Spontaneous Combustion?

It was another incredibly hot day. Since we are the proud owners of a crystal clear in-ground pool, we came up with the wonderful idea to go for a dip. I let the dog outside, because she LOVES swimming like no other dog I've ever met in my life that wasn't a lab or a newfie.

My dog, who's name is Puppy and who is my best bud, is absolutely terrified of the upright umbrella that we have to shade the glass table out by the pool. It's big, it swivles around, it makes creaky noises, and I routinely go over and pretend that it's attacking me whenever I have the dog in the pool with me. I'm a great friend, I know.

So the poor dog already is terrified of the umbrella. Whilst we were swimming around in the pool, having a nice conversation, the sky begins to turn from bright blue to a foreboeding grey. There is definetly a storm coming.

But we're hot, and we don't care, so we continue swimming, even though the wind has picked up considerably and the dog is spazzing because there are leaves flying everywhere and good old umbrella is doing it's thang.

My back is turned to the table/umbrella, and my mother is facing me. Then her jaw drops wide open and she gasps. "What?!" I ask, panicked, and I spin around in my green tube just in time to see that the umbrella has come undone from the base on the ground and it hovering in mid air. A strong wind gushes and the umbrella swings to the side, putting pressure on the glass.

The glass that shatters into millions of tiny little pieces. It was like slow motion, there was a snapping sound and then it was like dozens of light bulbs being smashed. The glass rained down on the ground, flying in every direction. My mother and I were completely shocked, gazing at the mess for several minutes in awe before we spoke.

And then I remembered that the dog was out, and she didn't have shoes on. And then I remembered that the dog is terrified of the umbrella. It made me laugh out loud, to be honest, because how freakin traumatic must that have been for the poor dog. She's hot, she just wants to go for a swim, and then her worst nightmares come true and the umbrella finally breaks free of its confines, sending glass flying in all directions.

I turn around only to find the dog cowering behind me, with her little cropped tail tucked tightly behind her and her ears plastered to her face. Her eyes are wide open and her body is low to the ground, like someone is coming at her with a giant, talking rolled up newspaper.

She buried herself in my chest and I gave her hug. People say dogs don't like being hugged but I've had two dogs in my life and both of them adored it when I hugged them. I told her it was alright, that the umbrella wasn't going to get her, and then I motioned for her to go inside.

So she ran up along the fence, never taking her eyes off of the fallen umbrella, and she gladly went inside.

The poor dog is probably traumatized for life and will probably never want to be anywhere near the pool, particularly the umbrella, ever again.

It took us probably half an hour and a big bucket/vacuum to clean up all of the glass, and by then the sun was out again and it was blisteringly hot.

Oh mother nature, you're such a tease.