“It’s raining”, Pip thinks to herself. She wakes up to a dreary morning in the hollow of the big cypress tree in the Watercolor Woods. "Ugh” she groans as she rolls over, listening to the raindrops dancing outside.

“Pip, wake up. It’s raining!” chirps a familiar voice. Mia, a blue jay who lives near the hollow in the tree, is Pip’s closest friend.

“Yaaaaahn” Pip stretches her legs and yawns. “Here I come, Mia.” Pip rubs her eyes, and with the twitch of the whiskers makes her way to the entrance.

Mia’s feathers are ruffled from the rain, “Good morning!”

“Good morning, Mia. I can hear the rain.” Pip grumbles. “It sounds like a long, boring day here in the nest today. What can we do?”

Mia flutters over to join Pip, her feathers still fluffed up with beads of water from the rain. “Let’s make the most of this rainy day. Follow me!”

“Okay? Let’s go!” Pip squeals with excitement. She follows Mia through the underbrush of the woodland floor.

“Stay behind me. I will keep us dry.” Mia instructs, hopping over a puddle.

“Look! Here.” Mia points to a mass of tree roots covered with ferns growing in and around them. “The fern fronds work like umbrellas and will keep us dry.”

Mia says, “I discovered this place last spring during a heavy downpour of a storm. It’s perfect.”

Pip surveys the hidden hideaway, “This is amazing, Mia! The tree roots and the ferns entangled create the perfect camouflaged, secret hideaway.”

“Thank you, Mia, for inviting me here, and sharing it with me. The mossy floor is soft and cozy.” Pip manages to express while rolling around the moss.

Mia grins and pats her wing on the ground next to her, “Sit with me and listen to the melody of the raindrops.”

“Drip, drop. Drip, drop.” The rain sings a soothing song while Pip and Mia nestle together.

“Do you want to hear a story?” Mia asks with a twinkle in her eyes.

Pip nods, “Yes, please!” Her ears perk up in anticipation.

“Uh-um,” Mia clears her throat and tells a tale of mystery and intrigue. Her voice rises and falls with each twist and turn of the story.

“What a wonderful imagination you have Mia,” interjects Pip with a giggle.

Mia finishes the story, “And, the woods fell silent under the light of the moon.”

Pip jumps to her feet, clapping applause, “Incredible story! You are a talented storyteller.”

Mia, preening her feathers, blushes, “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Rainy days make great storytelling days. They also make great memory-making days.”

“Listen. The rain sounds like it is tapering off.” Pip peeks out of their secret hideaway.

“I’m hungry,” Pip declares. “My stomach is growling. What should we have for lunch?”

Mia has that look of excitement again, and that twinkle in her eye. “I know just the thing. Follow me!”

Together, they begin a hunt for tasty treats on the woodland floor.

“I found nuts and berries,” shouts Mia.

“And I see mushrooms, lots of mushrooms,” hollers Pip dancing in a puddle.

Gathering as much as they can carry, Mia gets another idea. “Let’s have a picnic!”

“This will do nicely,” Pip says arranging their treats in the mushroom caps. “Let’s eat here near the secret hideaway, just in case the rain starts again.”

The two share more stories and memories of explorations in the woods. The rain begins again.

“Hurry, into the hideaway. Quick, Mia!” Pip laughs rolling across the moss.

The afternoon fills with Pip and Mia reminiscing, enjoying their time together.

“The day is almost over, Mia” Pip sighs looking out.

“Today was perfect,” Mia murmured leaning against Pip’s side. They watch the sky darken and the stars begin to twinkle. “We should head home.”

They climb back up the trunk of the big, old cypress. Pip scurries into her hollow, and Mia settles down to roost on a branch nearby.

“Thank you for turning a cloudy, gloomy, dreary, rainy day into an adventure with memories I will always cherish,” Pip tells Mia.

“Anytime Pip.” Mia yawns.

And, with that, Pip and Mia are soon asleep. Sweet dreams fill their night with joy, friendship, and promises of many more adventures together in the Watercolor Woods.