Rainy days and Mondays ~ my column from Sunday

Driving to an errand yesterday, I heard the lilting voice of Karen Carpenter singing Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down. I loved the song when it first came out and still love it because it hits close to the mark. Did I mention that yesterday was Monday, and it was raining?

The poor folks in Australia have raging wildfires due to the lack of rain, and with us living through a drought a few years ago, I swore that I would never wish away the rain. And I never have, but rainy days often make me feel a bit melancholy.

It started during the summers when I was growing up in Sloss Hollow. A rainy day back then was a wasted day. I remember sitting on the arm of a chair in the living room with my head leaning against the wall, watching raindrops zag their way down the window pane. Time seemed to move in slow motion.

I remember thinking that I would have to spend the day inside instead of roaming the fields, fishing Horse Creek, or swimming in the strip pit at Powell Hollow. The only time during the summer I spent inside was when I was eating or sleeping. I was no fan of roofs and walls.

Yesterday when I got home, the dogs were ricocheting off the walls. Jilda met me at the door saying WE HAVE TO GO WALK THESE DOGS. 

I sat down on my bedroom bench to put on my socks, and the new pup Kodak ran in, grabbed a sock off my foot, and ran out the doggie door. I’m guessing he thought that would speed me up. It didn’t.

Reaching into the sock drawer, I pulled out another pair. I’d just slipped on my shoes when the sock thief came back in to see why I hadn’t followed him. The sock was soaked.

When we started walking, rain dripped off the hood of my raincoat and onto my forehead. Down toward the barn, we noticed a new pond in the lower section of our field. An instant later, Kodak was in the middle of it. He was having a large time. Apparently, the rain didn’t have the same effect on him that it has on me. I haven’t looked, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he has webbed feet.

As we walked, I realized that it wasn’t just a rainy Monday that had me down. It had only been a week since we buried our collie Caillou. But as I watched our new dog Kodak having the time of his life playing in the puddle, I had to smile as an understanding came over me.

Life is interesting. I think the Good Lord knows how much we love our critters, and also knew that Caillou would not be with us that much longer. I feel like that’s why Kodak showed up when he did. But the new pup has big paws to fill.