The sky is white and I am tired.Everything went bleak and hazy last evening, as a much-needed storm swept in and blew the trees wildly around. Sam shivered and panted under the thunder and lightning while Mia perched with her usual sophistication, unphased.
Forty minutes later the streets were drenched and the power blinked out. We lit candles and huddled down as night fell and the house grew black--all except for a few glowing corners where flames flickered. I drifted into a nap.
A little after eight, we decided to venture out in search of dinner, and ended up at the Boston seafood house down the street, which was surprisingly packed. We munched on fish and chips and chatted with the owner who kept coming around to make friendly conversation. He offered us some sushi to try, which seemed an odd fit in a place reminiscent of the Cheers bar, with Red Sox headlines and pennants adorning the yellow walls.
The rain subsided a bit, and we headed to the bookstore across town. I settled down in a stuffed chair in the corner of the café’ with a stack of art and home magazines, cozy and content to read until we were booted out at 10.
Our house was still dark when we first returned home, but the lights flicked back to life an hour later. Thankful for the air conditioner returning, we fell asleep late, restless from the grumblings of a late meal in our stomachs.
At 4 AM, we awoke harshly to a loud pounding on the front door. My heart did a somersault. It was a policeman, waking us to report that the house next door was on fire (what is it with all the fires?) and that we had to get outside immediately. Sleepy and disheveled, we dressed in 10 seconds, put scared-y-cat Sam on his leash, left poor Mia to fend for herself (at least temporarily,) and stumbled out to the curb to see what was happening.
Fortunately, there were no flames, only smoke to be seen between the lights of two fire trucks and three times as many police cars. They had the fire under control, but we were still forced to wander the block for close to an hour until it was safe to return inside.
It’s equally dreary today, with thick clouds and quiet streets, but I am glad for it. I will hold off on my plan to clean and bake muffins until the weekend. I need this afternoon to catch up on some sleep.
2 comments:
What IS the deal with all the fires? I'm thankful you were OK. Get some rest!
If your dog shivers and pants during a storm, he(?) has a storm phobia, and should be medicated prior to a storm (ideally), or as soon as you realize that it's about to storm or is storming (the more realistic scenario here in Nashville). You don't need to use a med that knocks him out either; generic Xanax works great with very little side effects, and it's cheap (you need your vet to prescribe it of course).
Most people don't realize it, which is why I write, but storm phobias can be harmful to a dog, even fatal. I certainly didn't know it until I happened to mention my dog's fears to the veterinarian while there for another matter.
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