As you already know, our nearly ten-month-old Berner Bella loves the water. She has gone in the pool once before but I was not smart enough with the video camera to actually turn it “on.” sigh. Okay, today was not perfect pool weather and the temperature has not increased any (still 70-ish degrees), but we had to dunk ourselves today in the tiny sunny window that we had. Hey, after nearly another inch of rain in the past two days I think we need to take advantage of any short sunlit opportunity that comes our way.

You can view Bella’s super cool movie one of three ways:

The best quality with a fast internet connection can be viewed here:
http://gallery.me.com/bmtndog/100200

You can view it on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ15Nl61lZs

Or you can watch it here:

I was manning the video, but Rick did all the super editing of the movie and he is responsible for the end result.

I hope it makes you smile!

Since there is no blue, either now or predicted to be in my day today, I am posting this photo from San Miguel. I loved the color of this house. Somehow I don’t think it would look right here in New Jersey.

Gray. Dark. Damp. Soggy. Dreary. Wet. Rainy.

All these words describe our current weather situation. It’s been this way for weeks. Maybe one day out of the week the sun will come out for a while just to prove it’s still there ... somewhere. I actually love rainy days, I really do, but this is bordering on ridiculous. It’s not warm. Temperatures are mostly in the 60’s with very high humidity, which on the east coast means downright damp. uck! The dogs lay around the house in a funk and so do I. Why bother cleaning when I can’t see the dirt? That’s my excuse anyway.

So far this month we’ve only had two days that our weather station didn’t register any rain. We’ve had over five inches of rain since the start of June. One inch of that came within 30 minutes during a thunderstorm on Monday. Just since midnight we’ve had over 1/2 inch. Enough already! Let summer begin! Sadly, when the calendar registers the start of summer on Sunday I don’t think the weather gods will take much note. We’re stuck in a rut.

And the pool? Please! Don’t let’s talk about it. All it’s good for right now is collecting water.

This much rain makes things grow. Or rot. Let’s look on the brighter side for now and take a look at some of the things that are managing to grow in this weather. Yesterday’s weather offered a clear window with a little bit of sun so I took my camera out to see what I could find before I mowed the grass.

These tiny, tiny purple flowers growing in the grass.

Clover against the white fence.

A silvery white moth hanging on a blade of grass.

An assortment of flowers.

And inevitably with this much moisture: mushrooms!

One left behind on top of a rock like a discarded, half-nibbled apple core.

An ugly one with a face. (Can you see the face? Kind of a like moaning ghost wearing a sombrero.)

A gelatinous cup with the sun shining through it.

More gelatinous style fungi. They have the texture of rubber.

A puffball. My book says these are edible, but any mushroom that goes poof! in a big ball of brown powder when you step on it after it dries I just can’t make myself eat.

I liked how the dew was still clinging to the stem of this one.

I do have a few tomatoes that have set but we need the sun!

Some of my flowers in pots around the pool that don’t have drainage are rotting away. Literally. I kid you not! I know I shouldn’t be complaining. At least I don’t need to water them by hand every day. Our well is certainly replenished. Everything is green. Oh wait ...  maybe it’s just mold.

I’ve been doing some of this:

more on the tea towels coming in another post ...

and this ...

an out of print book that I bought at a local church book sale.

I made this: (Blueberries and Cream Pie)

And Rick started some homemade limoncello to fortify us.

We’ll get through this damp patch, I know we will. Remind me later in the summer, will you, when I’m complaining about the hot & humid weather and having to run the air conditioning night and day? Today that seems like a pipe dream as I look out into the murky depths of the yard and watch the rain falling down.

how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

What place could be more fitting for a woodchuck than in our stack of wood? Remember meeting Chuck last year? I guess Chuck was really Chuckette.This baby woodchuck found a safe place away from the dogs—thank goodness. But if it weren’t for the dogs I would never have known it was even around.

Yesterday Hailey was acting crazy, going from window to window panting and in a state of extreme agitation. She jumped up on the love seat that doubles as a dog bed here in the office and whined and stared out the window. I had a feeling I knew what it was because we went through the same routine last week. Sure enough when I looked out the window I saw a baby woodchuck ambling around the back yard near our firewood stack. Forget about it, I told her, no way am I letting you outside!

You see, last week the same thing happened, only in the front of the house. Hailey and Bella kept going to the window and looking down into the hedges at the front windows. I kept looking out the window and saw nothing. Finally they convinced me that something was there that was very interesting, so out the front door I went. I started down the steps and this little head popped out of the marigolds.

So cute! I did not let the dogs out because I knew they would chase it down like they do with the squirrels and chipmunks. I waited a while but finally had to let the dogs out. I went out first and found it still walking around in the back yard. I scared it under the deck and figured it was safe. I fed the dogs and let them outside. After about ten minutes my brain registered that they had been out longer than usual without wanting to come inside and I went outside to see what they were up to. Well ... I’m afraid that adorable baby woodchuck met its demise that day. I cried buckets of tears and felt so badly for it. But, really, what can you do? They are dogs after all and prey drive runs in their veins. I have no idea exactly who was involved in the woodchuck’s demise and I don’t want to know.

So ... I don’t know whether to be thrilled that there is another baby chuck or worried that it may meet the same fate as the other one. When it grows up and is eating all my flowers, ask me again!

I think it has the cutest ears!

5:56 a.m.
The dogs woke me first by jumping up on the bed. It was while laying there desperately trying to go back to sleep for just a tiny bit longer that I heard a noise from outside. A loud thump. Like a trash can being toppled over. Oh no; crap. That can only mean one thing. Should I get up to see? I get up, tweak open the curtains and peek out. Yup, just as I thought. Bear. I watch as it expertly pops off the lid and drags a bag into the yard. It lays down very much at home and begins eating its tasty breakfast of garbage. (I have to apologize in advance for the poor quality of the photos. It was still pretty dark out.)

Rick and I both went out the front door clapping our hands and making shooing noises. The bear just looked at us as if to say “get lost!” Not moving. No way.

What to do? Rick got in the car and drove to the top of the driveway hoping that would scare it away but it only drug yet another bag to the edge of our neighbor’s woods and continued munching away. Rick opened and closed the car door a few times and the bear decided he’d had enough and moved on. He picked up the trash and put the lids back on. The bear was headed for our neighbor’s trash at the end of our cul-de-sac so Rick drove up to move it along so it didn’t get into more trouble. Kind of like herding a recalcitrant cow. Get along little doggy!

When I asked what it was that the bear had found so tasty, Rick said he had pulled out mostly vegetables, like the leavings of our coleslaw (cabbage, carrots) and not the trimmings from our pulled pork. We think it was the youngster (I am going to call him “Junior”) that camped out in the neighbor’s utility trailer over the winter. He’s a brazen one.

And that’s how our day today started out. How is your day going so far?

This photo looks almost like a watercolor painting (I’d like to think of it that way instead of calling it a blurry photo!) so I’m giving this piece of “artwork” a name.

Bear with Trash

P.S. They do sell bear-proof trash cans here but we’ve never had trouble. Maybe we need to think about purchasing one with Junior around ...