I’ve never had rhododendrons before! Aren’t they gorgeous? They are just now starting to bloom. We have a red one too, but it’s not quite out yet.

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Today I woke up to pouring rain. This house is so quiet that I didn’t even know it was raining until I got up to head into the bathroom and heard the rain pounding down on the skylight.The dogs weren’t sure about going out. They did very quick “first outs,” making their way gingerly around puddles on the deck, and came right back in to be fed. After feeding no one wanted to go out but I knew they still had business to take care of. I coaxed a bit, and finally Alex and Sailor went out unethusiastically and lifted their leg on the nearest corner of the fence that they could find. Blinking away raindrops, they hurried back inside. Darn, Mom, what is that wet stuff coming down from the sky? It’s wetter than snow! Rain, dear ones. Lovely, wonderful RAIN. When I looked at the weather forecast for Ft. Collins today and it said it was supposed to reach 90 degrees there, I gave thanks I was in rainy NJ. I know it sounds strange to like the rain, but I actually do. When I go to take my shower the towels feel damp to the touch. Where or where is my heated towel bar when I need it most?

It’s stopped raining for the moment and I step out onto the deck to check on what Hailey might be up to (please, no more dead chipmunks!) and the yard is full of birdsong. The wood thrush is singing away with its liquid, flute-like song, a pair of jays bounce their raucous calls back and forth to each other, the robin is chirping its repetitious melody, and other birds [as yet unidentified] add their own unique voices to the symphony. It’s downright noisy out there!

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No, quit thinking like that. Not window peepers, jeez you guys! Froggy-like peepers. They love the rain most of all, but almost every night—rain or not—they are peeping away in our back yard. A chorus of silly, tiny frogs! We were sitting out a few nights ago and just enjoying the cool evening after dinner and we noticed Sailor’s odd behavior. Now those of you that have met Sailor, know that he is a dog that likes to stick pretty close to you so he can be petted and coddled to the max. Not so this night. We observed him halfway down the yard, just sitting. The minute the peepers started their song he would cock his head from side to side, just listening. Probably thinking to himself “what the heck is that noise?”. He was just too cute cocking and tilting his head to and fro. The minute the peepers stopped, so did he. I wish I could share a photo with you, but some things you just have to keep in your head. This was one of those times.