The things that happen when there’s no camera… Little Bear wanted a second morning walkie, so we did that and then came back to the Lair by way of the clotheslines. We have this little dialogue that doesn’t always go his way: We can turn to the left and go inside, or we can go right to the Jeep. LB always stops and asks, and his opinion of which is the right answer is always clear. He looks back at me, a big smile on his face, and if I say “no” he heads for the stairs and tries to put a good spin on the situation by hoping to cadge a treat out of me.
But if the answer is “yes”…
Little Bear is transported. He ascends to heights of joy he hasn’t experienced since the last time. He can hardly believe it! LB really loves his Jeep rides, to the point where I’ve had to impose some discipline to keep him from hurting himself. This time he completely forgot himself, forgot there was a long lead or a Daddy or anything in the world besides the glorious, glorious Jeep. Whose door happened to be open so he figured what the hell, he’d just save us all some time and board right now!
The long lead is twelve feet long, which is enough for him to start red-shifting. LB doesn’t have a lot of staying power but for about fifty yards he is remarkably fast for a dog of his bulk. Comes of spending his puppyhood murdering cottontails, I suppose. I saw what was about to happen, shouted – which of course accomplished nothing – and then could only grab the rope and plant my feet to save myself. In summer I could have slipped the loop off my wrist, but now it was behind heavy gloves. So he got to the Jeep, leaped…and that’s the precise moment when he ran out of rope.
Fortunately that neck is not breakable.
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It’s baking day, and so after we got back from tending the chickens at Landlady’s place I got the counter set up for making bread dough. Got some tunes going on Rhythmbox. You want to hear one of my very favorite songs? It makes no sense at all…
I am extremely sentimental about the Secret Lair. It’s the only house I ever built. It’s designed specifically for ol’ hermit Joel with no compromises which is something I was never able to do before in my whole life. Its parts are scrounged and improvised, it’s very imperfect and perpetually not quite finished but that’s okay. I like everything about it and everything around it.
This song reminds me of the Lair. It relaxes me.
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Landlady is due this coming weekend, and I’m hoping to present her with an actual dozen miniature eggs from her flock of pullets-becoming-hens. But we’re coming down to the wire here. C’mon, ladies, push. A carton containing eleven miniature eggs is going to be kind of a let down.
…
Have you guys ever read The Grimnoir Chronicles? I was going to save this for the first week in January, when it’s usually too cold for anything sensible beyond the most quotidian and inescapable chores to occur outdoors, but with yesterday’s smashing of the tablet I figured I’d give an early kickoff to my annual Larry Correia festival.
The Grimnoir Chronicles is my favorite Correia series – I like it even more than Monster Hunter International, which I like a lot. It’s got intelligent alternative history, great characters, marvelous pacing and conflict – and unlike most things Baen it actually has a beginning, middle and end. He may be lowbrow, but Correia is easily my favorite contemporary writer. I own all his novels except a couple of MHI collaborations and the first book in the new series, which isn’t out in paperback yet.
The John Ringo/Larry Correia MHI collaborations are first-rate, well worth acquiring.
“Lowbrow”??? Hey, the various series (dunno how to pluralize that) have monsters and magic and lotsa guns and um, stuff. Larry rocks!
Harbinger for President. He swallows lit cigarettes!
🙂 Yeah, pretty sure that’s the actual definition of “lowbrow,” Robert.
And to think my parents sent me to college….
Sounds very similar to the M.Y.T.H. Inc. series by the late Robert Asprin which were great.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythAdventures
Once I have finished to two books I’m on now I’ll give him a try.
My dog and yours must be related. We take her to the vet in the bed of my truck, one of us staying with her to make sure she didn’t jump out. But last time I was by myself and had to take her for her shots so let her in the cab. And EVERY time I open the vehicle door, she is READY to jump in for a spin. Looks all hurt when I tell her NO!!
When I do take her out for a drive, it starts at shotgun, then walks to back via center console between bucket seats to back bench seat, then back to front, with doggie breath washing over me as she wants to climb in my lap. Did I mention she weighs about 60 lbs. ? Sorry dog, that ain’t happening.
Maybe she wants to drive ?
MJR, I’m not familiar with Mythadventures but they sound more like the Zanth books by Piers Anthony. They’re also light-toned and packed with puns, and frankly I can only take them in very small doses. The Grimnoir books are much darker, and if anybody told a deliberate pun someone else would probably break his arm.