Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Regret for wasted time is more wasted time.






The PON duo disappear out of the front door. Bob heads off to the orchard in pursuit of blackbirds. Sophie disappears into the clump of wild irises by the gate. When she reappears it's clear from the mud on her nose and paws that she's been 'improving' the garden. 

Every French shop has one. A retired employee who comes in to 'help' out. At the lawn tractor dealership we meet Gilbert. He asks if I need any help. I tell him I'm just looking. This is a mistake. The next ten minutes are filled with his potted life history. The bottom line is that the youngsters ( he points to a  man in overalls who must be at least sixty five ) don't know anything about lawn tractors. Gilbert then fills me in on the finer points of mechanised grass cutting. Discerning that I'm foreign he repeats his sales patter.  Where possible he uses visual aids to make sure I've understood.

Gilbert finally stops talking to Angus and starts talking  to Bob and Sophie. He does this without any hint of embarrassment.  They sit and look at him hoping their may be sausage. Life, when you're a one year old PON, is full of unexpected wonders.


16 comments:

WFT Nobby said...

It seems entirely reasonable that Gilbert would be exchanging ideas on garden management with Bob and Sophie.

CheerfulMonk said...

I talk to dogs whenever I get the chance. No hint of embarrassment here.

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

The mud on the nose....we immediately thought Bob. Springtime and a young girl's heart turns to gardening.

SHE can't even follow a discussion on lawn mowers in English, much less a second language.

XXXOOO Bella & Roxy

Julie said...

I'm learning the joys of garden reorganisation by a puppy, so far just the dandelions being beheaded and the herb garden trimmed.
We think Dad should have mowed the lawn to avoid dandelions.
Anyone remember the Herb Garden on TV, Parsley the Lion and Dill the Dog ?
Maybe we should rename her DIll !

kks said...

looks like spring is in full swing in your part of the world!! the ice is just starting to come off the lake here in wisconsin….
xoxo

Whispering Walls said...

Is that Wisteria? Looks beautiful!

Emm said...

Not just wisteria, but those look like peonies blooming. I'm jealous. Don't tell the PONs about them.

VirginiaC said...

Gilbert may be putting some of the actual paid employees to shame..at least he offered to help.
We could use a few Gilberts here on the island.
Sophie is definitely in spring gardening mode....have fun....I think a few more bushes will be rearranged just to her liking.

MLou said...

More glorious wisteria photos. Like some of your other readers, I grow the non-blooming wisteria variety. The bushy growth promises blooms and it disappoints every year. The blooming spectacle is a beautiful background for your muddy nosed gardener.

Louise said...

The waiters and roses look so beautiful.

Visual aids. Haha. Well, you are indeed foreign.

Louise said...

Waiters? Autocorrect drives me bonkers. WISTERIA!

houndstooth said...

Something tells me Bob and Sophie were a lot more interested in what he had to say than you were!

Anonymous said...

Please try to keep the dogs away from the wisteria. While it is a gorgeous plant, it is highly toxic to dogs.
Dog training class yesterday. I remember all of the dogs' names, but not the owners' names....

Kari said...

If I were inclined to buy a garden tractor, I would purchase one only from someone who felt comfortable talking to Bob and Sophie. I dislike when people ignore or talk down to
animals.

Angus said...

They don't understand things have to be paid for !

Angus said...

Yes. It blossomed three times last year. We had one in a house in Markham Square that did the same thing. Does awful things to the foundations which is why we've always had leaning staircases.