April Showers

Looking outside our windows from the couch, I could tell the rain was coming down. The pavement in the cul de sac was shiny, reflecting the lights that lined the sidewalk, and the grass in our yard was glistening. Don't you love a spring rain? It's on days like this I miss my tin roof in Utah. Hearing the rhythmic pounding of precipitation on the roof above my bed was always so soothing. 

Of course, I'm not in the arid desert of Utah any more where rain is rare, and most welcome. Now I'm in the humid prairie state of Illinois, where rain is plentiful. Very plentiful. We take rain for granted here. And we tend to grumble about it a bit.

I do love a spring rain. Make that A spring rain. You know, one, every once in awhile. Thunder and lightning are a bonus. Yes, I even love a good thunderstorm. Today I catch myself switching back and forth between two remembered lines from childhood: "April showers bring May flowers," and "Rain, rain, go away!"

In preparation for the spring rains of the midwest, I ordered myself a pair of Sloggers in my favorite color. (In case you're wondering, no, I am not being paid to mention Sloggers. I don't get paid to write anything in this blog. No advertising here! Maybe I'm an idiot.) I figured the cheerful California Dreamin' style would brighten up any stormy day. That was a good idea because now that I have puppies who need to be housebroken, rainy days don't make me as happy as they used to.

My heart sank a little bit when I looked outside this morning before sunrise, and saw the rain coming down, and the puddles getting bigger. 

When the puppies woke me up at 3:00, there was just a mist in the air, and fog was shrouding the trees and streetlights up the street. Then I remembered the forecast for today: 100% chance of rain. Sigh.

100% chance of rain equates to 100% chance that Bristol and Sami are going to balk when it's time to go outside, which means there's also a 100% chance that my enthusiasm for the rain is going to go down the storm drains as fast as the rain that is collecting in front of our curb.

These days, rain means muddy puppy paws which need to be wiped as soon as we come in, or the floors will need to be mopped much sooner than I'd hoped. Rain means juggling our gigantic umbrella, and two leashes with uncooperative canines attached to the ends of them. Rain means no puppy walks outside to diffuse the energy building up inside two wriggling, growing puppies. Rain means more dog fights over toys because they're bored, and have cabin fever. Rain means Bristol will probably just go ahead and poop in Sami's crate, if it's all the same to everyone else. 

Or not.

We have several days of rain coming our way according to the meteorologists. I'm glad the Weather Channel only shows the forecast for the next 14 days; I only want to dread two weeks at a time. It is April, after all. I'll just have to look forward to May flowers, and find a way to enjoy the rain on my terms when it comes, like maybe when the puppies are asleep in their crates. Life is pretty sweet, and so are they, when they are sleeping.