SMILING IN THE RAIN

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE



Last week after countless rainy days and stormy weather (I love that jazz standard song), the TV frogs at last forecast a lull !

Great ! First because my cute little bear ( chapter 46 : a bear in Brittany) had swallowed so many mouthfuls of water that he was threatening to give his notice and flee to a less turbulent place *, secondly because poor Ulysse had had to make do with
" do-your-business -and-rush-back-home "walks, and was about to turn into a couch potato ! What a disgrace fo guy named Ulysse !

The next morning the weather was rather chilly, but a cold spell doesn't matter if you wrap up warm.
So, I put on a windbreaker, a wooly scarf, gloves and lined boots ( the perfect equipement to keep away sorethroat and a bunged-up nose) and off I went to my favourite dogwalking place : a lovely path running along The Goyen river.
There Ulysse can frolic off leash, sniff the ground and get news from his pals, and whatever the time you stroll along the banks, the landscape is always breathtaking.

There I was, treading slowly and daydreaming. Suddenly dark clouds gathered overhead and a heavy gust of wind swept over the river and shook the trees.
High time to turn back before the shower !
Uysse didn't really agree, but prevention is better than cure, isn't it ?

On my way back I passed quite a lot of sullen hikers bitching and complaining about either the unreliable weather forecast, or, worse, about Breton climate !!
It seemed all those grouchy people had just decided to ruin my good mood.
I tried to melt away their grumps, but soon I caught myself cursing opticians for not fixing windscreen wipers on glasses !
A fog of bad mood was rising and blurring my cheerfulness !

I was about to give in to that fit of temper when I caught sight of an elderly man coming towards me. He was wearing a sailcloth Breton smock and trousers, and a navy blue cap.
When he came close to me, he lifted his cap a little and greeted me with a warm smile !
Have you noticed how contagious smiles are ???

In a split second, my bad mood had faded away.
That man's smile had made my day !!

Then he walked away ignoring the downpour and I said to myself  :

"What a wonderful world !" ( thanks Mr Armstrong for such a beautiful song !!).

You see, life is enjoyable, and anyway, it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown, so, BE LAZY AND SMILE !l

*Dear Mimi, don't worry, dear Teddy sang " Gimme shelter " so well that I let him in .