I LIVE WITH TWO DEVILS IN FUR COATS

Gentle Readers . . . and Maxwell,

It rained all day Tuesday. Non-stop. Princess demonstrated great bravery by running right out for potty breaks. Penelope used to be the brave one, while Princess preferred not to have her perfect fur dampened. Then I remembered Princess took Penelope's place as 

Protector and Comandor

so it made sense that Princess took the lead on going out.

Alice declined to join her best friend. After a while her eyeballs turned yellow and she had her legs crossed so tight I didn't think she'd be able to uncross them. About 10 p.m. the rain stopped for 15 minutes and with a lot of encouragement, Alice followed Princess into the rising waters.   

If you've known me very long, then you know what happens to my back yard when we have serious rain. Lake Junebug is full. Here's what it looked like Wednesday morning.

So I figured I'd better go out to hook up the pump and send some of that water out to the street. I haven't needed to use the pump in at least a year so I had to get it out, clean off the cover, untangle the hose, untangle the extension cord, get everything in the right spot, and on and on and on. I was out there wading around for a little more than an hour. The girls had to stay inside because the gate was open.

Finally, everything was done and water was running out of the hose at the end of the driveway. I headed for the door, happy I could take off my wet sandals and slide my tired feet into the fuzzy purple slippers that waited for me in the laundry toom. Yeah, those nice, comfy slippers that were between the washing machine and the dryer. Where I left them, right? 

Except they weren't there. 

No problem. I also had some blue slippers nearby. 

Blue slippers? Only one was there.

I walked into the kitchen and found one of the purple slippers.

Yup. There it was. Upside down in the doggy water bowl.

What the hell? I said.

Princess went one way, and Alice went the other way. 

I put on the single blue slipper and headed to the family room, where I found the other purple slipper on the couch, sopping wet. It must have taken a bath in a doggy water bowl, too. 

The mystery of the missing blue slipper remained. I found it later when I went in the bathroom.

It was in the toilet.

Charges have been brought against two dogs who were previously named as persons of interest in the case.

PRINCESS –– LEADER OF THE PACK. Charge 1. Engaging in Major Shenanigans, including the theft of 3 slippers.  Charge 2.  Impersonating a well-behaved dog who graduated from an expensive training school.   Charge 3. Laughing at Mommy when she found a slipper in the toilet.

ALICE  ––  MEMBER OF THE PACK.  Charge 1. Aiding and abetting Major Shenanigans.   Charge 2. Impersonating a dog too frightened to engage in bad behavior.   Charge 3. Hasn't stopped snickering at Mommy since Mommy stomped into the family room wearing one blue slipper.

Trial scheduled to commence October 20. Snowbird Gramma scheduled to return October 16. Devils in fur coats will be found innocent before trial begins.

Infinities of love,

Janie Junebug

This post is my last for this week. See you Monday.