Sunday, July 12, 2020

Another Muddy Puddle


I was up this morning at 4:30. I have no idea why. Normally I'd blame sitting around the house and not getting enough exercise, but I took the dog on a long walk to the Heath yesterday so I should have been tired.

I could also blame rage at Trump's commutation of Roger Stone's prison sentence, but honestly, I'm more perplexed than enraged. It seems awfully risky to let your political crony out of prison just before an election. Drain the swamp, indeed! I suspect Roger Stone knows where all the skeletons are buried and Trump set him free to keep them that way.

Anyhow, back to walking the dog...


Olga tried out a new pond on the Heath, which you know made her day and of course necessitated a bath when we got home. She drank that mucky water, too. I don't know how dogs do it. They drink the grossest stuff and it never seems to bother them. (Then again, they also eat dirt.)

Have I mentioned that Francisco, her dog walker, calls her "OlgiƱa"? I think that's pretty cute. I've taken to calling her that too.


I found a little jay feather -- this picture is about life-sized. I hope it's a small feather from a big jay and not the other way around.


Up by Golders Green, Olga had a chance to lie in a field and contentedly chew her tennis ball. There were plenty of people out and the playground at Golders Hill Park, which has officially reopened, was packed. The net barriers have been removed from the playground equipment, the swings were back in place, and the kids were swarming like termites. I am doubtful of the wisdom of that reopening, but who knows.

In the morning I gardened a bit. The red admiral butterfly that visited us on Friday was back again, and once again, it fluttered up to me and landed on my shirt! I told Dave I felt like Snow White, with birds and small animals gathering around me. (Never mind that "small animals," in our urban environment, could possibly mean rats.) I wonder if the butterfly is attracted because my shirt is bright white, and thus stands out visually, or if it smells the laundry soap we use?

I can't believe I forgot to mention this in yesterday's post, but on Friday, Dave and I had our first restaurant meal since lockdown! We went to lunch at a little cafe on Mill Lane near our flat, and we sat outside. No one else was sitting near us, and although I had to go in to order and pay, it seemed no more risky than popping into a grocery store. (In fact, probably less -- there were far fewer people.) I had poached eggs and avocado on toast. It wasn't Jacques Pepin or Michel Roux, but it seemed special just the same.

20 comments:

Angelicastar said...

oh my, keep Olga out of that murky water with lots of bacteria before she get parasites and you will then have a big vet bill. Don't let her drink bad water. I know you don't want me to come over there. (laughing) I had to say this. (lol) but since I am here I wonder who is going to get that low life Trump out of jail the way he is doing for Stone. The two he put on the supreme court surprised him, didn't they? I will be glad when New York get his no good a$$ for tax fraud. We know he probably never paid any taxes. Believe me his dark day in hell is right around the corner. He is trying to stay in office thinking he will be safe. I hate looking in this slime bag face. Believe me he can't hide forever. "Love you Steve and have a good day"

David said...

Just love the artistic play of light and shade in that first photograph of the fern against the tree trunk. Definitely holds true to your blog name. We too recently had our first cafe meal out in about 4 months - just coffee and cake, and like you, outdoors but under cover in a kind of courtyard, with no one even vaguely near us. We celebrated the 13th anniversary of when we decided to "go steady." (We had been seeing each other for several weeks before we made that decision). After months of isolation, it felt a bit special.

Frances said...

Talking of small animals.......P set up the trail camera in the garden pointing at the " pond", which is a shallow saucer in fact. About 2 ft across and 2 inches deep when full. We discovered that a mouse is visiting it in the night for a drink! Also several blackbirds paddling and bathing and inevitably pigeons drinking. ( not to mention the dog drinking...he loves that water..must taste of mouse!)

Linda Sue said...

OLGA!!! Such a fine girl, Olgalina. I am so glad to know that the walker loves her nearly as much as we do.
Stone can be "questioned "in another court, and if caught in a lie may be charged again, this will likely not go away. The orange thing looking very taxed at the moment, it may just curl up and die.
Beautiful little feather, I thought it was Ellen's art.
Brave of you guys to go out and sit at an actual cafe table .

Marty said...

Yes, the Stone event put me off the news for that day. Wouldn’t it be nice if the Trumpster just disappeared one like the virus will - according to him.
Not to worry about your magical magnetism attracting life forms like city rays. Just like in a Disney movie, they’d be cute and cuddly.

Mary said...

Loved the Olga-clip. Made me laugh when she dropped the ball and gave you her pittie-smile. Just chillin.

And whoever imagined a poached-egg and avocado on toast could be part of a risky adventure? Ha! Glad you two were able to have a brief escape from tedium and the &^%*ing news.

Anonymous said...

Your cafe meal sounds great. Obama pardoned someone just before he left office, but don't possibly think I support anything about #45. Olga seems to laugh after dropping the ball.

The Padre said...

Happy Little Video There - Too Cute - I Imagine Your Cinderella Moment In Time Was Rather Fascinating - To Be The Only One Standing With Beautiful Butterflies Causally Saying Hello - Most Excellent Brother Steve - Good On You Two For Enjoying Your First Daytime Date Meal Together - How Relaxing - Enjoy The Week Ahead

Cheers

Fresca said...

Speaking of a Cinderella moment with urban animals--have you seen "Enchanted"?
Amy Adams plays a fairy tale princess caught in NYC who calls for the local wildlife to help her clean up an apartment.
When rats, pigeons, and roaches appear, she cheerfully puts them to work, singing a "Happy Working Song."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAsG__XjU8Q

Ms. Moon said...

