We're only into the first week of December 2022, but already this month is distinguishing itself as extremely weather-odd.  A week ago, Environment Canada issued a brief prognosis on the winter to come, and from what we read in the paper, they got it spectacularly wrong, at this point. Out in Vancouver where winters have been historically mild, our son tells us they've been 'enjoying' inordinately cold weather and snow, when they should be getting rain.

We, on the other hand, known to experience far more colder and snowier weather than British Columbia, are stuck in a spate of above-freezing temperatures that have given us, day after day, rain, with some days having unending rain, from dawn to dusk. And so it has been again, today, a sullen, wet and dark day.

And just to make us feel even better, Jackie refuses to eat anything. Now, that's not unusual for Jackie. He has a normally voracious appetite, but he will stop eating when he feels he's had enough. Jillie is absolutely consumed with food -- now that's a ridiculous statement, but its meaning is obvious; she would eat anything at any time, unstoppably, if we allowed it.

It's Tuesday, and this is the day of the week that we slip out of the house early in the morning to get our food shopping done. How they sense this from the time we get out of bed and dressed, is beyond me, but they do. And they sulk about it. Instead of trotting after us for pre-breakfast treats, they avoid our direct proximity until they know we're leaving and then the wailing begins. They come and stand by the kitchen doorway to watch down the hallway to the mud room as we put on our outerwear and prepare to leave.

Like two little abandoned waifs, appealing to us not to desert them, PLEASE! When we return they're leap about happily, awaiting strokes and kisses and hugs. No use trying to ignore them, they practically crawl all over us. And then they busy themselves sniffing about at everything that gets hauled into the house. They know they'll be getting treats as we unpack the groceries. Despite which, none of the offerings are accepted by Jackie. The residual effects of his funk are enough to make him feel ill-disposed to eat, and he refuses everything.

 

Usually after breakfast we'll go out with them for an earlier-than-normal hike through the forest, and that quickly restores his appetite. Not today. Rain began in the morning and continued all day. A wet, heavily overcast, dark day, one, as the old adage goes 'not fit for man nor beast'. So neither man nor best ventured out for the pleasurable recreation of stretching our limbs and viewing the forest landscape today.