Animal encounters about town

First some artistic graffiti.

Yes I really was made to pose beneath a C-A-T....

The horror.

Much more to my liking was next day's encounter with these three handsome huskies.

For a moment I thought it was our blogging pals Lightning, Timber and Misty.

PS from Gail: I took Bertie to the vet for a blood test yesterday. No new symptoms, but he's now been taking the Previcox tablets for his bladder tumour for six months so the vet wanted to check there are no adverse effects on his kidney and liver function. Bertie seems to be doing so well on this medication, so all paws and fingers crossed that the test results, due later today, are OK. 

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.

Interview with Madi - the initial draft ...

Gail, come and look at this, I have prepared my answers to Mayoress Madi's interview questions. Oh don't you just love this interview business, being asked to talk about oneself, to give one's opinions and generally to be taken seriously. It's such good fun isn't it?

Well Bertie that is certainly an interesting and positive approach to a process many humans find stressful. Can I please see what you have pawed? So, er, how many pages is that? Crikey! You most surely have a lot to say. Now let me read....

(Half an hour later, and Gail is still reading)

Gail, you are looking a wee bit worried? Frowning is not good for those wrinkles, you know. Is there something I need to explain?

Dearest Bertie, where to begin? I should I suppose congratulate you on the fullness of your answers. Both to the questions that were asked and those that weren't. If you were being paid by the word, then this effort would for sure earn you a lot of treats. However I think you should bear in mind that the attention span of the average blog reader, yes, even your readers, who are naturally of the highest intellectual calibre, does not normally extend to a post long enough to submit as a PhD thesis.

Gosh but Gail, what can I cut out? I mean it's all so very important...

Well now let me see (Gail flicks through the pile of papers). Your answer to the question 'who would you most like to meet?'  Perhaps the five page rant about wanting to be introduced to Donald Trump, simply so you could let him know what you feel about him ruining your favourite bit of coastline with his hideous golf resort is a bit OTT. The details about how you would bite his ankles and then work upwards are gruesome, overly graphic and almost as tasteless as his hotels and his hairdo. What else? Oh yes the lengthy section about your interest in the notion of gene therapy and whether there are genes that can be inserted into humans to make them better at buying dog treats and toys is not strictly speaking relevant to any of the questions posed by Madi, is it now Bertie?

Well Gail, if you say so...

I do say so. Oh Bertie, there's no need to look so disappointed. I'm sure you can deploy some of this material in future posts. But for this particular task, I'll tell you what, let's settle down in front of the laptop and together we'll try to write some responses that are true, entertaining, somewhat relevant and, well, a wee bit briefer...

For the final version of Bertie's interview see Madi and Mom's blog on Monday 10th June.