Rain, Thunder, and Hail

I have a litter of two-year-old dogs that I named for different types of weather that were common at my kennel. The three males in the litter are Rain, Thunder, and Hail. These guys are exceptionally big and furry and have a total zest for life. They are very affectionate and enthusiastic about everything.

At my new kennel, we are getting a lot of rain, thunder, and hail. Our position, which is much closer to the mountains than our former property, gives us a close view of storms from every direction. We are in sight of more than one mountain range, and there are no less than three passes (over the continental divide) near us. This causes wind to come from all directions of the compass, and storms may also be visible in any direction you care to look. The lightning and thunder can be quite spectacular.

Today we had a big hailstorm. Hail is quite common in the month of August. This is the third or fourth one we have had this month. It was above 50 degrees F, yet the deck turned white with a half inch of hail, which took a couple hours to melt. The heavy rain made puddles in the dogyard for the first time. This indicates that the dogs have compacted the soil to the point that water does not drain readily. Oh well, the grass was nice while it lasted, and I know the dogs enjoyed the change from the old yard full of dirt and mudholes.