Sometimes It Rains

Posted on February 28, 2017 by joey

During an SoCS post about coats, Dan commented “Maddie and I were standing out in the cold rain on Tuesday. She shook off the water and looked at me as if to say ‘Why are we here?’ I was like ‘If you pee, we can go back inside!'”

This reminded me of when Sadie first came to be ours.

sadie2011

 

We lived in southeastern Georgia then, and in case you don’t know, because you haven’t read me write it five thousand times, it don’t rain right in Georgia. It rarely rains and when it does, it rains weird. People hide in their homes when it rains and they do not know how to drive in it. It’s all that golf weather. The natives act like anything under 70 or the slightest bit wet is the end of the world. It’s a regional thing, I reckon.

We don’t carry umbrellas around here unless it’s rainin cats n’ dogs.

We lived in Georgia for over a month before it rained. The day it finally rained, I opened all the great room windows and I didn’t care if the floor got wet — I was downright giddy!

We’d lived in Georgia about six months before the toddlers pulled out all the outerwear, because they knew, even at ages three and four, even with their suppressed Hoosier instincts, that it was winter at home and it’s supposed to rain more than once a fortnight.

rain_wishes

i framed this sucker

(You see this photo with a smile or a laugh, but as a mother, I see everything with a memory. Moo is wearing her $10 lavender raincoat from Kmart. It had butterflies on the inside and they were trimmed in orange — even then, Moo loved orange. Her boots are Sassy’s old Disney Princess snow boots. Her umbrella is Sissy’s old Powerpuff one. Sassy’s got the same $10 coat in pink, but it’s plain inside because it’s a 7 and apparently when you get to size 6x, you don’t need prints on the inside of your slicker anymore. Sassy’s rain boots are Sissy’s old ones. I didn’t know those were the last children’s rain boots I’d ever buy. Sassy’s umbrella is Simon’s old Tigger one. There’s the pool we HAD to have, or my children would shrivel up in the heat. There’s our old charcoal Weber. I still prefer charcoal, but no one cares.)

 

 

Rain is important.
Much like the trees, I knew I loved rain before I left home, but absence makes the heart grow fonder.

 

 

Back to my dog, eh?

sadie_thanksgiving

We’d had Sadie for a coupla weeks before it rained some serious rain. She’d been excellent at scratching at the door to go out, and I trusted her as much as one can trust a dog.
She hadn’t scratched at the door after dinner, she hadn’t scratched before bed. Morning came and she still didn’t scratch. I opened the back door and said, “Go on, Girl!”
She smelled the air and wagged her tail a bit, but she may as well have said Nope.
Come on, who doesn’t need to pee in the morning?
“I’ve peed about five times since you’ve peed. I realize you don’t drink a lot of coffee, but surely you’ve gotta go?”

Would she really wait-out the rain?
How long would it rain?
We were at sixteen hours and counting.

I put on my raincoat and my flip-flops, grabbed my umbrella, and insisted my family do the same.
“We’re gonna walk this dog til she pees.”

I refuse to have one of those prissy dogs who won’t make in the rain.

We all got very, very wet while she searched for the perfect spot.

Finally, Sadie stopped to pee.
She crouched to pee as always. But she had to keep peeing, and as she did, her stance grew wider and wider and wider. Dogs are more flexible than they let on. Like dog doing limbo, she crouched to the max. She musta peed sixteen hours of pee. We all stood in amazement, at her seemingly eternal puddle.

She still doesn’t like to go out when it’s rainin cats n’ dogs, but she goes. Cause she knows if she doesn’t, I will walk her til she’s drenched.

sadie2

 

About joey

Neurotic Bitch, Mother, Wife, Writer, Word Whore, Foodie and General Go-To-Girl
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58 Responses to Sometimes It Rains

  1. Ally Bean says:
    February 28, 2017 at 9:43 AM

    I didn’t know any of this about Georgia and the rain-phobic people who live there. I’m so glad that you took the upper hand and showed Sadie how to live a proper Hoosier life. Also, didn’t know about the lining differences that happen when you cross over the 6x line. The things I learn in this blog… 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      February 28, 2017 at 9:50 AM

      I’m glad I can help fill in the gaping holes of knowledge you never wanted. Get this: In the boys’ section, 6x is the max on cuteness. Until 6x it’s puppies and frogs and whales, all handsome attire, lots of blue and tan. And then at 7, it’s all black and red and fire and dragons and sharks and no one prepares you for this! lol

      Liked by 1 person

  2. pluviolover says:
    February 28, 2017 at 10:06 AM

    Same in Texas and Florida, but since it rains a month’s worth in an hour there, with all the thunder and lightning one needs for a lifetime, I kind of get it. Here in the PNW, what we call rain peeps in the south call “Texas Dew.” I love rain, but even I need a shot of vitamin D now and then (we call them sun breaks). Today it’s snow.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. sustainabilitea says:
    February 28, 2017 at 10:12 AM

