Last night it rained. I woke up to a dark, damp day stilled by the humidity. The weather prediction for today keeps changing. The latest said more rain is coming.

Henry is a barker. He barks at whatever passes by my house. That includes everything from rabbits on the lawn to school busses rumbling down the street. Nala seldom barks. She leaves that to Henry, but when she does bark, I am often the target. She barks at me in indignation of something I did or didn’t do. I have to guess.

My father always told me not to stop the dog from barking because he is protecting me. It seems Henry protects me from the mailman in his truck, people walking their dogs, my neighbor’s car, the brown rabbit eating grass and the kids who play on the street.

When I was a kid, certain things were inevitable. The summer would end. August was the last bastion of freedom as I knew it. School would begin.

Life as I knew it changed once school started. We only had a little time after school to play and the amount of playtime was ruled by the street lights. Bedtime was earlier. My mother woke us up early. It was always a bit of a shock.

I admit the first day of school was exciting though not worth the famous countdowns we used for Christmas and vacations. I carried my new lunch box and new school bag. I wore my uniform but every part of it was new, from my blouse to my shoes. I got to see friends I hadn’t seen since school ended. I met my new teacher. We all knew who taught what grades so we hoped for the nicer one. There were two classes per grade so it was happenstance if my friends were in my class. I remember for that first day my mother packed a special lunch meant to brunt the horror of eating it at my desk in my classroom. The Hostess cupcakes helped.

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