Ask the Dogs

“How did it go?” I asked Heidi this afternoon after the wedding rehearsal. 

“Shit show,” she scoffed. “They changed what I was supposed to do about 5 times.”

“I guess that’s why they have rehearsals,” I said.

“For sure,” she agreed. “But it’s pretty organized now, and the groom kept thanking me for being there. He said they felt much better about things.” 

Heidi loves dogs and all the dogs seem to know it right away and return the affection. This weekend, for the second time in a couple of years, she has been asked to be the dog wrangler at a friend’s wedding. Adrian and Andy wanted Leo to be part of the ceremony, but they were worried he wouldn’t listen to the wedding planner and on one of their recent walks, Adrian asked Heidi if she would be willing to help. “You know him,” she pointed out, “and you have such calm energy.”

Heidi laughed when she recounted the story to me later. “I don’t think anyone has ever accused me of having calm energy before,” she said.

“That’s just because dogs can’t talk,” I answered. “I’m pretty sure all the canines would agree with Adrian.”

A Solid C

I love movies and I love a countdown, so when I saw the NY Times feature naming the 100 best films of the century so far, I was all in.

According to the Times, the list was compiled by "polling more than 500 filmmakers, stars and influential film fans to vote for the 10 best movies (however they chose to define that) released since Jan. 1, 2000."

The pictures were revealed 20 a day starting Monday, and readers could view a synopsis and a rationale for recognizing each one. We could also check a box if we had seen the movie or another box if we wanted to see it. At the end of each day, two poster graphics were created, one for the films we'd seen and another for those on our wishlist. 

It was a fun way to wile away ten minutes or so each morning, and today I got to see my final tally. Of the hundred? I've seen 60, and I have some solid suggestions for another 15 evenings when it seems like there's not much to watch. 

Be Our Guest

I had just finished cleaning off the deck when a shadow crossed the sun. It was a curious crow, and it cocked its head when it landed on a branch of the birch tree that shades the balcony. 

Lucy was inside, and she saw it, too, so I slid the door open and let her out. She trotted to the corner and stood with front paws on the deck box, watching the big bird. The crow was not intimidated, though, and the two stood eye to eye for a few minutes. 

"Let's feed it!" Heidi suggested, and I reminded her where the birdseed was. "It looks thirsty," she added, and I fetched some water and a couple of shallow containers from the house. She filled them and placed them on the railing.

We brought Lucy inside, and the three of us watched as the crow ate and drank. Despite my worry that it might make a mess of the recently cleaned deck, it was a perfect guest, enjoying the refreshments neatly, with one eye on us as we observed. A little while later, it bowed politely and flew away.

911

Our community garden is located just a couple of houses from the fire station. Over the years, countless quiet mornings or afternoons there have been interrupted by the screaming of sirens responding to one emergency or another. The noise is loud enough that if Lucy happens to be there, I cover her ears because I know they are more sensitive than mine, and mine are hurting.

As unfailingly jarring as it is, it is of course impossible to be annoyed, knowing the essential duties the firetrucks, ambulances, and their occupants are engaged in. I do flinch, though, every time. 

And then I take a deep breath and send out positive energy to anybody who needs such help and gratitude to those who willingly offer it.

That Day

For me, it's always been impossible to understand what makes a moment, or an experience, or a day indelible. For example, it's no secret to those who know me that I love visiting Maine in the summer, and many of my happiest adult memories have taken place there. My family has been kind enough to travel there for my 40th, 50th, and 60th birthdays, and I treasure those weeks spent in my favorite place with the people I love. If it were up to me, we'd all go there every summer. 🤞🏻

There was a day, though, that for some reason stands out even among those amazing memories. Heidi and I and our first dog, Isabel, had driven up for just a few days at the end of the summer to stay with my friend Ruth. The year was 2005; Isabel was 2, Heidi was teaching swim lessons and lifeguarding, we spent many afternoons visiting my Aunt Sis in the hospital, and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had just come out.

On our way home, we decided to stop in Stonington and take the mail boat to Isle au Haut and then spend the night in a harborside hotel before getting on the road the next day. We left Ruth's at the crack of dawn to make our boat, and the morning was still a little chilly when we boarded. Isabel had never been on a boat that size before, but of course Heidi was able to lure her aboard. The voyage was about an hour, and when we were dropped off at the ranger's station, we understood that we would be on the island for the next six hours, until the boat returned. 

Conditions were primitive: there was an outhouse and an information kiosk, but the town, such as it was, was two miles down a narrow road, but we had packed food and water, and we were ready for the experience. We let Isabel off leash, and she dashed out of sight immediately. Fortunately, we found just down the path, standing in the water of a little inlet.

The next hours were just the three of us exploring the trails and cliffs and cobble beaches of the island. We ate lunch on a boulder looking out to sea, and I fashioned a dog toy from nylon rope and the remnants of a lobster trapfor Isabel to fetch. Near the end of the afternoon, we found an overlook above the sea, and there was something about that rocky outcropping that reminded me for all the world of the place where Dumbledore takes Harry to retrieve Slytherin's locket.

Almost too soon, it was time to return to the mainland, but once checked into our little efficiency we realized we were famished. A place around the corner delivered us a couple of fried seafood platters, and we ate clams, fish, and shrimp in front of the TV as we watched The Closer. 

It was one of the best days of my life.

Stay Cool

 

It was still 97 degrees at 5:45 this afternoon when I went up to check on my garden. After ALL the rain we've had in the weeks prior, things are still looking pretty healthy despite this hot, dry spell. In fact, I didn't even need to water; I'll take care of that tomorrow evening. 

I did pull a few weeds, though, enough to get some dirt in my Crocs, which was uncomfortable once I was ready to drive home. From the driver's seat, I slipped my dirty feet out of the shoes and dumped them onto the pavement, but rather than put them back on, I decided to drive home barefoot.

It had been a looooong time since I'd driven without shoes, and I had to adjust the seat to reach the pedals. Even so, it took me back to those days in my early 20s when I lived at the beach. We did everything barefoot then-- walked on blistering pavement to searing sand, rode beach cruisers down the boardwalk, and drove my yellow, 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit all over town. I'm sure I had a pair of Vans or flip flops thrown into the backseat in case I needed to go inside anywhere, but other than that? It was sandy toes to the metal all summer long.

It was a short ride home from the garden, but despite the heat, I rolled down the windows and blasted the 80s station. It was never my favorite decade, but today it was just right.

Ha Ha Funny

"What are we going to watch tonight?" Heidi asks me almost every evening. I'm not sure how I got to be in charge of our viewing-- I hope it's not because I'm a big brat-- but that's how it is. 

Lately, we've been watching Nobody Wants This, with Kristen Bell. After we finished all five seasons of The Good Place, I wasn't ready to completely let go of Eleanor Shellstrop, so. The shows are different, but thematically very similar. They both explore what it means to be a good person, and they do it through comedy. While not exactly classic sitcoms, the writing is smart and funny, and the acting is, too, and they make us laugh.

So tonight, when Heidi asks me her standard question, I know what the answer will be.