Mud Puppies

We live in an area that regularly gets less than 18 inches of precipitation in a whole year. Imagine what it is like if we get a fourth of that in one day. We have had major flooding in the past along our little "river". The most recent was caused by remnants of Hurricane Dolly. There are places in town that are still recovering.

This week we have had a ton of rain. Almost 4 inches here in town and over 5 inches up by the lake. Sounds like a good way to get out of the grip from the drought.  But, last year we had a major wildfire that burned most of the vegetation. So, now there is nothing to keep the water from rushing downhill. 

So far, so good. No major damage and no bridges out yet. But, rain is expected for the next 3 days. Our back yard backs up to a vertical cliff that is approximately 30 feet high. When we get rain like this, we get a waterfall right into the yard. Could be really nice except it is always really muddy water and totally floods the yard. So, the dogs can't spend too much time out there without getting really dirty.  They get covered in mud from head to fuzzy tail!  Okay, that is a problem. But the real problem is that when they come in, they always wait to shake until they are inside the house. Mud and dirty water gets flung all over!  What a mess. Why couldn't they do that outside?  Honestly, they look like they have been rolling in the mud. 

I meet them at the door with a beach towel and catch each one and dry them off as much as possible. But, my floors need mopping several times a day and the walls and everything else needs cleaning as well.  So, until the water goes down some, I am taking the dogs out on a leash to potty in the front. It is less muddy there. They don't like it, but I am sure it won't be for long. The plus side is with their waterproof coats, they are relatively clean once they dry off.