Dining out etiquette

I have noticed that when humans are served food in a restaurant, they are allowed to eat it right away. 

For example, here are Gail's recent visitors Jim and Lori tucking into some sticky toffee pudding (a delicacy which I understand is not commonly available in their home territory of the Pacific Northwest). 

But when the waitress brings me a bowl of special home-baked dog treats, I am made to wait patiently until all the humans have finished eating their food and are ready to leave.

Apparently this is all in the cause of teaching me good manners so I don't expect to be given food from the table.

Have you ever heard anything more ridiculous?

Anyone would think I had been negligent in my "pose nicely Bertie" duties during our day out together in Stonehaven.





Which of course was not the case.

Posing a problem?

Some of my friends will know that we have a very special visitor staying this weekend.

Gail and I took her to the seaside town of Stonehaven yesterday.

Gosh, when you have a distinguished photographer* like YAM-Aunty wielding the camera, but when it is Gail whose pocket contains the treats, it can be so hard to know who to pose for.

Life is full of these dilemmas...

*Among her many talents

In praise of Robert Fitzroy

Do you recognise this fine fellow? And no, I am not talking about myself (for once). I refer to the picture below.

OK, so certain clever clogs will have read the title to this post and correctly deduced that it is the very estimable Vice-Admiral Robert Fitzroy, captain of the survey ship HMS Beagle (of Darwin fame) and early pioneer and advocate of the science of weather forecasting.

We take weather forecasts for granted these days, don't we? I was thinking about this when I visited the attractive seaside town of Stonehaven last Saturday. 

It was sunny at the start of the walk,

But then it started to rain quite hard, and Gail and I sought shelter. 

Nearby to where we sheltered, on the old clock tower just along from the harbour, you can see a barometer. It was originally installed in the 1850s, around the time when Fitzroy was putting all his efforts into organising the systematic collection of weather data from ports all over the UK. He used these data to make scientific predictions about forthcoming storms - a novel and controversial concept at the time.

You'll notice that on Saturday the barometer was correctly predicting 'change'.

Fitzroy's life ended tragically. A lifelong sufferer from what we would these days describe as depression, he spent his considerable personal fortune in pursuit of his scientific endeavours, which were not always supported by his masters at the Admiralty. In the end, bankrupt and under-appreciated (except by the seamen who knew that his weather forecasts saved lives) he committed suicide. 

In 2002 that the Meteorological Office renamed one of the sea areas around the UK 'Fitzroy', in belated recognition of his very considerable achievements.

Gail still likes to listen to the Shipping forecast on BBC Radio 4. Don't tell her, but I think it's a bit boring...

Hard hat needed + I kissed a CAT!

So much has been going on here of late that I haven't found time to tell you all about the Works Summer Outing I went on with Gail a couple of weeks ago.

It was an unusually warm evening for a stroll along the seashore at Stonehaven (15 miles from Aberdeen and just south of the Highland Boundary Fault). Some of Gail's colleagues were, gasp, actually wearing shorts...

And yes, you've guessed it, we were there to look at rocks. Silurian, since you ask. My observation is that some were slippery and some were sharp on the paws.

I am hoping for easier terrain on the forthcoming Skye field trip.

Oh and I hope that the company Health and Safety guy Mr Medler (yes, really) doesn't see this post.  

 

I mean of course I would have worn a hard hat had a suitable one been provided.

When we gathered to pose for the customary group photo (before heading off for the pub) I found myself sat next to a lovely and lickable lady.

 

But imagine my horror when I learned that her name is cat KAT!!!!

PS from Gail: I am wondering if any of our creative friends in Blogville can think up a practical design for a hard hat /protective headwear which Bertie can wear when he joins the Isle of Skye geology field course at the end of this month? If you have a good idea (using everyday materials), please either post it on your blog and leave a comment, or just leave a comment describing your design. I shall post links to any blog which takes part, and shall attempt to replicate the design I deem most suitable and take photos of Bertie wearing it on Skye. Deadline is Monday 26 August.

A walk on the wild side...

You know how it is when you're given a promotion at work?

You think, isn't it great! Finally, I'll be trusted to get on with things by myself, to work independently, with no more too close supervision and irritating micro-management.

Life can be so disappointing.

You will all be aware by now that I was recently elevated from 'Assistant' to 'Associate' Webguide Volunteer for the VisitWoods Scotland project.

And you may remember that Gail and I have already had 'issues' about what that means in terms of who gets to choose which woods we visit.

Nonetheless, I have been operating under the entirely reasonable assumption that an Associate should be allowed to conduct his own inspections of local woods without the need for a hectoring human in close proximity.

We arrived at the entrance to Dunnottar Woods last Friday.

Oh it didn't take long to realise that there was plenty here worth checking out.

And then I caught a whiff of something most interesting in the dense undergrowth.

In such circumstances, I believe I am contractually obliged to conduct a thorough follow-up investigation. 

Look, remember I am an Associate now.

Really Gail made a most ridiculous fuss when she lost sight of me for a few minutes. I can scarcely bear to tell you what happened next, it is so humiliating.

She actually went and spoke to some other humans who were out walking their dogs, and asked if they'd seen a wire-haired fox terrier anywhere. She was on the point of giving them her mobile phone number when I ran back to tell her all about the red squirrels, rabbits and deer that I'd seen, and the wonderful, just wonderful foxy aroma that I simply had to follow through the ferns to the furthest reaches of the wood.

But instead of being impressed, Gail just clamped on my lead - the horror - and said firmly, "that's quite enough independence for today, my wee mannie, you're staying right by my side all the way back to the car". 

As if the promotion had never happened.