A Very Good Time

Murphy's here! 
(photo courtesy of Rachel)

Friday it snowed a bit. Saturday it was one degree above freezing. Both of those things don't mean much when viewed independently, but together they mean a muddy back yard. And the laws of the universe being what they are, it was a day that Murphy paid us a visit.

Josh and Rachel came by, dropped off some Christmas presents and Ray's best friend, then headed out to take Marvelous Marva to lunch. Ray and Murphy stayed behind to tear around the backyard, dig holes, and have a generally wonderful time. I stayed behind to try to keep Pigpen wiped down enough so that we wouldn't have to hose down the lower level of the house after she had left. It was a feckless task.

The Magic Mud Colored floor tried valiantly to disguise the mud clods, ice clumps, and leaf mulch dragged in on Murphy's hula skirt but after an hour or so, the words "Epic Fail" started to float through my brain.

Where'd she go?

Where'd she GO?

Could you take our picture together? I want to hang it next to my bed

It didn't matter. The dogs were having so much fun that, after Josh and Rachel returned, we abandoned the wipedowns and just laid a path of towels from the dog door to the living room expecting most of the mud and snow and mulch to collect on this lazy-man's cleaning system. It worked well enough.

After our guests left, Ray and I went for our afternoon jog around the block. I fed him. Then fed him again. And again. Seems he'd worked up quite an appetite playing with his old pal. By 5:00 he was passed-out on the couch. So much so that when I started vacuuming, Ray, who has an antipathy for vacuums, remained immobile. For the rest of night.

Now THAT'S a good time.