No Walk for You!

On the positive side of getting less hours of work is it allows more hours for walking. I began a regimen of taking a long walk early each morning when I am not scheduled on the job. I look forward to those jaunts. Today should have been one.

But some tropical depression moved up here in the night and it is raining. We are supposed to get drenched today, perhaps up to six inches. (On the bright side, it could be winter and that would translate to six feet of the white stuff.)

It was raining when I awoke and the sky remained more night than day well past the so-called sunrise. Mr. Sun is obviously sleeping in today. By eight o'clock it appeared to slacken off. I went outside to fetch the paper and it was a warm mist. Perhaps there was hope.

I had to make some bank deposits and I had to pick up some cat food so why not run those errands and see if the sky would clear long enough for a brisk saunter, especially if I went to a path with a lot of protective leaf cover.

I did what I had to and when I left the supermarket with cat food, birdseed and cola there was not a drop of moisture to be felt. I decided to drive over to a park and see if the downpour held off. Alas it did not. By the time I had driven a mile I had to turn my windshield wipers up a notch.

I pulled into the park and the lot was empty except for a lone county police car. I drove around and parked up near the entry walk. I opened my door and stuck out my hand and there was a light drizzle. I closed the door and ate a Big Cup peanut butter candy I had bought at the market, breakfast, while I pondered what to do.

The sky had turned ominously black. The park was also very dark and forboding. I didn't think any thunder boomers had been predicted, but knew I didn't want to be caught up the hill in the trees if lightening began zapping the sky. I also didn't want to be caught out on the trails if the skies opened up and rain poured down in buckets.  There was also a tornado watch in effect and that wouldn't be good either. Decisions, decisions, I paused a while longer really wanting to take a hike, but also feeling it wasn't the best idea. I sat so long I began to feel like I was a suspicious character what with that lone police car sitting almost opposite me on the lower tier of the lot. What was the officer wondering about what I was up to?

Finally I backed up and drove away, carefully maintaining the ten mile an hour limit for the driveway. I kept looking in my mirror to see if the cop would follow. He or she didn't.

The rain did pick up on my journey home, but again went to a fine drizzle by the time I was unloading the car.  I hate it when Mother Nature can't make up her mind. I doubt if an opportunity will arise today, they say the rain is to get progressively heavy. Looking out the window right now I can't tell if it is doing anything. I could possibly go traipse up the street, but I know how that works. Any rain will hold off until I get a mile or two from home and then it will open up with all its fury, rain-lashing and wind-whipping me to a soggy mess on the trot back to shelter.

I guess I'll have to consider this day a washout. :(