For those who did not know yet, Hunter S. Thompson has been announced dead. For whatever reason, my first thought was that he probably couldn't bring himself to face another four years under George W. Bush...note that I haven't looked into this yet and the only information i have is that he shot himself....for all I know, this could be entirely accidental, but I doubt it...
On a lighter note, the beagle is debatably a smart or not so smart animal. If a quantity of empty beer bottles are thrown into the commingled recyclables barrel and some stray, possibly weeks-old beer leaks out through the bottom of the barrel, she will quite happily lap it up from the ground until chased away. Then again, if any human is stupid enough to carelessly leave a non-empty open beer he is drinking where she can reach it, she will nose it over, spilling it, and drinking thusly...
Either way, sadly enough, this is also a household pet common to eating its own feces, which is never kept up on being cleaned up by humans when there is a layer of snow present. The alternative is to just stand there, watching the dog and smoking a cigarette, and snapping a "No!" or, when this fails, kicking loose snow in her direction. Wander back inside with her. Wonder on the way in why it is the duty of present humans, even those of us who are only outside in the first place so that we can fry up our lungs without annoying humans inside the house, to discourage an animal from consuming its own waste...
the muddy ground, wet with molten snow -
a surprising comfort to his aching feet,
even through the soles of his vans
....
sitting smoking, reassuring,
reassuring himself:
all will be well the rest of the day.
It has a good ring to it, catchy -
A mantra might it make,
If not for a mental reflex made facial,
a cynical reflex, clicking in!
wiping the smile instantly from his face,
slapping the brain in the head with a cane,
"what a crock!"
leaving his spirits firmly on the ground...
well, at least you tried.
But I enjoyed writing that, so I'm feeling better. Could swear I said 'at least you tried,' earlier today, to someone I know, and the thought of her strange way, actually did get a smile out of me... every day she goes to Panera and they give her a pickle with her sandwich. Every day she smells this pickle and enjoys the smell of pickle, makes a comment about how she wants to like pickles, takes a small bite and makes a face...puts it down, Eventually discards it, is sure one day she will actually like pickles...