Water Water Everywhere

I did a whole lot of nothing over the weekend and yet somehow managed to take a ton of pictures. I'm not really sure how that happened either, but here I am - on a drizzly Monday afternoon, with something like a jaw/tooth ache and a slight headache...but here nonetheless to "recap" my weekend.

Friday evening...after relaxing at home for about two hours (work ended early - all the praise hands), I headed to Target to get some things I needed for weekend cooking...and about 3 minutes into the drive - all hell broke loose in the skies above. The rain that had been threatening for hours arrived in an absolute deluge, with punishing wind, lightning so bright it was practically blinding and thunder that rattled the windows. The storm only lasted about 10 minutes but I arrived home from Target to find the deck furniture cover blown off, an end table blown across the deck, the propane heater's cover ripped and the roses looking fairly battered. Sheesh.

The rest of the evening involved some pizza, some binge-watching of The Mindy Project and a lot of begging from a certain wee dog. He just cannot handle thinking that anyone might eat something and he won't get to taste a sample!

The forecast for this weekend was rain...and then more rain, with a side of rain. It was originally forecast to rain all day Saturday and Sunday but blessedly, Saturday dawned overcast and cool - but not yet rainy. I made some divine pumpkin spice rolls for breakfast...

...And I decided that while it wasn't raining, I might as well load up Watson in the car and take him to explore the Arboretum for a while. I wasn't sure what to expect in so far as things being in bloom - late Summer/early Fall seems like an iffy time for plants - but I was pretty surprised by how many things were still bright and in bloom!

The weather was cool enough that it warranted a coat - and I was doubly thankful for that coat when it started sprinkling just about thirty minutes into our explorations. Watson seemed wholly unconcerned that water was beginning to fall rather rapidly on our heads...we were quite a ways from the front of the Arboretum and the car, but he couldn't have been bothered by any of it. He was thrilled to be outside and wanted to stay outside - rain be darned.

We made our way back toward the exit - me with my hood up, coat zipped and making every effort to stay under the low hanging branches of trees to not get drenched...which worked fairly well except for when Watson would race ahead and yank me along with him, determined to sniff something else. He'd look back at me like I was insane - why was I walking so slowly and creeping under the branches? It was obvious he thought I was insane...

We hopped back in the car and I humored him by making the three mile scenic loop, which he rode through with his nose pressed against the window...watching the rain fall harder and harder. By the time we'd made it out of the Arboretum and to the red light near the house, the look on his face was clear enough - I didn't need to speak "pup" to know he was thoroughly disgruntled by having to leave his exploration because of something like rain...

I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening doing a lot of nothing... just being a bum. I tried out a new recipe in the crock pot, read chapters and chapters of The Drums of Autumn, watched too many episodes of The Mindy Project, re-watched Julie & Julia and took a nice long bubble bath. It was a lovely, bummy Saturday afternoon. Watson and I also took a few walks around the neighborhood as the temperature dropped and thankfully the rain didn't really begin in earnest until after 8:00. Naturally - Watson begged for some chicken stew when I had dinner...

Sunday morning I woke up to rain - and it proceeded to rain all day long! It wasn't just drizzle on Sunday either, it was a constant, steady downpour that left everything saturated. I made my way to church and was all too thankful for the little fellow at the door handing out umbrella bags.. After church I went to lunch with my friend Jennie and her son Jimmy and then popped into Old Navy to snag a couple tunic style tanks on sale before heading home.

I passed the afternoon and evening doing some laundry, cleaning my bathroom, trying another soup recipe (this one was not as good... *sigh*), watching even more of The Mindy Project and just generally being lazy. Watson and I took very few walks because it steadily rained all day long - making Watson almost stir crazy. He'd get very excited to go outside and then head out the door, realize it was pouring and just sigh. Poor little guy.

If last weekend was filled with all the activities, this weekend was filled with no activities. I can never quite decide which type of weekend passes faster: the weekend with all the plans or the weekend with no plans, but both are nice to have from time to time. It's also nice to have rain from time to time...but after two days straight, I'd be content with that going ahead and moving out of the way...