“Into each life some rain must fall.”

Who wrote it, when and why?

The great American Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) penned the line in 1842 in the last stanza of his poem “The Rainy Day.” What does it mean? The last line of the poem says it well: “Some days may be dark and dreary.” But, not all. Three lines up, Henry reminds us: “Behind the clouds is the sun still shining.” I like that. Yes, there may be difficult days, challenging times and even at times seemingly insurmountable obstacles, but always remember, there is hope waiting there behind the clouds that can seem so dark.

I hope there was for the muskrat.

Muskrats are curious and unusual animals. Smaller than beavers, they look like beavers. The tail is bit different. They spend most of their lives in the water in homes somewhat like beaver homes. I guess they smell somewhat musky (whatever that means) and I don’t think they look like rats, which are a distant and not welcome relative. So, that may explain the name “muskrat.” All I know is that I shouldn’t have done it. I’m afraid I was one day almost the rain that fell on a friendly muskrat.

At early morning men’s meeting today, I said, “I dreamed about muskrats last night.”

To my astonishment, the fellow standing next to me quipped, “You know I trapped muskrats when I was a boy in Illinois. They paid me $2 a fur.”

I winced and responded, “I know. It was the money. That’s why I almost did it. I mean I was just a boy in Iowa and my friend talked me into buying the trap and hiking to the river and wading into the weeds and setting that trap. The next day . . . oh, it was horrible.”

“What?”

“I caught one.”

“What did you do? Did you skin it?

“No. I couldn’t. I mean it looked right at me. I let it go.”

“Captain and Tennille” know what I mean. Both were young musicians working for other artists when, in 1974, Captain Daryl Dragon and Toni Tenille formed their own group. (The two were married in 1975, reportedly on Valentine’s Day.) The couple and their music took off like a rocket. In 1976, they released their fifth Gold Record (over 500,000 sold) and the name of that hit song is: “Muskrat Love.” It went to the top of the charts and stayed there for weeks. Who would have thought that a romantic song about two muskrats named Susie and Sam would break from the dreary day into the shining sun? Tenille, Captain and Longfellow would. Captain was so excited he even added the sounds of the muskrats talking muzzle to muzzle. Here’s what they’re saying to each other in the song:

“Nibbling on bacon, chewing on cheese
Sam says to Suzie, Honey, would you please be my Mrs.
Suzie says yes with her kisses”

Now, there’s a Valentine’s Day song. Give it a listen. You know, maybe that’s why I dreamed of that muskrat last night. It does sound like him in the song.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and yours wherever you may be.

Grandpa Jim