Friday, February 23, 2018

Infuriating Nuthatches.

Just another Saturday morning for me but for the PONs it's the start of the best and greatest day ever. Bob races to the front door, his sister is half a head behind him. Bobs legs go through that strange climbing an invisible staircase routine while I put on my shoes. Both tails do their peculiar 360 degree circular motion in both directions at the same time. Humans may view this as comical. For Bob and Sophie it's a sign of purpose. Enormous purpose. Let the derring-do commence.

Air France has been on strike. The air traffic controllers haven't.  At the modern cafe the television is on. The farmers are either having or are about to have another jour de mobilization. A farmer, straight out of central casting, is being interviewed. He is ' uncompromising '. It seems the French President wants to wean the farming sector off government subsidies. Good luck with that.



In the supermarket discounted Father Christmas's are on display next to the first of the ( non-discounted ) Easter eggs. Their is probably a lesson in that but it's too early to think about what it might be.



Maison du Monde, the furniture store on the Rue de la Republique, has closed. Workmen take down the signs to reveal the 70's era logos from the previous occupant - Galeries Billieres. All the town centres around are slowly dying or if not dying retrenching into their cores. The French have discovered out of town shopping malls.



Sophie is infuriated by the Nuthatches. She sits on the lawn and barks at them. They ignore her and munch away at he sunflower seeds in the bird feeder. She finds their audacity infuriating. Nuthatches have, perhaps, the most soulful eyes of any bird. 

Bob plays touch rugby, does a little rug surfing and , while his sister is otherwise engaged with the Nuthatches, heads upstairs for a nap.



So starts a Saturday morning in deepest,deepest France profonde.


Esoteric insight of the day. The earliest evidence of human social structures : https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/paleolithic-burial-sunghir/

And why Scotland - and its railways - will always be different : https://twitter.com/AlexandraMatts/status/967061153015894019




8 comments:

Poppy Q said...

Our Easter eggs have been out for weeks. Easter buns were in the supermarket on December 26th. A few christmas items are lagging on the lower shelves.

WFT Nobby said...

Scotland might be the best country in the world to be a dog on a train. As a Scotrail ticket collector recently said to Bertie, "Dogs are my favourite passengers", as he produced some shortbread from a secret pocket in his uniform.
All eyes on Murrayfield this afternoon!
Cheers, Gail.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Could it be said that a Scottish win this arvo would make it the best day ever for Angus??? Very interesting Sapiens article - ta! YAM xx

Angus said...

In a word - Yes !

Angus said...

Angus and Bob will be in the snug with a six pack ( or in Bobs case a bone ).

Angus said...

For some reason Casino and Intermarche seem to be slow getting the Easter eggs out.

Sheila said...

A couple of years ago, Amtrak finally allowed small crated dogs on some trains. And I think it almost took an act of Congress to get that far.
I once struck up a conversation on a Swedish train platform with a woman accompanied by a beautiful white standard poodle. She and her elegant companion were en route to the south of France all by rail. It was hard for me to imagine that this was even possible given the canine restrictions we face in the US.

Coppa's girl said...

Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies in profusion here, too. Those that aren't sold before the holiday is over will make appearances on the shelves from time to time over the year !
Discounted Father Christmases - stock up early for next Christmas?
Dogs not allowed on trains or buses, and few taxi drivers will carry any animal, here in Spain. It's not a particularly animal friendly country. I do take my well behaved Lab. with me to restaurants and cafés, but choose to sit outside on the terrace to eat.