When it rains, it pours.

And it's been pouring for about 24 hours now... we've had 14 inches of rain up here in the hills, and that's just the total for yesterday and this morning. I think we've had more rain this month than we probably get in three years. Totally ridiculous. Even more ridiculous was the water dripping down from not one, not two, but three different spots along the kitchen ceiling. Give me a blessed break.

This roof is about 20 years old now, and being that it's the everyday run-of-the-mill shingled roof, that's about all the time allowed for a roof that's out in the Texas heat and sun. My husband and I cleaned up the windowsills and the kitchen counter-top and the top of the fridge... and that was at 3:30 this morning. It was the second clean-up of the day because I had cleaned the same three places at four o'clock yesterday afternoon... that was the worst of the storms we had, and my husband had fallen asleep and slept right through all the loud thunder and lightning.

First thing this morning, I called five roofing companies. One was local, the others were in the larger towns surrounding ours.  Wonder of wonders, the local guy called me back first.  However, the first sentence out of his mouth told me that I was in trouble--- "Tell me now, just what's wrong wit' dat there roof a yorn."   I told him the problem, he wrote down my address, and then asked me to spell my first name three times before he got it right... and then he said the words that told me I wouldn't be using him to replace our roof--- "Well, I'm right busy now and backed-up till Monday but y'all probably see me out at yore place one day next week."  I told him that would be fine, but as I was saying the words, I was drawing a line through his name on my list of roofers.

My husband went to Home Depot this morning and bought a tarp for the part of the roof where we've had the leaks. This house is three stories... you would think the third floor would be the problem, not the first floor.  Our illustrious handyman R will be here in the morning to help my husband get that tarp on the roof. The instructions on the package says one person can secure the tarp. Anyone believing that needs to go to Brooklyn and have a look at the bridge that's for sale up there.

Savannah has been excellent during these storms. Even at the worst of the thunder, she isn't going into a panic mode. Most likely because she's in the house and stretched out on the TV room sofa like a princess, but still, the thunder has been extremely loud and I wouldn't have blamed her for stressing out. When she hears the noises from the storm, she will go and sit next to me or Gary, just sitting there and waiting for her hug. Which of course she gets, and having a hand on her chest seems to relax her immediately.

With that in mind, my husband did some searching on the Internet... PetCo sells two items for dogs who are sensitive to loud noises... the 'thunder leash' and the 'thunder jacket.'  The jacket looks like a tight-fitting sweater that literally hugs the dog around its chest, making it feel more secure in stressful situations. The leash is sort of like a tight vest, hugging the dog around its chest but not being as bulky as the jacket....  you use your own leash and attach it to the clip-ring on the thunder leash, so when your dog is anxious outside, one pull on the thunder leash will result in a chest-hug for the dog, soothing the dog very quickly.

We were going to drive into College Station yesterday, but the weather squelched that plan and we stayed home. Thankfully so, because friends up the road drove out of town yesterday and had to stay overnight at a hotel because flooded roads prevented them from get back here until early this afternoon.

Savannah still doesn't go near our driveway when I take her outside... the driveway leads to the road, and she wants no part of it now.  When I take her out on the porch, Savannah goes down the back steps and walks straight to the backyard, which is fine.... it keeps us close to the house, I don't have to worry about cars on the road, and if the backyard walking is good enough for Savannah, then it's good enough for me.

We still look at Savannah and realize just how lucky we are that she found her way back home.