The Rainbow Day

We awoke to bright sunshine and the promise of a great day. There were low clouds on the horizon, and a few hovering over the hills, but nothing to alert us to the strange weather to come. Sadie and I trotted out for our first walk of the day - and half way through, the fine drops of rain began to fall from a seemingly blue sky. As I glanced to the west, I saw two beautiful rainbows appear, forming a double arc which seemed to dip its toes in Crofton Lake at one end and Chemainus Lake at the other.

Of course, my camera batteries were dead and I'd not brought the spare.

By the time we returned home, and I started out again with Charley - and fresh batteries for the camera - the rainbow had begun to fade:

No matter. For the rest of the day, the Cowichan Valley was treated to bright sunshine, refreshing rain, and brilliant rainbows everywhere. I saw rainbows over Quamichan Lake as I drove into Duncan to run some errands, rainbows over Somenos Marsh as I filled up my car with gas, rainbows over Mt. Prevost as I negotiated the winding country roads heading home.

And rainbows on the evening walks with the dogs:

Brilliant, long lasting, sometimes doubles and sometimes singles, sometimes full arcs stretching from the north end of Salt Spring Island to the hidden coves of Maple and Genoa Bays, sometimes short bursts of colour shooting down from the heavens.

On my last walk of the day, with Sadie by my side, I wandered the beach and watched with awe as rainbows faded and stormy skies turned orange with sunset and the Sea Walk turned silver from the moon.

Shortly after we returned home, Charley had another neurological episode, bumping into walls, losing control of her bowels, disoriented. It lasted only briefly, but each episode leaves her a bit more frail than the one before. I was up with her several times in the night, yet this morning she still managed a short morning walk, a light breakfast of homemade chicken broth and rice (she is having digestive problems once again), and a rousing duet with Sadie at the school kids who dared trespass on her road. And now she is sleeping.

I can't help but wonder -- were those rainbows for her? Were they showing her the Bridge?

Or were they just to remind me that it is a beautiful world, especially when shared with cherished old dogs?