Really, I sometimes have to question my owner Gail's commitment to high culture...
And that of her neighbourhood friends.
So Gail rushed back from her Pilates class on Tuesday evening, pulled on a second pair of thick leggings over the keep fit kit, then added a woolly sweater and a padded jacket. She popped a hat, scarf and gloves into her bag (but not her phone/camera), clipped on my lead and together we walked briskly down to Duthie Park.
Where we found a big crowd of humans, plus a few dogs, all sat on the grass staring at the screen and nodding along in unison (the humans not the dogs) to the Toreador Song.
Gail located her friends Kirsty and Cathy, each clutching with some determination their mug of hot coffee and looking slightly blue. We joined them and I sat in my best 'good boy' pose, with my back to the screen, facing into the stiff northerly wind roaring down from the Arctic. From the loud speakers came much operatic emoting in French.
By the interval, the cold had begun to penetrate Gail's precautionary outfit, and Kirsty and Cathy were fighting over who would get to pick me up and use me as a hot water bottle substitute.
When Cathy suggested we all decamp to the nearby dog-friendly bar at the Inn at the Park, I have to report that neither Gail nor Kirsty protested at the suggestion nor betrayed any distress at the thought of missing the end of the Covent Garden performance.
Two glasses of wine (the humans) and an altercation with a noisy and impertinent pug (me) later, Gail walked me unsteadily home. While I was checking the pee-mail on the tree outside our house, another neighbour, the always stylishly attired Catherine, walked past smiling broadly, clad in a Russian style fur hat, ski suit and well-insulated mitts, with a folding chair slung over her shoulder.
And thus ended an evening of outdoor high culture in Aberdeen on an early July evening.
At least it didn't rain.
As I mentioned above, Gail forgot to take her camera to Carmen, so here's a shot of me at St Cyrus National Nature Reserve enjoying a fine day out last weekend.
MenoSundays; Life Lived Lovingly
1 hour ago
oh that was a super event... and we wish we could watch good muzak from a big screen too. Do you know that my grandparents once had to leave an open air theater because their WHFT gave standing bark-o-vations every time the people applauded? I mean we can not clap our paws, what could she do than to bark?
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteThe concept is a good one - in the parks at Sydney harbour. Aberdeen, maybe ambitious! Well done you lot for having a go though. And clearly, Bertie lad, you had the best of it with your fabulous furs! Hugs and wags YAM-aunty xxx
It sounds worse then here! Stay cozy and hope Gail felt fine after the wine.
ReplyDeleteBrrrr...sounds very cold BUTT I do hope you got a tasty pint of sumthingy in the PUB Bertie?
ReplyDeleteLoves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
Yikes that cold in Scotland and here we had heat index of 102 yesterday. Where oh where is the happy medium. Sitting out in the cold trying to hear music over chattering teeth would be nearly impossible. Glad there was a warm cozy pub near by. I love your photo with the gorgeous purple posies
ReplyDeleteHUgs Cecilia
Around here you would be battling a swarm of mosquitoes if you were trying to enjoying an outdoor performance. We guess that isn't a problem in Aberdeen.
ReplyDeleteWe are glad to hear that Gail took you along! We aren't big opera fans, but the pub visit altercation with the Pug sound like fun ;-).
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Rosy, Jakey & Arty
Mom says she thinks this is one outing she would prefer to skip - but the cozy pub sounds lovely. And lovely is a great word to describe that photo of you at the nature reserve.
ReplyDeleteWoos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Sounds like a lovely summer's evening....BOL!
ReplyDeleteBertie - Hope you got a bacon bap at the Inn after all that cultural effort.
ReplyDeleteOh, it sounds so cold where you are Bertie, and fancy holding the streaming outdoors ! You can have some of our hot weather, if you like, we have way too much. It was 47º in the sun yesterday afternoon !
ReplyDeleteLove,
Inca xx
I'm a husky so I would have loved that cold evening! What a treat that would have been! It's so hot here in the city! It does sound like your mom made the best of the evening and you all had a super night out!
ReplyDeleteYour (hot) friend Kiki