Friday, September 24, 2010

Why does Wilton Manors smell like Wet Dog and Coffee

Another one of those early walks.  I was up a bit early so the whole schedule slipped early.   At least up until this point since I'm back on the schedule.

I managed to get out the front door and looked up at the conditions.  There was a mackerel sky - clouds that were "broken" toward the South and West, and thought nothing of it.  There was a scent on the air, the usual Florida humidity was joined by the scent of fresh coffee.   Being early, I had just taken the time to roast up some coffee beans and they were cooling in the kitchen while I was out.  The process of roasting coffee does tend to perfume the air, the upholstery and everything nearby.  Since I was the one doing the job, I was perfumed as well.  What amused me was that while I was wearing the finest Decaffeinated cologne money could buy, the air smelled like coffee.  I pointed my nose into the breeze and realized that I had gotten my neighbor across the street starting to home roast coffee, and this must have been her day roasting too. 

Cologne loves company.

I had decided that today Mrs Dog needed a long walk.  A long walk for us is a full mile, exactly.  From the house, down to the bottom of the city, and back past the bars on Wilton Drive.  She needs the walk because she's put on 3 pounds in the last couple months.  Three pounds is not a lot for me, or you the reader, but for a 47 pound dog, its like my putting on 10 pounds.  The equivalent of going from a comfortable pair of pants to not being able to put them on.

She doesn't like to walk at 5pm, the dog walking hour, because the sun is still high and she's almost all black.  White and some tan accents, she's a border collie.  In this climate that also means she's a solar panel that retains heat.   The 5pm walk has been getting shorter and shorter as a result through the summer. 

It doesn't take much to put on weight.  100 calories more taken in per day and a month later you put on one pound.  Do that too often and you become a bit unhappy.   With the dog it's our duty to watch that sort of thing on our own.  When she hit 50 pounds, I decided that the next day her morning walks would be longer.

That was today. 

I did manage to get past the park near the house and looked up over the trees and houses and noticed that the full moon was now fully covered by clouds and still thought it looked fine for a walk. 

When I got past NE 21st CT, about a quarter of the way through, the sound track of Earth Wind and Fire was playing as I waved to the officer I know in the cruiser.  With a chirp, he passed... and as I turned to watch him pass, I noticed that the clouds were building toward the Ocean, only 2 and a half miles away.

We finally got back to the Drive and noticed that there was a fine mist in the air.   I managed to stand between two buildings and looked at the new light poles on the Drive.  They're intended to put light on the sidewalk and they do an excellent job of that.  I could easily read in that light.

The problem came right then and there.   The skies opened up fully.  

This being Florida, there are little storms that may not even show on radar that float through.  The radar site that is at the Fort Lauderdale Airport doesn't always show on the weather sites I look at so I end up interpolating between Miami and West Palm Beach.   Someone needs to plug that one in because we're in an almost dead zone at this point.

The storms hit and pass in the span of 10 minutes and you're able to move on, so I made use of the generous awning in front of the New City Hall.   Knowing I'd be there for a while, I decided to sit down against the wall under the awning and watch and wait.

Usually Mrs Dog is very anxious when it rains, but this time she was smiling contentedly.

Still the smell of coffee was on the air, perfuming my shirt, her wet fur and the immediate area. 

But as I've said for a while now:  It's Florida, You Get Wet, You Dry Off, No Problem. 

Umbrellas not required.

I think I'll have another mug... double sweet, single cream...

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