Yesterday gifted us with a sternly glowering sky, promising to dump ample rain on our landscape. We need the rain, so no complaints, not really. Not from us, in any event. A different story for people who have scheduled ahead of time and depend on the weather co-operating to ensure their plans are successful.

As for us, despite the overhead dark smudgy clouds moved swiftly along by a wind up there, with only more dark smudgy clouds to take their place, we still enjoyed a long woodland tryst with nature. The squirrel population, red, grey, black are instantly alert to our presence and come a-running to ensure they get their daily peanut treats.

After our walk we still hadn't experienced a downpour, although a light sprinkle did occur from time to time. I felt somewhat guilty about not having spent time in the gardens of late, cleaning things up, just the usual stuff of ensuring that neatness prevailed and the garden did not submit, as is its wont, to utter bedlam. So, despite the incipient rain - or because of it and the shelter from the sun's rays - I spent a few pleasurable hours snipping and exhorting the garden to order.

And then, down it came, just as I was finishing up, just as our next-door neighbour was inviting the presence of cars driving up, dropping off work buddies to enjoy an afternoon of leisure, sun and fun in their backyard pool - an annual event that went awry this year.

At midnight, when we were ready to turn in for the night, nature turned on the faucet at full blast. So little Button and Riley couldn't go out as usual before bedtime. Despite which, they slept in this morning, as we often do when dawn doesn't bring sunlight coursing into our bedroom windows, but instead continued darkness, because of the ongoing rain.

And this morning they had to wear raincoats to get out there in the backyard to do their business.