In the country and plugged in

So, we were at a country heritage celebration when the kids went down to see the horses.  Here's 1 of 4 showing the horse how to use her ipod.  I found 2 of 4 hiding behind the barn with a bunch of other teens, many of whom were locals.  Guess what they were doing?  Texting each other.  I suspect some day it will get to the point when parents will be able to just unplug their kids at bed time since I'm sure the next step is to physically implant the devices for ease of use.

Here's 2 of 4 performing.  She managed to put down her phone long enough to get up on stage.  I suppose she didn't mind though as she's on an instrument that's plugged in.

Dear Family;

  I'm still doing well and the Chocoholics are enjoying my company.  I'm fitting in to their routine nicely but still trying to figure out some of the more bizzare rules they exercise in this household.  For example, the other evening when I was out in the park for my pre-supper play I found the most fabulous mound of dog poop left by a considerate human dog slave.  Normally the humans are quick to clean up such glorious masses, saving them all for themselves and leaving none for us.  Greedy buggers.  But on this occassion I found a lovely little pile all for myself.

 Now Mr. Hunter warned me that the many times he has previously enjoyed a good role in the poop that Perp for some odd reason was not at all pleased with his actions.  Probably jealous.  She had been known to punish him with a good shampoo and rinse with the hose for not sharing with her. [shiver]  Barbarian!

Anyhow, I had a bath in the tub.  Being small enough to fit in there is a bonus since I fear the hose would have been even more undignified.  I absolutely hated it and showed my disgust by sulking for the rest of the evening.  Can you imagine such a thing!  What happend to licking away the dirt after all?

I hear that the CU's miss me.  Of course they do.  I'm Jasper after all.  How could they resist with someone so cute.  Mr. Hunter isn't so lucky since he's not cute and he gets scolded way more vehemently when getting into trouble than I do.  That's why he looked so smug when I got a good tongue lashing after the poop incident.  She was scolding and he was doing a happy dance with a big tail wagging the whole time.  How can he be so callous as to enjoy my misery so much?  I think he's just jealous 'cause he's not me.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Licks and More Licks,

Jasper

P.S.....Is it true that peeing on the carpet is also bad?  Cause Perp says it is and I think she may be making that one up.

I'm reading Giorgio Vasari's "The Lives of the Artists".  In reading this it got me to thinking about what kind of person Vasari was.  Living during the 1500's he wrote about the artists of the time such as Donatello, Rapheal, Leonardo da Vinci, and his friend Michelangelo.  What if he was just one of those people who is "full of it."  You know the type.  They make stuff up to make it appear as if they really are hot poop.

Now I know historians would have torn his works apart (and have) and have made corrections where warrented, but how do we know if the more intimate stories he tells are true. 

Then I got to wondering after reading about Donatello and Michelangelo and Rapheal how they would feel about being imortalized the way they are today.  You know....as Teenaged Muntant Ninja Turtles.  Cause if I mention their names that's what alot of the younger generation thinks about;-)  I haven't read Leonardo's biography yet, but seeing as he was quite the inventor he might get a kick out of the whole movie/television thing but who knows. 

How these people live just seems so far from what I think of as an artist today.  They are so singular in their purpose that they remind me more of, well....... nerds.  Computer nerds to be exact.  If they lived today I wonder if they would still make art/architecture their career choice.  I guess God plants us where we'd grow best.

Out of all of these I think I'd like to meet Michelangelo (although I'd love to watch Leonardo paint the Mona Lisa!) the best. 

After reading Vasari's work I now realize that in the Universe there is God, then his most perfect human creation Michelangelo and then the rest of the world.  He filled many pages with his praises about how perfect Michelangelo was in every way.  Describing him physically and mentally.  Geez Vasari...get a room or something.  He sounds a bit like renaissance version of a stalker.   One example is he sent over 40lbs of candles at 2 in the morning to Michelangelo as a gift.  Who does that?  Seriously?  2am?  Michelangelo didn't accept gifts from people as he didn't want to ever be indebted to anyone and tried to return them but Vasari's servant said,

"Mike dude, (now I'm paraphrasing here) it's 40lbs of candles, and my arms are tired after walking all the way over here at 2am in the friggin' morning.  If you don't take 'em I'm gonna stick 'em in the dirt and light 'em all on your front lawn."


Michelangelo told him he wasn't up for that kind of practical joke at 2 in the morning and accepted them.


Now to be fair to Vasari, Michelangelo rarely slept so the guy was probably already up if we are to believe Vasari.  But who really knows. 

Any how, this whole thing got me thinking about how it would be to meet some of these people.  Would they be as fabulous as history would have us believe?  Humble and frugal and rich and smart and perfect in every way?  And how will today's artists be seen in the future?  Will there even be some who will hold a place in history as these "greats" do?  I'm thinking no.  Probably not.  I believe the birth of some of the technological advances we've made will foreshadow everything else from our time 500 years from now.  But again, who knows.  I guess time will tell.

So this morning the coffee shop was crowded.  I had to sit at a table a little more in the open than I like.  When I sit in a corner or on the patio where I can usually shield what I'm doing to dissuade any complaints about my activities.  I didn't mind so much today as I was drawing from a picture and not trying to sneak peeks at the patrons.  When I sat down, one of the ladies at the table beside me looked uncomfortable at my arrival.  I didn't recognize her or remember seeing her before but I could see her sneaking glances my way and shifting around in her chair.  Later they started up a conversation with me about my scribbling.  The uncomfortable one mentioned that she had seen me on previous visits drawing.  Usually not from a photo though, but using my own hand or something in the coffee shop.  She seemed relieved when she saw the picture was the above one and not her face.  What's that?  Why do I spend so much time in coffee shops making people uncomfortable?

