Sunday, April 17, 2016

Giraffe Killer



I came across this little dog on our local high street the other day. She looked so possessive and proud of her stuffed toy, I asked the owner if I could take a picture. "She loves her toy," the owner confirmed.

I didn't think to ask the dog's name. Bad reporter!

Yesterday morning I set out for French class, like a dutiful student, and when I got to the Alliance Francaise I entered a largely empty and quiet building. You guessed it -- classes start next week! So I had the day to myself after all.

I went back home and tried to do all the little things that have been nagging at me. For example, last week, a clumsy pigeon thunked into our living room window, leaving a smudge of pigeon dandruff on the glass. (The pigeon was fine.) So I cleaned that up.

I vacuumed. I did laundry. I took the found clothing to Oxfam. I took all our bedclothes to the cleaners, as Olga has been climbing on the bed after her daytime walks and things were beginning to feel a bit gritty. I trimmed the old blossoms off the amaryllis, making room for the two coming stalks of flowers. I read my Jack London biography, which is quite good.

In the afternoon I took Olga to Fortune Green and the cemetery, where we haven't been in a while. It looks like they're on a massive cleanup effort at the cemetery, removing most of the brush that has grown up around some older headstones. I've looked online to see if there's any mention of this work and the rationale behind it, but I don't see any. Personally, I love the overgrowth, which gives the cemetery a secluded, mysterious air and no doubt is wonderful for wildlife. I don't know why they're stripping it all out. This area, which I photographed a year and a half ago, is almost entirely cleared now, and these are old graves -- I may be wrong, but I doubt anyone is clamoring to visit them. Why not leave them to the birds and critters?

8 comments:

Gunn said...

So that is where it went! :-)
Cute model on four legs.

Ms. Moon said...

What a darling pup! Sounds like you had a most productive day!

Red said...

I think maybe? I've gone to things on the wrong date or time. It's quite a surprise. when you find no one there.

Linda Sue said...

Always better to be early rather than late! Aren't you good! And to get your cleaning mojo going, superb! Dog sweetness! Our Winslow carried a purple Rhino around all the time, almost like a show of wealth, "I have this...you don't"- " see what I have?" - " it is MINE"...."not yours".
At least the cemetery will grow back, rich soil.

jenny_o said...

I prefer the natural look in many settings and think the cemetery has more character with the ivy and other growth, but what do I know. Maybe somebody thought it would be a good summer student project, or non-summer non-student make-work project, or maybe someone important is coming there for a visit, or maybe they've had problems with wild critters. Mankind is never content leaving things alone!

That's one cute little giraffe killer.

Sharon said...

I agree with you about the cemetery. All that overgrowth is why I've toured the Highgate cemetery....twice now.

John Going Gently said...

and happy they killed it

The Bug said...

Cute puppy! I canceled an outing on Saturday so I could stay home & clean the house - and then all I did was the bathroom. Ugh. I hate housework :)