God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise

Muzzy and I braved Dog Park yesterday, during a brief break in the rains brought to us courtesy of Tropical Storm Hermine. At home, we peeked out the windows and saw light gray skies in the west and thought we'd be safe. When we turned east in the car, though, the sky was black. We pressed on, hoping the rain would hold off, but we had no sooner pulled into the parking lot, then the skies released another barrage. Another devoted Parker was just loading up his dogs, prancing around in the puddles, trying to haul each of three soggy pooches into the hatchback before he got completely soaked. We sat in our car for about ten minutes, lulled by the soothing rhythms of the downpour, the rain scalloping down the windshield. At the first let-up, we hopped out, but the break was only momentary.

I have never seen Dog Park so drenched. The fields that last week were like trampled straw and pocked with cavernous cracks  had become marshy wetlands. Muzzy's every step kicked up a plume of water. She blinked her eyes against the spray and looked annoyed. Beneath the pecan trees, we got drenched just from run-off. We made our way across the field, ankle deep in water. Rain was sluicing down the slope behind us, torrents of water eddying around our feet. We were soaked in under a minute. Fortunately, Muzzy knew that this trip was all about getting her business done. Once her mission was complete--and nearly washed away in the tide, we got back in the car and drove home through yet another cloudburst.  It was all pretty exciting. If I didn't have a dog, I'd have missed that little adventure. -z

The Dog Parkist: What Is Rain?

Q: Dog Parkist, will it ever rain again?

—Rainless in River City

A: Rainless, of course it will rain again. It always does; however, will it rain in any significant amount before the lakes run dry, the pavement melts, and the people run stark raving mad into the streets? Possibly not. The Dog Parkist has no way of knowing. Yes, there are rumors afoot at the Dog Park about a possible savior in the form of El Nino, which in the fall, with its western winds, may deliver much needed moisture and low air pressure levels that will wring rain from the sky. In the meanwhile, the Dog Parkist and all the other conscientious people of Austin will stare in dismay at their parched, barren lawns; their shriveled tomato plants; and their ruined rose bushes and consider the place in hell reserved for the neighbors who stand barefoot on lush, green lawns and admire their promiscuously blooming hibiscus. (In hell, they shall drink and drink until their bladders are fit to burst and only then discover that there are no bathrooms. Too cruel? I think not.)

Rains will come, my friend, but perhaps not until after you have moved back to Portland or Seattle or Minneapolis or Boston or Syracuse, or some other cold, wet place whose weather and bland food drove you here to Austin in the first place. Think of us fondly as you pull on your waders in order to reach the mailbox. Drink a tall glass of tap water for us, too. An ice cube would be appreciated. Thanks for writing!

Q: The writer of this blog solicited her readers for their opinions about monetizing. I still don't see any ads on the blog. What's the deal?

—Gentle Reader

A: Gentle Reader, the Dog Parkist has been authorized to provide the following answer. Readers' responses in regard to monetizing was overwhelmingly in favor of putting ads on the space. Still, the Writer hesitates for these reasons: 1) the advertising content would not be under her control, 2) the ads posted on other Blogger sites are truly ugly and distracting, and 3) the likelihood of generating any meaningful revenue from readers' clicks is pretty slim. Plus, 4) reading the fine print on the agreement has nearly rendered her blind. While the Writer is deeply grateful for your feedback, she has decided at this point in time to keep the blog free from advertising. How she will afford to reimburse the Dog Parkist for her services remains to be seen. 

Dear Readers: Please limit your questions to the Dog Parkist's areas of expertise, which include dogs, the Dog Park, dog care and grooming, personal relationships, the fine arts, medieval Russian history, American domestic and foreign policy, global warming, world religions, and baking. Ta!