Despite the damp weather, Olga and I had some adventures yesterday. First I took her for a brief walk in the morning, before French class, and she was obsessed with running around this tiny neighborhood playground. I don't know if she smelled a cat or a fox or someone's cookie crumbs, but she was mesmerized.
Then I went to class, which went well, and while riding the bus home I saw that despite the rain, the tourists were out in profusion at the Abbey Road crosswalk and in front of the recording studios, farther down the street on the left.
In the afternoon I did a bit more garden cleanup. I finally cut back our decrepit wildflowers, and I raked the lawn with our terrible rake, which came with the house. It's plastic and all but about four of the tines have broken off completely. It's not very effective. Still, I managed to collect a bagful of leaves.
While most of our flowers have died back, our cardoon has just bloomed. Cardoon, you may remember, is the same plant that we ate last Christmas (or tried to). It's much more pleasing as a garden flower, related to both the artichoke and the thistle.
In the afternoon, I took Olga to Fortune Green and the cemetery, and I'll spare you the pictures because I'm feeling a little self-conscious about the number of headstones I depict on my blog! But we had fun. She wore herself out and slept all evening while Dave and I watched "The Thin Man," which I've been meaning to show him for ages. The quippy Nick and Nora Charles are never tiring. Dave has kind of a mental block when it comes to old movies, though, and I'm not sure he enjoyed it as much as I did. (As Dave will readily tell you, a good movie -- to him -- must include ray guns or photon torpedoes.)
At the children's playground, Olga appears to have scared away all the children!
ReplyDelete"Mummy! Mummy! Look at the big vicious dog with that nasty old man in the dirty mac! Is he going to eat me? Can we go home Mummy? Can we?"
The Thin Man movie series is one that I can happily watch over and over and over.
ReplyDeleteSnappy clothes, snappy dialogue, and a clever dog. What more could anyone want.
Oh, plus a world in which people seem to be perpetually in evening clothes!
been raining here for nearly 24 hours but it has been a moderate soaking in rain which we desperately needed. Minnie wouldn't go out in the rain and she held it all day yesterday and all night until it finally let up enough and she was desperate enough to brave the outdoors. she's a good puppy and didn't do anything in the house.
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought of "The Thin Man" in ages and ages. I don't think I've seen one of those since I was a kid. I need to see if it's available on Netflix.
ReplyDeleteI love the shot of Abbey Road from the bus. For some reason, I can't get the webcam any more.
People never tire of the Beatles, do they? They are timeless.
ReplyDeleteDon't even talk to me about yards and gardens. Dry and yet weedy. Wilting yet overtaking.
Ugh.
The blue on that thistle is bloody amazing
ReplyDeleteYour description of the rake with four tines made me chuckle :) You are a very determined person.
ReplyDeleteI kind of hate to say this, but maybe one of the children at the playground leaked a little? Would that be a thing a dog would be interested in? lol
I love the Thin Man and your description of the rake! I also left another doggy thing on FB so Miss Olga won't be bored, she certainly is an active, happy dog.
ReplyDeleteThe cardoon is quite beautiful and seems to share equally the characteristics of the thistle and the artichoke.
ReplyDeleteJust buy a new rake Steve; it's not going to break the bank.
Ms Soup
Yorkshire: I beg your pardon! My mac is not dirty! :)
ReplyDeleteMarty: I agree! They are never without evening clothes and a martini!
Ellen: Olga is the same. She'd rather hold it than go out in the rain.
Sharon: I've only ever seen the first one. We should rent the sequels. I wonder how well they stand up?
Ms Moon: That crosswalk is perpetually crowded. It's a bit of a challenge for drivers, actually, because the pedestrians have the right of way and they all want their photo taken crossing the road. So traffic stops for all the photo opportunities. If I were a driver I'd take another route!
John: Even better in person! You could grow cardoons, I'm sure. They're easy.
Jenny-O: I think a leaking child is very likely! I considered it myself but was too polite to write it. :)
E: She's TOO active, sometimes. :)
Ms Soup: I know, I know. I was thinking the same thing. There's no reason I should put up with that rake.