Tuesday, December 10, 2013

If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.




'The font' relents and takes Bob for a power walk round the lake. There are no fishermen to be seen so the walk is completed without incident. Other dogs, cyclists and joggers are all, miraculously, ignored.  Sophie is left with Angus for a tour of the village. Our progress is slow. Sophie stands silently by the frozen pond staring at the heron. The heron stares back. This standoff carries on for some time. The heron has more patience.

Much clattering of tools and whistling. The Old Farmer still at work on the restoration of the Christmas Star. Pilots landing at Toulouse airport will soon have a bright new navigational feature to guide them. From time to time our old neighbour wanders across the lane and asks to borrow a tool. We learn a little more about his trip. His fathers gravestone safely erected on top of a mound said to contain the graves of seven French soldiers. The local villagers only to happy to help this strange Frenchman in his ancient motor home. As the war entered its final phase the prison camps were evacuated and the prisoners force marched westwards. Those who fell behind through illness or exhaustion were shot. 

Some glass cookie jars are taken down and washed. Bob goes absolutely wild. He sees one in 'the fonts' hands and goes into panic mode. He hides behind a chair, tail down, letting out squeals of fear. Sophie is quite unfazed. What could ever have given him a phobia about glass cookie jars ?

16 comments:

Fat Dormouse said...

Maybe the panic was because he thought you'd run out of biscuits...!

WFT Nobby said...

How wonderful and heartwarming to hear about the Old Farmer's trip, and that the gravestone is now safely in place, and it seems, likely to respected by the people living nearby. I hope he now feels at peace and his star shines brighter than ever!
Cheers, Gail
PS from Bertie: WHAT!!!??? Scared of cookie jars? No Bob, no, that's all wrong.

VirginiaC said...

I absolutely adore the glass cookie jar with the stand.....wish I could find one like it here. Brownie sits by the pantry door and "admires" my big glass cookie jar with its contents until he gets a treat.
Brownie panics too every time from the light of a torch in the night or when my cell phone lights up in the night, haven't figured out why as yet.
Hope the pilots at Toulouse airport don't go on strike if their navigational star is not in place soon.

Bella Roxy & Macdui said...

Perhaps you should put cookies in it and then present it to him again.

XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

Anonymous said...

We know, from forty years of having dogs, that they never ever forget anything. Especially something traumatic. The first thing that came to mind upon reading of BOB's reaction to the glass jar (one of seemingly true fear and anxiety - akin to a thunder storm) is: perhaps when he was a wee lad of a pup, and still with the breeder, she dropped a large glass object of some sort with an enormous "bang" and much shattered glass and chaos then
followed. And he never forgot it. And was shaken by it. The incident tucked way back in his memory-bank. Rekindled today, by the sight of the jar.
I agree with the comment above, by "scotsmad" - suggesting that you fill the jar with some cookies, or Jaffa cakes, or treats - and leave it for BOB
to now re-consider as a very very good thing to have around. NOTE: Of course "scotsmad" came up with the great suggestion……..she has Scotties, like us! And we know that Scotties never ever forget a thing. Ever! Good luck BOB. Courage!

Julie said...

That made me laugh, the thought of Bob and his terrifying overbite going in to panic mode over a biscuit shortage.
Serious business this lack of biscuits Angus, will need to be addressed asap !

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I'm glad that the Old Farmer's trip went as planned, I hope he found that closure that he had been looking for.

Bob's phobia is certainly an interesting one; it's times like that when you wish they could tell you why they find something so upsetting--If I were Bob, I think I would be more afraid of that Christmas star when it finally gets lit!

Anonymous said...

Bob's fear will turn into joy when he gets a look at his treats in those cookie jars! All kidding aside, Kelly goes into panic mode when we change the plastic can liner. Generally must handle that task when hubby takes her outside; he must ask for permission to come in the house again (oh what we do to keep our pups happy and ourselves sane)
Karen and Kelly
Frosty Iowa USA

houndstooth said...

Could the distortion of the glass have taken him by surprise?

Angus said...

I think you might have got the right answer .

10NISNE1 said...

Maybe Bob saw a reflection of his overbite.

kipper said...

I thought Bob was fearless. Sounds like the smells of butter, cardamom and vanilla will soon be wafting out of the kitchen!

JacksDad said...

I like Bob's wig. He looks like one of the 1963 Beatles!

Anonymous said...

Poor old fellow. Perhaps filling it with delicious things will allay his fears.
I am glad for the elderly farmer and hope his trip has brought him some peace.
x

Anonymous said...

More cookies.

Louise said...

A lot of these comments have made me laugh!

Happy for the Old Farmer.