Sunday, July 12, 2020

Three Beautiful Things 07/11/20: Mr. Gibbs and the Groomer, *Boys in the Boat*, Cool Evening BONUS A Limerick by Stu

1. Debbie took Gibbs to the groomer today for his first visit. Debbie reported that Gibbs was fussy about having scissors in front of his face, so the groomer couldn't trim the fur around his eyes and mouth.  But, Gibbs returned home smelling fresh and sweet and his fur was feathery and fluffy thanks to his bath. The groomer recommended that Gibbs come in about once a month. It will help him become more accustomed to being groomed, and, she hopes, help him relax when it comes time to groom his facial fur. Debbie has some ideas about just putting scissors a little bit close to his face to help him feel more relaxed.

By the way, his trip to the groomer wiped out Gibbs. He spent much of the day alternating between some play time and a lot of rest and sleep!

2. I know it's not like we live in Arizona or other intense hot spots, but, for me, once the temperature gets up around 90 degrees, I am susceptible to not feeling well if I do much in the heat. I had some tentative plans to go out and ride my bicycle today, but, instead, I stayed in the cool of the Vizio room, aided by the sun blocking curtains covering the windows, and read several chapters of Boys in the Boat.

I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. It has many dimensions: it's an excellent sports book about rowing and what it demands of its athletes and about its popularity in the early part of the 20th century; it's a very interesting case study of one family and one boy's experience during the early years of the Great Depression; it's a revealing book about Seattle and Sequim during this time; and, because the book will eventually tell the story of this boat of rowers participating in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the author, Daniel James Brown, also narrates what's happening in Nazi Germany as the country prepares to host the Summer Olympic Games.

3. As the day cooled off, Debbie and I joined Christy and Everett on their back yard deck for a few libations and some time to yak about all kinds of things, among them:  the marvelous world of dogs, the old Three Toots Tavern, a joint that once sat at the bottom of the Page road on the old, old highway between Smelterville and Pinehurst, a mystery object sitting in a tree behind Christy and Everett's house, and the excellent care Everett experienced when he had his second cataract surgery this past week. The four of us continue to take all the precautions possible as the pandemic continues. I think it's good for us to talk about this as a way of encouraging each other to maintain our vigilance and our patience.

Here's a limerick by Stu:

It’s well known cartoon animals talk.
And we know which bunny asked “what’s up Doc?”
But, who declared “Bing, Bing, Bing”,
Or “Stage Left”, this Kitty’s thing?
And which blazing fast mouse was n’er caught?

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