Sunday, August 1, 2021

Olga Gets a Burst of Energy


I mowed the lawn yesterday and picked up as many of those infernal walnuts as I could. Then Olga and I went for a long walk, the first time in about two months we've visited Hampstead Heath. These days I'm thankful whenever she feels like walking that far.

She moves much more slowly than she used to, but we completed our usual loop through the West Heath, Sandy Heath and the Extension before coming home through Golders Hill Park. It used to be a two-hour walk for us; now it takes about twice that.


Still, she loved it, chasing squirrels and immersing her belly in some mud. (That's duckweed on the pond, making it look like a green lawn.)


This is a new butterfly for me -- it's called a silver-washed fritillary. I don't recall ever seeing one before.


And on the same stand of ragwort, near one of the ponds on the Extension, I saw two peacock butterflies.


We found this peacock, too -- a colorful apple cider bottle cap.

After this adventure, Olga came home, ate dinner and went straight to bed -- and she hasn't shown any interest in moving around much since then. She's snoring next to me right now. I gave her a paracetamol and her anti-inflammatory meds to ward off any arthritic aches.

Last night I watched "Poltergeist," which remains one of my favorite old movies. It always makes me nostalgic for my teenage years -- it captures that period of time so well, the architecture and clothes and pop culture, despite the supernatural storyline. And the night before I watched "The Hindenburg," with George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft. There's nothing like a good '70s disaster flick. (Or even a mediocre one!)

41 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

I am not sure how old Olga is now in human terms - possibly in her seventies? From now on, every long walk she manages with you is one to be savoured. Mind you, some dog owners push their old pooches around in prams or pushchairs.

Steve Reed said...

She's about ten, so according to Pedigree's dog age calculator, she's 65!

https://www.pedigree.com/dog-care/dog-age-calculator

I do like to challenge her a bit on walks -- I think it keeps her healthier. I've seen people pushing dogs in strollers but to me that defeats the purpose of a walk, which is to get exercise. I'd rather walk a shorter distance but keep all four paws on the ground!

Anonymous said...

Years of ageing are compressed for dogs when compared to humans. I remember how quickly it happens.
We have so few summer flowering plants in public spaces, we don't see many butterflies. It is exciting when we do.
I too like those 70s disaster movies such as Poseidon Adventure and while I would not re-watch it for obvious reasons, I enjoyed Towering Inferno at the time.

Edna B said...

Those are beautiful butterfly photos. Olga is looking good. Enjoy those walks while you can. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

John Going Gently said...

The Hindenburg was dreadful. I remember seeing it in1976 and my fourteen year old self being soooo disappointed

Ms. Moon said...

Good for Olga! Cherish these walks. I know you do.
Love the butterflies. You have ones we do not.

Jennifer said...

Sweet Olga! Every good day with an older dog is precious. Savor your time with her.

ellen abbott said...

that's a long walk! our long walk yesterday was 41 minutes. but Minnie's a little dog and it's really hot outside. did you pick up the bottle cap?

Anonymous said...

So nice that Olga had a good time at the marsh. It's lovely to see her out enjoying the world. Love those butterflies, especially that peacock butterfly. Wow! What a beauty.

Linda Sue said...

time accelerates with our pooches, It goes so quickly, one day
Dexter was walking in front of me at a good clip and the next i was carrying him for most of the walks. Pain is no fun for any pooch. I love seeing her in the shade , in mud.
That is the
BEST!

Mary said...

Great butterfly shots.

Good to move at Olga's pace. Bet you didn't move around too much in the evening either. :) Love Anne Bancroft, even in crappy films. The woman was a gem.

Allison said...

When you write about the walnuts, I shudder. In the south of France, their walnuts have started growing a fungus within the soft covering of the nut. It's the damp and warm weather that does it. The fungus is toxic to dogs. One of the bloggers I read lost a beloved dog to walnuts. Ask your vet if this happens in London.

Bob said...

