A gloomy day dawned this morning. Dark, the kind of moody appearance to the day that makes you want to just snuggle down deeper into the covers. Jackie and Jillie were certainly prepared to do just that. But Monday's a busy cleaning day, so up we got. Reluctantly but determinedly. 

 

Although the rain was streaming heavily down, two of the fencing workers were out with a large trailer, preparing to haul it away. Despite the cool atmosphere and the ill-tempered rain, they were filling that good-sized trailer that had stood empty over the weekend with detritus, ranging from the old disassembled fencing to huge clods of muck they had pulled up out of the backyard enabling the installation of the fence posts.

 

And that was a huge relief. Piles of mucky clay sat firmly, dense and thick, on parts of the backyard walkway, including some areas that were difficult to avoid stepping on, making a right royal mess on boots and wherever that clay separated from the boots as we went about  cleaning up the gardens on the weekend. That accomplished, the full trailer was covered with a tarp and driven away for disposal. They returned the empty trailer to sit on the road, then left for the day. Still plenty of fencing left dumped for future removal.

For the first time in a week we were able to let Jackie and Jillie out into the backyard instead of the side of the house. They took shelter under the deck, as they often do when it's raining, but they accomplished their morning evacuations. And they were hungry for breakfast. The rain seems to accentuate appetite while at the same time making us feel lazy once we've eaten; our puppies are no different.

 

The house interior was dark, but also, in my opinion, comfortably cozy. Even when we had all the lights blazing away, there was a prevailing dusky atmosphere. And in those conditions, Irving's stained glass windows really make their presence known. Just as in the forest when we're there in a light rain or after a heavy rain, colours seem intensified and glow, the windows do the same. The house interior may be dark, but the windows glow, their colours vibrant and resonating with subtlety otherwise not seen.

When we had finished the house cleaning in midafternoon, Jackie and Jillie were joyful, all the confining doors were thrown open and they could follow us out of the family room once the floors had dried in bathrooms, foyer, kitchen, laundry room, powder room, breakfast room. Time to relax, since we were shut out of a walk. They don't really mind, at that point it's their afternoon vegetable salad that seems most important to them.

 

While I changed from my 'work clothes', they ran rambunctiously around the bedroom, getting the only exercise that would engage them today. Leaping from loveseat to bed, from bed onto scatter rugs that slid halfway across the room. I don't mind them leaping on the bed, I do mind it when Jackie sometimes goes a little berserk, leaping at pillows stacked at the head of the bed, crushing them, and finally ensconcing himself comfortably deep between them. While we chuckle at the sight of his little face peeking out at us, I grumble at having to remake the bed after that all-day cleaning.

 

Could be the leaf-motif on the upper comforter used as a bedspread convinces Jackie he's in the ravine, and that a huge gust of wind spread green autumn leaves generously all over the bed enticing him to delve as deeply into it as he can manage for ultimate comfort.

 

I'm preparing one of Irving's favourite dinners; cooking a small corned beef we'll have with crisped-in-olive-oil baby potatoes and honeyed carrots. It's a meal that won't be shared with the puppies since I don't think the spices in corned beef are suitable for defenceless little dogs.

Last time I looked out the front door it was still raining, still dark and morose-looking. We don't really mind missing our otherwise-daily hike through the forest on days like this. When, rarely, no opportunity presents itself through a lull in the weather for us to go out however briefly with the puppies. On with the fireplace, we're ready to fully relax while the aroma of simmering corned beef wafts through the house.