1)  I like to.
2)  1, 2, 3, 4 and all of their friends.
3)  I don't have to do the dishes when I'm finished.

The other day I walked into the house to find 7 extra kids in my house.  11 in all.  There were kids in pretty much every room of my house.  Not conducive to productivity in the area of art.  I like that we have a safe place that kids can come hang out, but I can't work at home.  Also, I have not a scrap of food (other than vegetables) in my home at the end of the day once they've been into the food stuff and I don't want vegetables for breakfast.

p.s.  btw, if I buy more food they eat more food so it's not for a lack of trying to keep the cupboards and fridge stocked.

Dear Adventurer;

  Here I am back in bed after my morning constitutional.  I get up when Mr. P does in the morning, turn my nose up at the dog food placed before me and then go out for a run in the park.

  I'm feeling better today.  Yesterday I was not myself and moped around the house flapping my ears and hiding in corners.  Perp. thought maybe I was homesick since I ran out to the van and tried to get in every time I escaped when someone opened the front door.  Today I'm back to my perky self and am letting everyone know that all attention should be directed at me and not the "other one."  I often have to jump in the way  or bark or move their hand when someone tries to pet him instead of me to remind them I'm cuter than some old black lab. 

  Well, hope you're having fun.  I'm off to go and jump up on the kitchen table so I can see out the window and watch for intruders who come up to the front door.  Perp has told me this is bad but how else does she expect me to guard the house?

Flaps and nips,

Jasper

Dear Adventurer and Family;

  Hope you arrived at Grandma C's safely sans me.  I'm doing well and have spend the last few days training the help.  I now have them believing that I can be trusted off the leash at least in the back field.  The front may still take some convincing as I like to play "chase me" when I get out into the front and they don't see the humour in this game.  I'm sleeping with 1 of 4 this week and like to sleep on her face.  Well, actually I sleep on her face until she pushes me over to the pillow which is good too.

  We are having some issues with the food service though.  Perp was growing concerned after I refused to eat more than a few kibbles (she wouldn't pre-chew my food for me.)  I did try some of that other dogs food and found it to my liking and have learned that if I make a cute face and sit real pretty I get a few table scraps as well...ooops, I don't think I was supposed to tell you that part.

  I have been a good boy and come when I'm called in the house with the pig call, but have a giggle when I hear them trying to call me that way outdoors.  They've gotten some pretty odd looks from neighbours and fellow dog walkers when seen standing in the middle of the field calling "soo-ee, here pig, pig, pig and I pretend I don't know what they're talking about.  That was a good joke.  Glad you thought of it.

I miss you and hope you're having a good time even though I can't be there.

Licks and Yaps

Jasper

Stormy Weather

Not funny bad girl!  Just you wait until you're....ummm.....42.

Don't I look good for someone in their 60's?  It's just too bad I'm in my early to middle late 40's.

A quick pastel sketch from my "coffee shop" sketch book.

And another.

So I have managed to cycle a few times a week lately and do so uneventfully.  I go over to Quebec for coffee and back which is about 40km.  Yesterday I decided to take 4 of 4 and 1 of 4 for a ride.  I fall down go boom.  I have the bandages and bruises to prove it.  I've decided that spending quality time with ones children is hazardous to ones health.  Better to bike alone.

Last evening we had a fast moving thunder storm blow through the city.  Cheap Trick was playing Bluesfest and the main stage blew back and then collapsed.   Luckily no body was killed or seriously hurt, including the band.  There were only a few seconds warning before the wind came in and took everything down.  During the exact moment of the collapse, had you been looking for me, you would have found me in my back yard holding onto my gazebo for dear life.  I was not losing my gazebo!  When Mr. P. later called my parents to see if they got the storm some hour South of here, I heard him break out in laughter and state,

"Boy, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

During the storm they too were outside holding down their gazebo.  They had lost their previous one in a wind storm last year.

Crows and Teens

I was watching a family of crows on my fence with my 13 year old, Two of Four.  The parents were feeding their very loud squawking offspring.

"I wonder why their still feeding their babies." I said to Two of Four.  "They're the same size as the parents.  You'd think they could take care of themselves by now."

"Huh," she replies in a sarcastic voice, "you still feed One of Four and she's 15 and taller than you."

"Point taken."

Canada Day On The Hill

click to biggify the stinky sweaty people

Okay, it's not exactly Canada Day on the Hill so much as Canada Day down the street from the Hill.  With Will and Kate visiting the country this Canada Day the number of partiers at Parliament Hill were up this year.  We had trouble getting a bus to take us there and if it weren't for the kids probably wouldn't have tried.  I imagine it will be even worse tonight for the fireworks and good luck getting home.

Last year when the Queen was here it was busier then usual.  This year it's just downright insane.  It took about a half hour to walk half a block, rubbing up against some of the most ....umm....damp and odorous individuals you could come across because of the high temperatures and sunny weather.  The above pictures are of the more opened areas we could find when I could get my arms up to take a picture.  Did I mention I have claustrophobia! 

Would I have spent it any differently?  Probably not.   Happy Canada Day!