This is Deputy Digby Pancake.  Oh, what a weekend this has been.  We drove a long time from the Jacksonville city to the Tampa city in this Florida place to see Gandma and Gandpa.

We borrowed a car because the Jeep wouldn’t make it and Boy Person had to stay with the Big Blue Treat Wagon RV to keep it company.  But after four hours, we finally pulled down our old road.  And it was like we had never left.

You know, I have always heard that time passes quickly.  And I suppose that is true.  But it is also true that in a way, time seems to stand still in some places.  Like home.  There may be new people, there may be new buildings.  But when you heart lives there, things pretty much stay the same if you have left for a day, or years.  Because what you remember in your heart is what will always be.

As we went to Granny Person’s house, she wasn’t there anymore.  Cuddles and our Aunt Person live there now.  And no, I won’t lie.  Brickle cried a little bit when Granny didn’t come outside with our peanuts.

But as we took a walk in the orange grove. We started to think a little bit.  I mean, I didn’t but Brickle and Girl Person did.

I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin’, singin’ in the rain

It is easy when you miss people and somewhere so bad to let your happy be taken away by the memories.  But we made an effort to not do that.  We tried not to think about if we had stayed, or if the people we missed were still here.  Because nothing like that could be changed.  And if we let the sad take away the happy and the moment we were having right then, what good would that do? So, we sat in our usual places in the grove.  We ate a good dinner, and we had good snacks and we were happy.

Girl Person was super excited to take a clean, hot shower not in a campground prison dirty shower, and she jumped right in.  I was also feeling pretty excited, and was so excited that I forgot I had to pee.  Real bad.  And then.  Well, I decided hey.  I had to go and I couldn’t wait.  I also got excited that I had space and could run around and all of this was happening at once.  And then.  The weather forecast should have warned for a deluge.  Because that is what I had to do.  In Gandma’s closet. And let me tell you what.  After that rain, I sure felt better.

Just singin’, singin’ in the rain
Dancing in the rain
I’m happy again
I’m singin’ and dancing in the rain
I’m dancing and singin’ in the rain

Now. You may wonder.  Is that proper etiquette for a house guest to do…pee in a closet?  Well, I may wonder why no one realized that I shouldn’t have drank about two gallons of water or why they didn’t take me outside before I had to go, or why Girl Person turned on the shower, which made me hear water and then I couldn’t hold in all that water.  Exactly.  I wondered.

But all of this was my plan.  Why? Because I am Digby Pancake.  Deputy Digby Pancake.  And part of my job is to make everyone laugh, to remember that there is always happy, even when it is raining.  We all should sing in the rain.  Because why do anything else?

I’m laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun’s in my heart
And I’m ready for love

Because, you see, as Gandma was cleaning up the puddle…I mean river…and Girl Person was apologizing in horror, a funny thing happened.  It didn’t matter we had been gone from this place so long.  It didn’t matter that we didn’t live right next door anymore.  It didn’t mean anything that time had changed us all a little bit.  All that mattered was the pee, y’all.  All that matter was laughing.  All that mattered was that after the rain, it had cleared up our hearts a bit.  To start fresh.  To start on the next chapters of life.  We were turning the page. And cleaning up pee.

Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain

So if you are in a bit of rain, remember that if you sing, it will make it feel better and don’t forget that the sun will come back out again.  Also remember not to put any good clothes or shoes in your closet if I come over.

-Deputy Digby Pancake

Have you met Rambo The Puppy?  Find him on Facebook today to make your Monday just a little bit brighter!