The Reigning Queen!

Pennsylvania may have its Groundhog Day with the famous Punxsutawney Phil waiting to see his shadow, but here in Bellingham we have the Official Pacific Northwest Rain Festival featuring Mattie, the Prognosticating Pug! Held aloft by one of the Ladies of the Evening, the Reigning Queen pets the top of Mattie's head. If she's wet, there will be eight more weeks of rain. If the outline of the sun is seen and the top of Mattie's head is dry then there will be only seven more weeks of rain. The sun shone today and Mattie stayed quite dry, so I guess we can look forward to one less week of rain this year! The Official Northwest Rain Festival is billed as one of the shortest festivals in the world, lasting just long enough for the Reigning Queen and her court, the Ladies of the Evening, accompanied by Dirty Dan Harris (the founder of what was once the town of Fairhaven and is now an historic district) to make a grand entrance, invite spectators to recite rain poetry, admire those who show up in costume and then retire to the nearest pub. A good time was had by all and sundry.

I ran into Pilipo at the festival and I'm looking forward to seeing what he posts for today.