rain drops on my head

It is such a dreich day today. The wind has died down so there are no bustling clouds to watch, simply a completely grey sky with wetness all around. At least when I walked today I wasn't hearing ominous creaking from the trees above, simply the drip of the rain and the squelch of the mud.

I decided on a long walk today as I felt Cara and Bruce had been a bit short changed yesterday as I had so much unpacking and sorting to do after my holiday. I met several other dog walkers, similarly clad head to toe in waterproofs, who were 'enjoying' the last day of their holiday before making their way back home. Cara had a wonderful time playing with one particular dog, a young Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, which was a breed I had not come across before. Apparently it is the smallest of the retriever breeds and it has a very different head to the usual Goldens.

Rounding a corner and peering from beneath my waterproof hood I was thrilled to see a flush of colour on the banking and on closer inspection realised it was gorse just coming into flower. I thought a colourful blip might suit the day best and would be preferable to the other option which was of two very, very muddy dogs. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity for these blips another day.

Last night my son phoned from Vegas to tell me that it was so hot and sunny that they couldn't sit out in it for any length of time. While being miffed at the contrast with here, I was pleased as they have two friends staying with them now, also from the UK, who are going to accompany them for a week's skiing at Lake Tahoe. I think I might have felt a bit guilty if the exceptionally high temperatures I had enjoyed had dipped to more seasonal levels.