Monday, June 26, 2023

A Roll in a Hole


We had a warm afternoon yesterday, with temperatures around 88º F (that's 31º C). I was going to take Olga to the Heath for a swim, but she pulled toward the cemetery, so I indulged her and we went there instead.


You can see how dry the ground is.

That little gravestone that's slowly disappearing back into the earth says, "In Loving Memory of Our Darling Baby, Charles Prebble Rowe, Sept. 18th, 1908."


Olga managed to find a way to "swim" despite the absence of any ponds at the cemetery. There's a hole at the base of this water spigot that happened to have some muddy liquid collected in it, and she did her darndest to force her entire body into that tiny puddle. Then she pawed it looking for her ball, which I was holding. (She's a little absent-minded these days.)


But she was happy! When we got home, she got a bath in the yard and slept soundly the rest of the evening.

Other than walking the dog, it was a pretty sedate and restful day. Mr. Russia came over in the afternoon to take a look at the stained ceiling in the dining room, where their upstairs leak caused some water damage about six months ago. He gave it a treatment with antiseptic wipes and some cleaning compound, and I must say it looks much better. If I'd know that's all it would take I'd have done it myself. After it dries out thoroughly, he'll paint it, but I'm already pretty happy with the improvement.

Have you watched "Black Mirror" on Netflix? The new season is amazing. I'm obsessed with it!

20 comments:

River said...

I have never even heard of Black Mirror. I'm glad Olga found a tiny puddle to roll in.

Andrew said...

I love the clip of Olga 'swimming'.
I hope Mr Russia's paint matches the existing paint.

Moving with Mitchell said...

I've been interested in watching Black Mirror (what a great cast), but SG isn't big on shows about dystopian futures. Olga’s ability to get muddy anywhere is a talent (although maybe not a gift) and seeing her roll around in the “pond” is a joy.

Ursula said...

Every so often I come across a film whose title intrigues me. I never read up on films before watching them. I just take my chances. Boy oh boy have I walked into many a (dystopian) trap. Only yesterday. Don't ask what it's called. I don't want to know. The story line will haunt me for days.No, not because it was gory (it wasn't particularly) but because it was one hell of a mind fuck.

I'd have thought I'd be immune to the future having read Orwell, Huxley, Kafka at an impressionable age. Alas, what seemed fiction then today's reality has surpassed even those writers' vision.

I won't mention AI - demonstrated to me by The Angel (my son) the other day. He asked me to give him four or five words. What do you know? It took AI a few seconds to come up with something unbelievably feasible (I even had included Goethe as one of the keywords). Steve, I am so happy that I was born when I was born (meaning I'll die before it all gets too much and the human soul is taken out of the equation). So happy that the Apple of my Eye caught the tail end of what was once an unencumbered by social media childhood.

Yeah, well, whatever.

Olga won't be bothered, one way or the other. The joy of being an animal.

U

Boud said...

I think Olga could get muddy in a saucer! She looks so happy.

Bob said...

To paraphrase 'Damn Yankees,' "Whatever Olga wants. Olga gets."

As it should be.

Colette said...

The Olga video was fun. She's such a character, and a happy one at that!

Ms. Moon said...

Olga knows how to live, doesn't she? Find a puddle and create your own tempest in a teapot.

The Bug said...

That last photo of Olga is the best. Such a happy girl!

Sharon said...

Watching that video of Olga I was pretty sure she was going to get a bath when she got home. She was taking full advantage of that tiny puddle.

ellen abbott said...

does the cemetary not have a groundskeeper or some kind of maintenance? I'm always amazed that they let headstones and monument keel over or in the case of poor baby Charles get sucked into the ground to disappear. Olg does look happy.

Red said...

It's funny how dogs tell their people what they want and their people ignore them. Olga knew where she wanted to go and you let her make the decision.

NewRobin13 said...

Olga really does love to roll around in the puddle. She's so cute and happy to be out there. I am surprised by how dry it is there.

Allison said...

It is interesting that the cemetery lets the headstones topple and no one rights them. It probably happens in the US as well in the older burial grounds. I love the fact that Olga lets you know where she would like to walk on any given day.

Kelly said...

This Olga-centric post made me very happy. ☺️

crafty cat corner said...

I have never watched 'Black Mirror' but I will give it a go as I'm getting desperate to find anything worth watching at the moment. Love the video
Briony
x

Marty said...

So dry! There goes London's reputation as perpetually rainy.
Olga would win any smile competition, paws down.

Jeanie said...

Our ground looked much the same but we got big rain and that has helped some. Olga looks happy as a clam!

Steve Reed said...

River: "Black Mirror" has been around several years -- the sixth season just came out. It's a dystopian show in which every episode is a stand-alone story.

Andrew: The stained part of the ceiling is above a cabinet, so even if it doesn't match exactly I don't think it will matter.

Mitchell: It IS very dystopian. Maybe you can take it on if you're ever on your own while he's traveling or something!

Ursula: I think part of being any age is we are all suited to our time period. I'm sure my grandparents were glad they weren't born during my time period, and I'm sure my nieces are loving being born in theirs. (Well, except for the whole Global-warming-planetary-doom thing.) I don't mind a good dystopian story.

Boud: She undoubtedly could with enough motivation!

Bob: Ha! We should have named her Lola. (Isn't there a similar song in "Dirty Dancing" -- or maybe just a line -- "Whatever Baby wants, Baby gets?" Am I making that up?)

Colette: She really IS a character. We say that all the time!

Ms Moon: Ha! That is the perfect description!

Bug: She does love to have fun.

Sharon: Yeah, I know, it's kind of disgusting, actually. :)

Ellen: I think many of the headstones are so old there's little incentive to maintain the graves. Anyone who knew those people is long gone. In fact, London cemeteries are re-using old grave sites, burying newer people on top of older ones. I'm not sure what they do with the headstones in those cases.

Red: I usually try to let Olga tell me where she wants to go. It's her walk, after all!

Robin: We've had only a small amount of rain in the last two months or so.

Allison: Yeah, I think with very old graves, there's less incentive to keep them upright. As you said, older cemeteries in the states -- depending on the circumstances -- probably do the same.

Kelly: It is all-Olga, all the time!

Briony: You might not like it if you don't like dark, edgy TV. You could also try "Ted Lasso" if you have access to Apple TV. It's a very good show and much more positive and affirming. We're watching the last season of that now.

Marty: London is really NOT perpetually rainy, at least in summer!

Jeanie: I wish we'd get a big rain. Even when the forecasts call for rain, what actually gets to the ground seems pretty sparse.

The Padre said...

Loving Me Some Olga Girl - Also, Dig The Tower Post As Well

Stay Mole Free
Cheers