not rain!! no, no, no!

ah yes, the backyard, where we actually live

Okay, we've got the whole place pulled together.

All the dog poop has been picked up, and that's no small thing.

Wood chips have been spread to cover the dirt where grass won't grow, again because of the dog.

We have that little play yard fence for a reason. Years back, we had a male dog, Spooner. He was a sweet guy, patient, gentle, and funny, but he was a GUY, who lived in Guyland and thought Guy Thoughts. He was a golden retriever mix, maybe a flat coat retriever in there? Black and white, silky and beautiful, about 90 pounds.

He lifted his leg on everything, and I was angry about having to take laundry detergent and the hose and wash the trikes and trucks all the time.

It was a living mess. I had babies and this DOG was disgusting, doing this to their toys. The Little Tykes car? The doll buggy? Man, have you no shame?

He was baaaad too. He pee-ed on the kids' basketballs. I saw my kids and neighbor kids out the window, starting a little game in the driveway, and then next thing they're all smelling their hands, looking annoyed. Get the hose and the Tide. "Spooner! You idiot!"

Anyway. A fence was put up. Toys on one side, pisser on the other.

Except he was talented. He could collapse his rib cage like a mouse and dive under the fence. He'd do the same on the side fence and go over to the neighbors too and look in their patio door while they ate supper. We'd have to fetch him back. They thought it was funny, which was a good thing. Not everyone would.

Jay ran pipes in the bottom of the chain link to stiffen it up so Spooner couldn't get under. He dug then. He intended to BE where he wanted to BE, whether it was the neighbor's or the patio.

At some point, in desperation, I had him neutered. John was aghast. "Mother! Would you do that to ME if I peed on things?" You know what? If you did that, I can't honestly say what I might do.

The dog? The nuts go.

It did help. He wasn't quite so intense on girl dogs after that, and he lightened up on the marking.

So anyway, where was I?

We have this lovely party planned, lots of food, a fancy cake ordered, our graduate to celebrate, and now we hear it's supposed to RAIN. ALL. DAY. We could have planned this party for Saturday night instead of Friday, but it's supposed to RAIN ALL DAY Saturday too.

hey, this girl started her first adult job this week, pretty thrilledd

I so hope they're wrong. love, Val