Heron Lake Plateau i've cultivated the stamina of a cartoon basset hound

no problem! omg i love him and your writing style.

It was more difficult for Whim to keep track of the sun's position when the sky was constantly thick with dark rain clouds. On top of that, she was mentally lost in the childlike reverie of splashing in endless puddles, chasing and devouring the rich abundance of rain-excited fish (they were bolder in this weather for some reason), and being a sopping wet mess of enthusiasm in general. Something about the rain was a comfort to her soul, even when it came in the form of a torrential marathon- the likes of which she'd never experienced before. 

So there she was, climbing the plateau, singing quietly to herself about the wonders of the rain. Then she stopped and closed her eyes to shout-sing the final line with everything she had in her. "Raaaaaain Rain, resplendent rain! Soak me to the heart, flood me with deSIIIIRE. We'll marry in the morn, if only you'd stay with me another nIIIGHT!" She wasn't a poet or a songwriter or even a singer, so it was poorly versed and terribly off-key, but she poured her heart and soul into the little diddy.

With eyes shut and snout still pointed towards the sky in a pseudo-dramatic display, she reveled in the feeling of the breeze and the rain all around her, like some kind of Disney princess who had just finished her big song in the movie. At that moment she didn't notice the bony wet boy a short way ahead.