Clair

Mademoiselle the owner (aka Mom) , Clair (the dog) and I went to the country this weekend.

We were driving on a fairly desolate country road when we pulled over to go talk to some cows and calfs. The calfs were especially cute and they were quite close to the road so we had a good look at them for about 10 minutes when we suddenly heard a quite loud but intermittent car horn. We both turned around to see where this car was coming from and what they were intending to tell us with their horn and couldn't see anything, so we went back to looking at the cows. A few seconds later the horn sounded again in a constant unbreaking stream of noise. We looked around again and saw no cars but instead a very persistent Clair standing on the steering wheel of Mom's van and peering out at us.

My mother is now very concerned about what will happen when she leaves Clair in the car in parking lots as she appears to have learned "when I step on the wheel and it makes that noise the people get very excited and come running back to me". It's hard to be mad at the dog when she does something that cute and smart.

Total Sweetheart pt. 2

After meeting me, Rafiki's friend Mighty sent him a text that said "Looks like you found a good one. Happy for you bro."

Total Sweetheart

After he was hit on in a bar Rafiki told me he'd like a shirt that says "I'm taken, and I'm happy."

5 Things I Wasn't Supposed to Enjoy on Holiday

... but I really did.

1. Reorganizing the bookshelves. The novels are alphabetized by author.

2. Doing a puzzle with Flavaflav and her cousins.

3. Cooking and doing the dishes. Makes me feel at home, not so lost, and a little cosy.

4. The gardens of the Victoria & Albert and the Natural History Museum. I haven't really seen inside yet...

5. The plants! At least half my attention seems to wander from the tourist attractions to go, "ooo, isn't that a lovely vine-that's-supposed-to-be-an-annual growing up the side of a house? Where is my camera? Who cares if Someone Famous was once sick on that brick!" (actually I like learning about the famous people too, especially if they come with silly stories).

The National Gallery

I found the National Gallery more or less by chance one morning when, late for a walk I wanted to go on, I was left stranded at Embankment Tube Station. I went awandering to see what I could find, and no sooner had I walked past the Sherlock Holmes pub did the road open out into Trafalgar Square, and there it was before me, complete with gigantic lions, magic shows, double decker buses and a flood of tourists. Inside the National Gallery I started smiling almost right away when I found a Canaletto which of course reminded me of Ursula in the Gerry Durrell stories. I started grinning when I found the more modern rooms and painting after painting, artist after artist were ones I knew and loved. Here are five (of many more) that I stood in front of lost in happiness and thought.

Jane Eyre

"It is a crime against God to deny yourself love. It should be the eleventh commandment!"

The BBC production of it is beautiful and haunting, all the colours muted and tone on tone; Ruth Wilson is perfect as Jane Eyre; and my favorite line in it is here recorded.

Cops and Academics....?

1. Having dinner cooked for me when I get home. mmmm... bow tie pasta!

2. Spontaneous Morris Dancing in the street that made me forget about them wearing their leg bells in the bar.

3. Discovering a market where they yell in GENUINE cockney accents. Step aside Audrey Hepburn, the man in the bright orange hat wins.

4. 100% Pure LOVE!

5. Being offered a spoon in a bar for food brought in from outside. Yogurt and red vino: HURRRAH!

Kickin' mad flava in ya ear,
F.

(guest post by flavaflav)