Rainy Day Clutter

Into each life some rain must fall. -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Here in Maine, we have four seasons. But, unlike our fellow global citizens, ours run a bit differently: we have Summer, Autumn, Winter and Mud. Spring doesn't exist, or if it does, it only appears in greeting cards, romantic movies or in the places we choose to travel to between March and June. Mud season isn't simply a joke amongst Mainiacs. It's a way of life. We have to plan our schedules, our lives and our homes around the influx of torrential rain, melting snow, and yards filled with gloppy, La Brea tar-pit style mud. Shoes have been known to have been sucked down by the Evil Mud Season monsters that lurk in lawns, never to be heard from again. The necessary gear to combat mud season clutters up most Maine homes: several pairs of boots per person (as one will always need to dry), umbrellas, foul weather jackets, hats, lighter weight spray jackets and water proof gloves. It's not uncommon to feel far more soaked to the skin and chilly in April, than it is in January. Mud Season is like that. It's raw.

Unfortunately, Mud Season also tends to leave the house a mess. All of the rain gear can quickly take over front halls and spill over into other areas of the house. My own home tends to look like a sporting goods department store...as each one of us 'shed' our accoutrement's as we enter. A house I've just cleaned can become trashed in a matter of minutes, as my teenagers and their friends come home from school. After years of frustration, I've learned some tricks of the Mud Season trade:

• Everyone must hang up wet rain jackets in the laundry room. This keeps the dripping from getting the house soaked from random coats all over, as well as keeps dry coats dry by not sticking wet ones right next to them in the closet.
• Bring inside an over sized (I have a 4x normal one) doormat. These can be as basic, or as artistic, as your heart desires. I went with function over style. These larger mats provide a place not just to wipe feet, but to store wet boots, and shoes, lined up. I try to keep a towel next to the mat to help wipe off boots before we put them back on. Rubber boots can be taken outside, once dry, and the dirt can be brushed off them easily.
• Allow umbrellas to dry on the porch (or garage) before bringing them in. There's nothing quite as soaking as trying to close an umbrella after you take off your coat. Once dry, place them in an umbrella stand. Additionally, don't wait for Hurricane Alice to see if your umbrellas are still in good shape. Make certain they're in working order before you grab one and head to work. There's nothing quite so disheartening as running out into a storm, only to realize that your umbrella has a gaping tear, and has been overextended.
• If you have dogs, as I do, just getting them in and out without ruining carpets can be a losing battle. A friend gave me a Mugoh Mat and I wanted to poo-poo it (pun fully intended!). I am thrilled...I have it just inside the door from which I let my two pets outside, and it really does soak up the worst of the rain and mud off their paws. While it doesn't help with my mud loving half-Newfoundland (who is a roller in mud lakes), it certainly takes up the worst of the wet wear and tear for other people's normal dogs.

Mud season is truly awful. It's no fun to deal with gray skies, chilly temps and wet feet. It's dreadful to clomp around in muck. But with some easy methods, surviving these rainy days can make life that much easier until the warmth of summer arrives.