I am not the least bit surprised over Trump granting Stone clemency. Very little that he does surprises me. Upsets me? Oh yes. But I know he's capable of even the most horrible and vile actions and is quite apt to do anything.
Better to think of Olgina and avocado toast with poached eggs and pretty little butterflies and Walt Whitman.
I hope you sleep better tonight.

37paddington said...

Trump knows his cultists will stick with him no matter what he does, up to and including shooting someone on Fifth Avenue. They elected him president after he said that, and of course the Hollywood Access tape; we would have thought he couldn't sink any lower but that just shows our utter failure of dark imagination. Do you think he can pardon Stone and do any damn thing he pleases because he knows the election will be stolen again. This is what keeps me up at night.

I have often noted that Olgina has the most mysterious ability to wade in mud pools and come out of them looking so clean. She's magic, that one.

Red said...

Trump with another unbelievable move when he let Roger Stone go.

Moving with Mitchell said...

I don't know what it is in particular about Olga that made me fall immediately in love with her. But I did. The video makes me happy. As for Snow White... you could also be Cinderalla and invite the wildlife in to help you clean (or did they do that for Snow White, as well...)

Sad to say, I'm really worried about what's going to happen in the States come November... whether covidiot-45 wins or loses.

ellen abbott said...

November can't get here fast enough. and then we have to wait another two months while he continues to shit on the constitution and rob the national treasury and get all his cohorts off the hook. of course he commuted Stone's sentence, the judge wouldn't follow orders to let him off. I've had butterflies land on me. once on the river a big black and white and gray mottled butterfly landed on my dinner plate interested in the salad. one of the clients just about freaked out when I ate my salad anyway. you know they get their water from poop she told me.

Sharon said...

Yes, the Stone thing is frustrating as hell and entirely predictable. The fact that there is still a huge group of people who think DJT is great is beyond belief. Love seeing Olga chewing on her ball. I think it's going to be a while before dining in will be safe here. I'm glad some places are getting back to normal.

Anonymous said...

These next 3 1/2 months are going to be a non-stop whirling mind-numbing trip through political chaos and subterfuge. It's a good thing you have Olga to take for walks and trip around the heath to balance the madness.

jenny_o said...

Olga is a funny girl - chewing on that tennis ball reminds me of someone with a big wad of gum. And the big grin at the end. All right, I know she was just panting, but let me see it my way. lol

Trump no longer surprises me with anything he does. I automatically think "of course he did/said that" because that's who he is. The Stone pardon is just him saving his own hide, as usual. I so hope he is turfed in November, and prosecuted in January. There. That's my rant for the week :)

Catalyst said...

That's a great video of Olga. Chewing on that tennis ball is probably good for her teeth. And when she turns and looks at the camera she has that great laughing smile. She was probably thinking back to that muddy pond she waded in.

Michael said...

I enjoyed the video of Olga. Dogs give me serenity and peace. I love watching them. I don't feel much peace and serenity living in a country that has gone off of the rails. Donald Trump is an idiot.

Steve Reed said...

Angelicastar: Thanks for being concerned about Olga. Honestly I don't think I could prevent her from drinking out of puddles, even if I wanted to. It's just part of being a dog. She hasn't been sick in years, though, so I think her constitution is pretty strong! Oh, and I am SO with you on Trump!

David: It's all relative, isn't it? Even the smallest outing seems significant now! Happy "going steady" anniversary!

Frances: I love those cameras. It's always interesting to see what's creeping around at night. If we do install any kind of "water feature" it will probably be something like yours -- a small basin.

Linda Sue: I hope it won't go away. I really think it may have negative repercussions for Trump.

Marty: Yeah, why didn't Disney movies ever have rats slinking around in the background?! More true to nature!

Mary: That was the third video attempt, but it was by far the best because of that expression.

Andrew: All presidents pardon people, usually at the beginning of the calendar year. And yes, they often pardon supporters. But this was different because the commutation (which is different from a full pardon) was in the middle of the year just before Stone was due to begin his prison sentence -- thus preventing him from serving any time. Most people in similar cases at least do SOME punishment. (George W. Bush commuted Scooter Libby's prison sentence in similar fashion, and was criticized for it.)

Padre: It was kind of crazy! I wish I'd had my camera to record it for posterity!

Fresca: Ha! I have NOT seen that, but it sounds like my kind of urban wildlife picture! I'll take a look at the clip.

Ms Moon: He really is a bottomless reservoir of bile and slime, isn't he?

37P: I really wonder if that's true. I mean, he'll always have hard-core supporters, but his support even among right-wingers appears to be waning. (Praise God!)

Red: You never know what's coming next, do you?

Mitchell: If he wins, well, we deserve whatever we get. If people are that stupid, it's time for the apocalypse.

Ellen: That's the craziest thing I've ever heard. Who wouldn't eat after a butterfly landed on their plate?! If Trump DOES lose, those couple of months before the new president is inaugurated will prove to be chaos without precedent. He'll burn and shred everything in sight.

Sharon: DO you think that's still true, though? I think that huge pool is shrinking. I hope so, anyway. He seems to be having trouble filling his rallies.

Robin: Having Olga helps keep me sane, it's true.

Jenny-O: Wouldn't that be FANTASTIC?! There would literally be dancing in the streets. (And perhaps rioting, in some places.)

Catalyst: She is a very smiley dog!

Michael: I think it makes a huge difference to have an animal to care for. It's a grounding experience! (Especially in these trying times, yes!)