    Yeah, I never knew that about Georgia and rain, either, but I’m happier to learn that than I would have been to see photos of your sex life. 🙂 Neither of our rescue dogs were thrilled to go out when it was raining, but I, being a mom of tough love (and not wanting pee on the floor) made them go out…but I did go with them. Janie, our first rescue, did love the snow, however and, since we were in the snow belt of Cleveland, it was a good thing! We walked many times when we saw virtually no one else and the only dogs sightings were dogs forced to go out and pee in the snow. 🙂

    And yes, I understand about memories associated with clothes/toys/etc.

    janet

    Liked by 1 person

  4. renxkyoko says:
    February 28, 2017 at 10:27 AM

    Rain, rain…… we here in California prayed so hard for rain….. but…… it’s okay….. no harm done….. the dams didn’t break.

    Like

  5. coldhandboyack says:
    February 28, 2017 at 10:52 AM

    That’ll learn her. It goes pee or it gets the hose again.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Dan Antion says:
    February 28, 2017 at 11:29 AM

    I may have missed it, but was anything better in Georgia? I only lived there for one college year and I got nothin.

    Thanks for the shout! Maddie will hold it, for no particular reason. We go out and she forgets. Then when she pees, she looks at her backside and looks up at us, as if to say “I’m still peeing” – Dogs have the most bladder control.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt says:
    February 28, 2017 at 11:59 AM

    Sounds like the reaction we get in NJ to rain on the roads.

    And if snow falls, people in NJ think it’s the Apocalypse – they suddenly decide they cannot drive on the snow under their wheels. Comical if it were not so dangerous.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. jan says:
    February 28, 2017 at 1:03 PM

    I don’t think I’ve ever tried peeing in the rain but it doesn’t sound pleasant!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. meANXIETYme says:
    February 28, 2017 at 1:03 PM

    Le Moo went 40 hours without peeing once. I called the vet and I was like “is she going to explode or what?”. He laughed and said she’d go when she had to go. An hour later, she went out and peed (for a loooooooooong time). That was during Hurricane Sandy when Le Moo refused to set one foot outside the house in the rain (and we weren’t even in the bullseye). She still isn’t keen on rain but if she REALLY has to go, she’ll run out, pee, and run back inside. So we’ve learned to not worry too much about her. She’s also not pooped for 32 hours. That freaked us out, too! LOL Once again the vet said “no worries, she’ll go eventually” and lo and behold, she went shortly thereafter.

    Lesson? Call the vet after 12 hours, because for sure she’s gonna go out and do SUMPTHIN after I embarrass myself calling the vet and getting laughed at.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      February 28, 2017 at 6:14 PM

      LOL! I didn’t care for hurricane winds, either, but I don’t think I could hold it as long as Le Moo! They really are somethin!

      But is that good care? Like, they could have bowel obstruction… I think I’m with you. I might would even give it time, depending on her behavior, but I’d definitely call and risk being laughed at.

      Liked by 1 person

      • meANXIETYme says:
        February 28, 2017 at 6:37 PM

        I knew she could hold her poop for 24 hours but at 36 I was thinking the worst. She was still eating and drinking…and there was no vomiting or other behavior indicative of obstruction (which the vet did ask about) so I tried not to panic.

        And I don’t blame her either. It was a badass storm.

        Liked by 1 person

  10. lorriedeck says:
    February 28, 2017 at 1:19 PM

    It’s so easy to miss those last mommy moments, moments like buying the last pair of rain boots. We don’t even realize we missed them until years later.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Judy E Martin says:
    February 28, 2017 at 2:53 PM

    Sadie is such a pretty girl and obviously learns fast!
    I rarely carry un umbrealla in the rain and only put my hood up if it is a huge downpour

    Liked by 1 person

  12. vanbytheriver says:
    February 28, 2017 at 5:34 PM

    Sadie is a beauty, and reminds me of our last pup. He was South Carolina born, and never worried about the elements, or an approaching skunk, as it turns out. Your baby girls’ pic is priceless. I always loved rain boots, own a pair of red ones that I just got a year ago. This was a sweet “Georgia on my mind” kind of post. ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Fourth Generation Farmgirl says:
    February 28, 2017 at 5:43 PM

    Love the pic of the girls in their rain gear! It’s a photo that expresses joy. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Joanne Sisco says:
    February 28, 2017 at 6:43 PM

    First – I think it’s an absolute shame that our coats aren’t lined with colourful and cheerful images – let alone children. What? Adults can’t love a coat lined with flowers or butterflies? Sheesh.

