Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Clodagh and Olga


Apparently the rain and wind that we've had in London the last few days are from a storm named Clodagh, which blew in while Dave and I were coming back from Lisbon. I didn't realize we even had named storms in England -- I'm pretty sure this is the first I've seen. Why it gets a name and others don't, I'm not sure.

Anyway, Clodagh seems to have subsided now. It doesn't sound very windy out there this morning.


And look who's home!

Olga was delivered yesterday afternoon as promised, and promptly collapsed against Dave and fell sound asleep. She slept all night like a rock, waking only long enough to eat some of our pizza crusts. (Yes, we had take-out pizza last night, for reasons that will shortly become apparent.) She's always like this when she comes back from boarding. I think she never really relaxes there and so doesn't eat or sleep well. She's still in bed as I write.

She also usually needs a bath when she comes home, but this time she'd been bathed. I told Dave, "They're going to bill us for that. Just watch!"

Although she was delivered as planned -- along with her new harness and collar -- her leash and old harness were not. So of course I had to call the dog boarder and then travel over to White City, in west London, to pick them up. As Queen Victoria apocryphally said: We are not amused. It took an extra hour out of my evening and I didn't have time to grocery shop, hence pizza for dinner. I was afraid I was going to be roped into a conversation and/or debate with the boarder about the forced purchase of the harness, but fortunately I didn't see her and I got in and out of there relatively effortlessly.

(Top photo: Autumnal street detritus, West Hampstead.)

11 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

I am surprised that the enterprising dog boarder didn't bill you for a new stainless steel dog bowl and a medium-sized tartan dog jacket as well as for the eighteen times Olga had rampant canine sex with a randy Yorkshire terrier from Golders Green called Colin. All part of the service sir! No wonder Olga is knackered.

e said...

Wow...where will she be while you're here? Poor dog...

Marty said...

I guess it's only logical. We return from trips with jet lag. Olga returns with kennel lag.

Sharon said...

That is one exhausted dog!

Ms. Moon said...

In all of London one would think that a decent dog boarder would be available. Jeez!
Well, at least Olga's home. She can rest up now and be her own sweet Olga self, relaxed and happy with her humans.
How weird- named storms in England. And you'll never hear of a hurricane named Clodagh. We wouldn't even know how to pronounce it.

ellen abbott said...

I'm afraid, when I got the testy email once in Lisbon that insisted I buy the new harness I would have responded, or else what, you're going to pitch my dog in the street? My three grandgirls were here Friday through Sunday and they kept Minnie so entertained, preventing her usual naps, that Sunday night she slept so long after I got up and after Marc got up. I finally went in and woke her mid-morning.

37paddington said...

I bet there's a deep ease at having Olga back home and sleeping so deeply, so peacefully.

jenny_o said...

That is a hilarious shot of Olga, but I feel for her. It's hard to function on too little sleep!

Linda Sue said...

would be good to have a secret camera on Olga to see just how well she is treated at the boarder's
- Some James Bondish device that would not only show you live action remotely but tape it as well.Would be nice to find a house pup sitter so she would not feel anxious. - Great find in the leaves! Could be a pro magazine ad for men's fashion- nature boy!
The Boarder should have posted your old Olga gear to you @ their expense, they are not at all considerate, not sure I trust them...

John Going Gently said...

Why do dogs hate scatter cushions?

The Bug said...

I think the storm naming is a brand new thing - there's been an A & a B so far this year (I don't recall what they were).