Last night the first shake, rattle and roll thunderstorm of the year. It came from nowhere. We were out for a post dinner walk in the garden when it arrived. Calm one minute, 80 kilometre an hour winds and heavy rain the next. Dogs and owners were soaked by the time they made it back to the front door.
This morning, bar the wet gravel and some scattered watering cans, you'd never know that wind had howled half the night. Out in the garden Sophie has opted for a restorative nap ....
..... on her back.
I try to explain to her that this is inelegant way to start the day but am ignored. Not even the rumour that the Mueller report is due tomorrow lunchtime gets her to move.
At the vets Bob sits on the consulting table frozen in terror.
Sophie, who goes next, is convinced the vet is an adoring fan.
In their own separate ways PON vet visits are relatively easy affairs. With Bob the secret is timing.When the receptionist says the vet is ready Angus whistles the male PON straight from the back of the car, through the side door and into the consulting room. This removes - or at least reduces to a minimum - that difficult 'the vet will see you now' time.
After wards a trip for dogs and owners to the cafe for a reviving croissant and bowl of water ( or coffee ). They have Patte d'Ours - Bears Claws - on display this morning.
The book on Wendell Willkie is finished. The dust cover says its author is the Voltaire of American literature. An interesting subject but the style is of the ' three thoughts to a line ' variety. This makes 'skimming' impossible.
The last two sentences beginning 'Once again though' are eye catching.
Lent starts. Booze and chocolate to be dispensed with.
Sophie would not be this reserved : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVSbZbCGM64
19 comments:
I don't recall learning that about Wendell Willkie in school! I wonder if there is hope the Republican party might change course again in our age - they seem to be about to go over the precipice.
Leaving aside the PON in the video, the chicken exhibits remarkable composure. I was also struck by the bark. Cherry's normal bark is a LOT more deep and forceful - from some of your posts, I have the feeling the same may be true of Bob and Sophie?
Maybe it's having a pair of PONs but we've always been surprised by the range of noises the PONs make. These range from Bobs best basso profundo to Sophie's cut through concrete high pitched shrieks. In between there are all sorts of strange conversational yodeling noises. A chicken would generate a 'howl'.
I will add that book to my endless to-read list. Lewis is a very interesting person, and his biographies of W.E.B. DuBois are extremely thorough.
That hen wins a prize for composure under pressure.
Bertie says that it's a matter of perspective, whether or not one considers napping on one's back to be inelegant.
Mmmm I like the bakery selection today. Miss Sophie looks like she is enjoying her nap.
Lots of wind but no rain here to the east. Although February was lovely with so much sun and warmth, we got only 12 mm of rain, vs. 54 mm average. As the year progresses, it is less and less likely that we'll make that up.
It's so thoughtful of you to minimize Bob's anxiety time.
After the election, I subscribed to some politics podcasts--Pod Save the World (blatantly partisan, by a bunch of Obama guys, but very funny), Vox's The Weeds (often annoying, trying to be balanced and above it all, which minimizes outrageous actions and overinflates minor ones), ProPublica's Trump Inc., What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law, and Today, Explained also from Vox. They stimulate my mind and raise my blood pressure as I do chores.
Who eats the little cake/biscuit that comes with the coffee?
The PONs
I have just turned on the news that is filled with the news of the biggest trade deficit in US history, the Cohen sage (a new poll says Americans believe him 50% and the president 35) the border, and of course Russia. And that's just the first 20 minutes. No mention of the Mueller report.
Fun to see a PON with Acadian humans—from my part of the world!
My first dog, Loki, loved the vet so much he would excited pee everywhere. Now having dogs who don't love it is more challenging.
Wendell Wilkie is no longer a name one often hears, though I heard it often growing up in Indiana as a fellow "Hoosier." Thinking of your China trip, I wondered if you have read a book my husband just finished and highly recommends: The Beautiful Country and the Middle Kingdom – America and China from 1776 to the Present, written by John Pomfret. Perhaps Sophie feels that elegance is too highly rated; luxuriating in the warm sun takes precedence any day.
Stephanie in Northern California
Impressive pre-publication ( at least in the US) copy - does this mean that there will be a blurb from M'ongoose applauding for another Pulitzer for the author.?
How odd it would be available in Europe before ( what I'd presume ) is its main market. Found the subject interesting but the style intense.
Thanks for the tip.
There was one previous PON who was prone to christening the vets surgery whenever we visited. These two are easy.
Perfect coats for those cold winters of yours.
Or Jared.
Sophie is an enthusiastic napper.
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