A few Saturday mornings ago I woke up to gray skies and misty rain. The kind of annoying moisture-filled air that frizzes my hair and there is nothing I can do to stop it. It was the kind of morning that makes you want to crawl back in bed and pull the covers over your head until the sun decides to come out. (Although lately that’s every morning for me.)

But I couldn’t do that. I had a date with destiny. We’ll, rather, I had a date with my daughter, a dog, and a library.

20170114_111010Wondering if you read that right? Yep, a dog and a library. The City of Fairfax Library to be exact. They have a program every other Saturday and some Tuesdays where kids can come and read to a dog. If you live in the area you can check out information about it and sign up here.

Read to dogs you say?  Why would you do that? They can’t understand you.
Well that may be the case but that doesn’t mean the dogs and the kids don’t get something out of it. The dogs get attention, love and soothing voices talking to them. The experience is so warm, it’s like cuddling up next to a cozy, furry fire.

It’s a great program. My daughter read three books to Rufus, the dog on this particular day, including a book about narwhals. Rufus sometimes sat and listened as Ella stroked his back. Periodically he’d get up and circle around, nudging anyone else nearby to make sure everyone around was also listening and probably also just to 20170114_105209get a few more scratches behind his ears.

When another girl arrived,  a regular at the program, Rufus recognized her and laid down immediately. She tucked her knees up against his belly and read him a chapter from the Puppy Place book series (very appropriate).
We ended the morning with some coffee and hot chocolate at the nearby De Clieu cafe (and brought my book The Travelers along for the excursion). Sure it was still gloomy but we didn’t care anymore. Dogs and books.  That’s apparently all you really need to make it shine on a gloomy day.