Winter

Okay, I'm not one of those people who starts chanting how much they hate winter in October and doesn't shut up until April (those people really need to move somewhere warmer, honestly) BUT... I have to admit, the cold weather has been wearing on me a little lately, getting me dreaming of summer and all it's wonder. Interestingly, one of favorite things about summer is not one most people would guess, so here are my top ten reasons I love summer.

10. My garden - I get down right giddy in the spring when I see little green things popping out of the ground that just a few short months ago was frozen solid.

9. Clothing - I enjoy tank tops and bare feet, not to mention going sockless. Also summer shoes are far more diverse in choices than are winter ones.

8. Door mats - the doormats are generally dry and clean in the summer, instead of filled with sand and water that track all over the house.

7. Walks - I can walk my dogs everyday (I could in the winter but I refuse to walk in the cold and the dark which is pretty much all winter).

6. Windows - I can have the windows open brining in fresh air and sounds of the neighborhood, it's like waking up your house from hibernation.

5. Dogs - the dogs can spend long parts of the day outside, that makes them happy and me!

4. Park - going to the park to let Mayson have a blast AND get totally tuckered out, who could ask for anything better

3. Wading pools - spending a hot summer day with Mayson at the legislature grounds under the shade of the trees with a picnic lunch, oh yeah!

2. Daylight - more is better.

1. Dry floors - the most annoying part of winter lately for me has been my dogs drinking bucket being indoors, they drink and then drip water ALL OVER the main floor (unless we catch them and towel off their chins). They seem to know this annoys me so they will take turns drinking then running away from the bucket to maximize the surface are they can cover with the chin run-off. Kusa especially will do this repeatedly, unless I stand over him for 5 minutes while he drinks in one session because he knows I will get mad. If I don't stand over him he will "slurp slurp slurp" then turn around, drip drip drip water all over, "slurp slurp slurp slurp" then run to the kitchen then "slurp, slurp, slurp" ... you get the idea. And to add to the annoyance, he has all day to drink while we are at work and what does he do literally the minute we walk in the door? Slurp, slurp, slurp...AGGGGGH, I could kill him but then I feel guilty for being so annoyed when really, they do need to drink to stay alive (theoretically; though I've been tempted lately to test this hypothesis). So anyway, in the summer, the bucket goes on the deck as soon as it becomes above 0 during the day and stays there until the temperature drops to below 0 during the day in the fall. That is worth more than all the other benefits of summer I think, but they are all pretty good.

So here's to dreaming of warmer days with dry floors, it's just around the corner.