Rain

The rain - can you hear the rain? In a half-doze I listened to it last night, pounding on the roof, knocking on my windows as though it was asking for permission to come in. And the wind - it is driving the rain against the walls, bending the raspberry canes in the garden so low they almost kiss the ground.

Yes, the rains are back. Oh, I know we'll get some more gloriously sunny days filled with warmth, but this relentless downpour is not a summer shower; this is the beginning of the wet season on the West Coast.

This morning when I took Abby for a walk I pulled on my rain pants and jacket, pulled the hood up, slipped into high rubber boots and pulled on wool gloves - and so it has begun.

This is the season of downloading more movies, of walking through the park more quickly with head bent, of curling up in the warmth of my little home and wishing I could hibernate. But I can't: I have a dog that needs to go out and that wants to hike all year round. So I have to thank Abby for keeping me in shape and full of energy and fresh air. I may not want to go out when I'm warm and comfy indoors but once I'm out there, I'm glad.