Have you ever tried to hurry an old dog? A dog that never cared what you think even when he lived with you – but now he doesn’t?
So I finished the day’s siding work, and I put the tools away, and I should have waited to crow about it online because I hadn’t finished tickling the keyboard when it started to rain. As god is my witness I thought I had another half hour.
Rushed a bewildered Little Bear into the Jeep – I’d have been better off leaving him home but he needed a pee, too – rushed through dripping rain up the ridge, down the road, across the wash and over to S&L’s.
Woke Ghost. This took repeated shouting, practically in his ear. He hadn’t left me a puddle, so at least the trip wasn’t for naught.
And he moseyed to the door. And he paused to ponder whether he felt like going out.
It wasn’t raining as hard at S&L’s as it was at the Lair. But S&L’s house is on a hill overlooking the Lair. I could barely see the top of the cabin for the rain. Illuminated by the lightning.
Ghost finally decided that since he was already awake and on the porch, he may as well wander off and have a leisurely pee. I was as close to puppycide as I’ve come in quite some years, as I looked downhill and could no longer make out the top of the cabin.
Finally got Ghost inside, only to learn that he had in fact left me a brown lumpy present. Cleaned that up. Ran into the kitchen, made sure he had plenty of food because I don’t think I’ll be back. Again.
Ran outside, locked the door, ran to the Jeep, dumped the odorous bag on the shotgun floor. Raced to the wash as quickly as I dared. If I could make it past the wash I could get home, almost no matter what.
Got across the wash, still dry. Up the ridge. By the time I began the descent to the Lair, I was splashing through gully channels that were just beginning to flow.
The wind is different this afternoon. I’d closed all the wrong windows. Dry off tools. Grump at Little Bear, who’s being perfectly good but he’s the only dog here. At the moment I understand why feminists hate all men, even the ones who never dumped them at the prom.
As I type this all my gully ditches are running freely and – this new window location lets me see the wash more clearly – yes, the wash is running. It’s completely saturated, it could hardly not run at least a little if the gullies are flowing. Doesn’t mean there’ll be a flash flood. This storm came from the SW, as is more normal. The wash might not flood.
But judging from the past couple of days, that’s not the way to bet. Glad I overfed Ghost.
