Weather Report from the Bridge: Torrential Downpour

I was sitting on the front porch with Fella this morning, having a cigar and a particularly good batch of Smooch Hooch.  I was talking to Fella about where I had hid the recipe and the still, laughing and wondering how long it would take Hattie Mae, Lily, Leo, Finley and the rest to find it.  It was a beautiful day, nothing but wonderful fluffy clouds, the sun shining not too hot, not too cold.  I had leaned over to Fella to say, "Lou eee is the key, I keep trying to tell Hattie Mae that, hopefully she will figure out the x I keep leaving her", when all of a sudden I was soaked.  It was pouring down rain.  I looked over at Fella and his eyes were wide but he was dry.  

I got up and the rain kept moving with me.  I went running to Foley's place and knocked.  I didn't want to barge in and get her digs wet.  Foley came to the door and looked at me smiling.  "Foley, Foley.  What is happening?",  She looked at me and gave me a gentle pat.  "Come look, Smoochy".  

I stepped over to what looked like a mirror and saw Mama sitting at the table bawling her eyes out.  Foley spoke quietly, "She finally went to the post office and picked up her mail", she nodded and slipped her teeny paw on top of mine.  We sat together and watched as Mama opened the mail.

The first thing she opened was a package.  It was from Whiskey, Blue and Jasper.  A beautiful Chinese Dogwood Tree.  The rain intensified and I moved away from Foley a bit not wanting to get her soaked.  But, instead of trying to keep the "tears" off of me, I sat and reveled in them.  Every sweet salty drop falling on my head and fur.

Then I watched her open, with trembling fingers, watched her open a package from Freddy.  Okay, I was gonna drown now.  It was a beautiful *what can I say, I am beautiful* picture of me.  I gasped as I saw it.  What a wonderful gift.

She reached for another package and I shed a tear.  It was a beautiful suncatcher from my beloved Raja and of course Logan and Brody.  

And then I gave up trying to keep Foley dry, it was inmpossible.  She opened a package from Hattie Mae and Jackie Lynn.  Oh My, a wonderful book "Paw Prints in the Stars".  I saw Mama try to read it all and she could not.  And then a piece of paper fell out of the book and Foley's tears matched mine and Mama's as we read it.  It is beautifully written and so meaningful.  Tears coursing down her cheek as she breathed a thank you.

A card fell out of the pile as if begging to be read.  She picked it up and it was from my Florida friend.  Hobo and Wylie had sent a special card to Mama and it brought more of that salty rain.  

JKWE and the Boyz had sent several cards to Mama.  I saw her read one from Finley.  Each card bringing more kleenex.  It looked like a snowstorm in the dining room and a monsoon here on my head.

Hattie Mae and Jackie Lynn, more cards, even while dealing with Jackie Lynn's own surgery they had thought of Me and Mama.  

I heard Mama sigh that sigh and she reached for another one and wonder of wonders she started laughing.  The tears were still coming but the laughter had reached an almost maniacal tone.  Then the strangest thing happened.  She raised the letter up and said in a strange tone  "Smoochy, you saved me $25.00 this year."  She laid the letter back down on top of the stack and lifted up away from the table.

I looked at the letter:
Your 2016 Dog License is overdue!!!! (three exclaimation points - seriously)
Pay by May 10th to avoid late fees or other possible actions.

I looked at Foley and she looked at me.  We just laid against each other laughing.  The rain had stopped and somehow things seemed a little brighter in the world.