    Poor Sadie. At least Theo has a litter box in the basement for those days in February when he decides it’s not going to happen outdoors 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Judy @ NewEnglandGardenAndThread says:
    February 28, 2017 at 7:59 PM

    I’m thinking she needs one of those little head bands that has an umbrella attached. Maybe there’s a new business idea – an umbrella hat for dogs. It makes as much sense as the dog I saw walking on the beach with a fairy outfit including wings. 🙂

    Like

  16. Anxious Mom says:
    March 1, 2017 at 12:35 AM

    My husband won’t grill on a gas grill if you held a gun to his head. He’s a charcoal purist.

    Love the pics. Sadie is such a pretty girl. (And the kids, too 😉 )

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Prajakta says:
    March 1, 2017 at 3:59 AM

    HA HA HA HA 🙂 Holding it in for 16 hours?? Sadie deserves an award…
    P.S. Do dogs get UTIs?

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Benson says:
    March 1, 2017 at 8:10 AM

    Great picture. Moo certainly looks defiant about something. It isn’t just Georgia. Try Alabama if they ever have a touch of snow. Complete shut down. Sadie is such a pretty dog,and sensible too. Who wants to stand out in the rain? I take an umbrella with me when I ride the bus. Sitting on a bus when you are drenched really blows.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      March 1, 2017 at 6:53 PM

      If I rode the bus, I would carry an umbrella more often. Wise.
      Thank you! Moo almost always looks defiant. Or up to no good.
      I got snowed-in in Mobile, Alabama in 1995, so I understand THAT completely!

      Liked by 1 person

  19. AmyRose🌹 says:
    March 1, 2017 at 10:21 AM

    Oh, Joey, this is so funny and so heart touching as well. How adorable your girls are and your dog, isn’t she the stubborn one? How I laughed! You have a way of writing that just tickles my funny bone. Thank you for such a cute story. I LOVE the rain. Have a great day!! 🙂 ❤

    Liked by 1 person

  20. bikerchick57 says:
    March 1, 2017 at 4:42 PM

    Well, Sadie is adorable, even if she doesn’t like peeing in the rain. I wouldn’t like peeing in the rain either. Humans have it made with indoor toilets.

    The ex and I drove through Georgia one year in the pouring rain and you are correct, they don’t know how to drive in it. So many people slowing to 40 mph with their flashers on. We were doing 70 and asking each other, “What’s wrong with these people?” Heaven save them if they ever had to drive in snow.

    Liked by 1 person

    • joey says:
      March 1, 2017 at 6:50 PM

      Oh they don’t drive in snow. It snowed once when I lived there, and I listened as a man of a former generation called to ask someone to come get him. Snow wasn’t even stickin. But then, when you think about it, that’s like rain with panic thrown in 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  21. JoAnna says:
    March 1, 2017 at 10:51 PM

    Sadie is a very good dog with a strong bladder! I love the photo of the girls and your description of their rain gear.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. Blair (The Shameful Sheep) says:
    March 2, 2017 at 8:51 AM

    I love the nickname ‘Moo.’ It’s beyond adorable.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. bedlamanddaisies says:
    March 2, 2017 at 1:00 PM

    I hate that they think your clothes need to suddenly become “grown up” at 7. The butterflies sound delightful. Middle child had a lot of things passed down to him, but I couldn’t pass up some girlie things for the baby. She did however wear the black and then yellow rain boots that had belonged to her brother’s before her. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  24. circadianreflections says:
    March 2, 2017 at 9:57 PM

    I never knew that about rain\people\Georgia! My sister lived there for a number of years. I’ll have to ask her about that. Of course she went there from Calif. so, she may have fit right in. 🙂

    Diva Dog doesn’t want to go out when it’s wet or raining. She sniffs the air then looks up at me with the most pitiful, sad, pleading eyes that say, “Please don’t make me go out there!”.

    I always give in and take her to the side of the house where there’s more eaves and dry spots to pee.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. darsword says:
    March 3, 2017 at 12:00 AM

    We have gone through a whole winter of this. Poor Kali managed to do it in snow, but when it melts and we get water running around the house, and rain, she holds it. Since she was new to us as of December 9th, she hasn’t had much real fun. Quick out and in. Thank goodness she understood the piddle pad. I didn’t have the gear to go out with her at first. I do now. I have boots that go up to my knees. But now we are heading for better weather. I know she will love summer. We need to set up fencing so she can go out as long as she wants. I’m glad to hear about your dog’s pee adventures so I don’t feel alone in trying to figure her out. Cats and kitty litters are so much easier, but don’t give me the incentive to go outside.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. marianallen says:
    March 5, 2017 at 4:38 PM

    Laughing and laughing and laughing. Sadie must be part camel. Or something. MAN I envy the strength of that bladder!

    Liked by 1 person

  27. kirizar says:
    March 20, 2017 at 1:44 PM

    I almost peed in sympathy and laughter for poor Sadie.

    Liked by 1 person

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