Olga looks like she's having a grand time, and the butterfly shots are gorgeous.

Poltergeist is one of those movies that, if it's on and I'm flipping the channels, I can't NOT watch it, and so I do.

Jim Davis said...

You sir are a great dog parent, Olga had a terrific day. BTW, congrats on your new found fame from your garden video. :)

Kelly said...

Sweet Olga. I'm glad she was up for such a nice, long walk. (and don't blame her for crashing when she got home!) We have duckweed here on our property.

You seem to know your butterflies as well as you do your plants! I'm not very good at either. About the only butterfly I'm ever certain of is a Monarch.

Sharon said...

Glad to hear that Olga was up for a long walk. I remember watching "Poltergeist" years ago. I watched "Casino Royale" and enjoyed seeing scenes from Lake Como and Venice. I love recognizing places I've been.
Your comment about the photo of the warning note on the cactus on my blog made me chuckle. I put that note there. It was part of one of my art challenge group's challenges. The the challenge was 'post-it note'. That photo isn't the one I used. I had another photo with a note that read "hug me" and that's the one I used for my piece.

37paddington said...

Walks with Olga. A cherished ritual. Do you hose her down when she comes home after nestling in mud?

jenny_o said...

I'm so glad Olga had a good day in one of her favourite spots. I'm sure that mud felt mighty fine to her. Beautiful butterfly pictures. Ours all seem to be either white or yellow, and very plain. But I'm happy to see them no matter what they look like.

e said...

Good days are wonderful and I am glad Olga enjoyed the walk. The butterflies are gorgeous.

The Bug said...

I love those butterflies! And an Olga sploot is always appreciated.

Janie Junebug said...

I love the photo of a smiling Olga. Maybe the meds will help keep her in the mood for some good walks. Beautiful butterflies.

Love,
Janie

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, I could see how "The Towering Inferno" might hit a little close to home!

Steve Reed said...

Every time we take a long walk I'm thankful!

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, it's not the best. Anne Bancroft almost makes it worth watching, but even she can't save it entirely.

Steve Reed said...

I do cherish them, absolutely. I'm always aware that our time is becoming limited.

Steve Reed said...

Oh, I am, believe me!

Steve Reed said...

Absolutely! It's in my bowl of found stuff!

Steve Reed said...

Peacock butterflies are beautiful and I've read that we have more of them this year for some reason.

Steve Reed said...

Olga has become much more interested in sniffing things along the way. I don't know if it's an excuse to rest, or what. She never used to do that as much, but now we can't walk ten feet without stopping for a sniff.

Steve Reed said...

I agree about Anne Bancroft! I saw her live in a one-woman play off-Broadway when I lived in New York -- a highlight of my theater-going experiences.

Steve Reed said...

How weird! I've never heard of that here, but Olga never eats the walnuts. The squirrels do, though. I wonder if it harms squirrels?

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, it aged well, that movie. It still looks pretty fresh.

Steve Reed said...

Thank you! We had a lot of fun making it!

Steve Reed said...

Oh, I certainly don't blame her for crashing. I crashed too! LOL!

The Internet helps a lot with the butterflies. If you search based on the description and your geographical area -- "orange butterfly black markings uk" -- you can almost always find it pretty quickly. I didn't know the fritillary until I searched.

Steve Reed said...

Ha! I didn't realize it was your note! "Hug Me" is a funny one and would have made a good shot. :)

Steve Reed said...

She gets a bath, although she's always pretty clean by the time we get home. She has "teflon" fur -- everything just falls off her!

Steve Reed said...

Every butterfly is a good butterfly, in my book. Even cabbage whites!

Steve Reed said...

She had a great time, as did I. :)

Steve Reed said...

Ha!

Steve Reed said...

She didn't seem too achy afterwards so they must have done their job!

Kelly said...

Oh, I wasn't telling YOU to not blame Olga... I meant I didn't blame her! I'd have crashed, too!