Drizzle

There is something about the word drizzle that’s so fitting. Especially when you live in the Pacific Northwest as I do. Today, for instance, it drizzled all day and don’t for a moment think that means we didn’t get wet.

We got wet. Mighty wet.

Oh, and muddy, but muddy isn’t nearly as cool a word as drizzle.

Now, while the picture of me to the right seems all ethereal and mystical, it’s only because Gretchen’s camera got wet…and steamy…but you can clearly see that I am a wet and muddy dog.

And happy, too because there’s nothing I like better than getting wet and muddy.

Especially after a bath, which is what I was given on Saturday, but what’s Gretchen going to do? Keep me from having fun?

I think not.

So back to drizzle since it is a word that begs for further explanation.

In the Pacific Northwest, drizzle is a light rain, but it is consistent and steady. When we’re walking in drizzle we often get wetter than we do when we’re walking in rain. I think this has to do with the amount of rain drops per cubic centimeter blanketing us, as it were, in a misty drizzle. And when it drizzles all day long, there’s not much one can do to avoid getting wet.

I could, I suppose, wear my raincoat, which is exactly what I was forced to do this morning on our walk to school. Rosie and Tyson had to wear theirs, too, when they went on their walk after I was dropped back home to eat my breakfast. Apparently, Tyson doesn’t like his coat anymore than I do, but he doesn’t throw a conniption fit when it’s put on him. I’ll have to show him how someday!

Gretchen walked them in a mighty drizzle and by the time she got home to me, she was dripping wet, but very happy. You see, Gretchen bought herself a new raincoat. I can’t imagine liking a raincoat, but Gretchen loves her. It got, of course, a big test today and according to her, it performed as advertised — it didn’t leak, it didn’t sweat on the inside, and it kept her completely dry all day long.

There were only two things she was worried about with the coat. First, it’s neon green. Not a flattering color, but in this gray light, she could tell that people noticed her more. That’s a good thing since at least once a week we almost get run over by inattentive drivers.

Second, the pockets are at the chest, along the zipper. While they’re big pockets, she thought they’d be impractical. Gretchen stuffs her pockets with all kinds of things like dog bags, her cell phone, treats, and keys to name just a few. She worried that pockets up higher wouldn’t hold all she needed them to hold and they wouldn’t be easily accessible. Boy, was she ever wrong.

When we walked Gemma, she explained to both of us just how happy she was with both the color of her coat AND the location of the pockets. “I don’t have to fumble around at my hips,” she said, “trying to reach around the hip belt of my backpack to find the zipper to my pockets. They’re right here,” she pointed to the two pocket zippers, “and zip zip they open just like that.”

“And stuff doesn’t fall out of them,” Gemma added.

“How astute,” I said, complimenting Gemma who by then was busily playing with MY ball!

But the best part of the new raincoat is that Gretchen was dry even when we walked Oshi and Perrito who were not, I might add, very dry at all. Me either.

We all got dried off, of course, and Oshi and Perrito were happy to join their Dad in the warm house after our wet scampter through the parks. I was not done with work and while I was happy I didn’t have a raincoat on, I was kind of itching at my leash to romp.

Who better to romp with than Saber. He’s always game for a good run and tumble in the rain so when we picked him up, Gretchen promised we’d head to the trail for an off-leash adventure.

Of course, by this time Gretchen’s camera was kind of steamy so many of the photos didn’t really turn out partly because of the rain, but also because Saber and I played chase and we are too fast for the camera!

At one point, Gretchen tried to get us to pose, but while moving Saber into position, she slipped in the mud. I tried not to laugh, but it’s just like her to get her new, neon green raincoat dirty on the first day! Luckily, the new coat has another wonderful attribute — it cleans up really well!

We dropped Saber off at his house after a super-duper rub down with the towel (sorry for the dirty towel Saber’s Mom and Dad!) and I was ready to head home myself since the drizzle had soaked me to the bone. I wasn’t complaining, but I new the warm house would feel good after a day in the rain.

More drizzle is predicted for tomorrow. I’m not sure how I feel about that partly because I fear that Gretchen will force me to wear my raincoat every time we go out, but we had so much fun today I’m trying to stay optimistic about the drizzle forecast.

Until tomorrow,

Rubin