Up at four in the morning to get from the hotel in the West End to Heathrow in time to navigate the charms of airport security before catching the seven o'clock flight to France. Only fifteen people on the plane this morning so thankfully masses of room. Met at Toulouse by a rapturous, ear shattering, greeting from Wilf and Digby who simply couldn't contain themselves and shouted out their delight to the entire arrivals hall. It's when they close their eyes and throw their heads back that you know you're about to be on the receiving end of the inimitable PON chorus. Wilf has now turned on his cute and coy routine in the hope of extracting a gluten free treat out of me. Digby by contrast has retired for a doze under the hall table, the joy of the reunion having exhausted him. One of the pleasures of going back to London is the chance to read all the English papers the same day they are published. Skimming through The Times on the flight back I came across an interesting article which points out that a sheepdog has 200 million olfactory receptors in its nose compared with 6 million in a human. The difference is exponential - we are effectively anosmic - in other words by comparison we smell nothing . A beagles sense of smell may be millions of times more powerful than ours. It certainly holds true for Wilf and Digby who can detect lunch going into the oven from the very far side of the garden.
The first shirt sleeve weather today. The boyz will get a long walk this afternoon if it lasts.
Shirt sleeve weather eh? Well I'll have you know it's ALWAYS shirt sleeve weather here in Aberdeen! At least judging by what the young (and not so young) folk who parade up and down Union Street on a Saturday night are wearing.....
ReplyDeleteCheers, H.
I envy you your shirt sleeve weather!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing better than coming home to happy dogs, is there? They always make you feel like the most important, special person in the world, whether you've been gone hours or months!
Hamish - The dress code of the youth of Scotlands NE. One of lifes great imponderables.
ReplyDeleteHoundstooth - The problem with these two is ttheir ability to share their happiness with anyone within a 20 metre radius. They clearly believe joy is infectious!
A dog's welcome is the very best!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd, in the olfactory department, even if we had the noses of dogs, we don't have enough brain matter devoted to interpreting scents to register or understand the information.
Well, here's a Scotty ARRROOOOOOOOOOO to welcome you home too! SHE loves to pick up big city papers when she travels and wishes we had a proper newstand with papers from all over. Have a great walkie with the guys, it's jacket weather here in Floriduh.
ReplyDeletesniffies,
Bonnie
There's nothing like a "welcome home" - Petey wiggles like mad and bares his teeth in his canine version of a smile. I've never been able to capture it on film, but it's quite astonishing.
ReplyDeleteOvercast today with literally dozens of birds picking the red berries off the neighbor's tree and our persistent cardinal Wolsey still tapping on the window like a metronome.
Explains perfectly why Edward knows when a cat is strolling along out in the street. He comes thundering down the hall to the front windows, voicing his displeasure.
ReplyDeleteAren't those welcomes just the best?