Gretchen and I walked home in the rain — both of us without raincoats. I got rubbed down and Gretchen changed into some dry clothes before she settled down for some lunch and I stared at some cookies she put in front of me.

I fell asleep under the desk while Gretchen continued to work on her taxes and pay some bills and memories of summer sun filled my dreams again. Despite the rain, we’ll be off to agility class soon and that will certainly brighten my spirits — even though it’s at night and even though we’re in a covered arena.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin