-Lots of small warbling birds outside of my window in the morning. Very nice!

-Met a fly in the bathroom (grrr), took a swipe at it, then promptly forgot its existence, because brain does not function in the morning.

-Pretty, mid-size deer lying dead in the grass en route to school. If I did not know better, I could have pretended it was napping, it looked so peaceful.

-Ladybug in the "boys" bathroom. She was obviously quite the sassy lass.

-Big ol' spider in the bathroom. I fight the feeling when I walk by that the spider is just poised and waiting to pounce on me.

When I got home from school today I got a fun treat waiting for me. The stinky one, who's been not very stinky lately, comes in scuffed and dirty, obviously having rolled around in something that I am hoping against hope is a mix of snow and dirt. I've seen this before, so I stop what I was doing and grab a wet towel. I'm going to try the "bird bath" technique, at least before my parents get home. Wipe, wipe, wipe, wipe, and a few more wipes, and Riley is finally ready to run back outside to get stinky.

She dashes outside, I get back to what I was doing. Riley, not to be deterred by a mere sponge bath, lets loose outside and comes back streaked, covered, ground in, and reeking to high heaven. Aaaaarrrggghhh! She bee-lines for the couch, of course, with me giving chase. No two ways about it, it's bath time for her. P.U.!

Bath time is characterized by flailing awkwardness and terse expressions of oh-please-let-me-have-shampooed-her-thoroughly-or-mom's-gonna-kill-me! I survive and then Riley is suddenly super clean and super shiny. She looks like a whole different dog.