Pouring Rain...

The dogs and I had our morning walk in the pouring rain today.  There is lots of standing water all over the place, which means the rate of rainfall is higher than the rate of absorption – and our soils here are incredibly porous.  We don't often see standing water like this...

While the four dogs and I were outside getting soaked, Debbie stood in our covered patio and laughed at us.  When we all got back in the patio, she and I toweled down the four dogs (who were all frisky and excited) and got them back indoors.  Now we've got the heater cranked up and we're drying off ourselves.

The forecast for tonight is the sort of forecast we ought to frame and hang on the wall.  Here's what “global warming” is doing for us: the forecast calls for 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) of snow tonight at our elevation.  Much more up in the mountains above us.  We've had dustings of snow in the past since we moved out here in 1999, but never more than a half inch (1 cm) – and it never lasted more than a couple hours.

If it really does snow tonight, I'm planning to head out into our yard tomorrow morning with my camera.  We have daffodils in bloom that should be quite beautiful in the snow, and of course there will be lots of other visual delights.  Then Debbie and I are going to try to get up into the mountains before the crowds show up...