If only our dogs had this much control over their sound level

Or, if only we had this much control over the sound level of our dogs. They sometimes go barking mad over something invisible. Invisible to us anyway. Now, this , I believe Japanese, dog still barks, but can bark gradually softer if asked to. The only Japanese I speak is 'sushi', so I have to rely on the translation Dutch television gave when they showed this video. I could only find the Asian version. The lady asks the dog to bark, bark again, bark softer, softer still and then to whisper.

Clever dog.

Sunday Selections

 

…..and she’s back. Sorry being a ‘bad blogger’ these last two weeks. The garden wanted, and still wants, my full attention. Anyway, I’m back for the Sunday Selections, hosted by the lovely Kim from Frogpondsrock.

Yesterday it was the annual Oxford – Cambridge Boat Race Day. And guess what…. OXFORD WON!!!!!! (doing a happy dance now)

As a *cough* former Oxford student *cough* (I did a Summer course in Art History in Oxford, at Trinity College), I’m extremely proud of my boys. Thought I’d post some shots of Oxford for the occasion. I took these with my old point-and-shoot camera, while literally running (hence the blur and crooked angles)  from college to college and from lecture to lecture, and they’ve been hanging around on my computer for years now.

Sunday Selections

Sunday Selections is hosted by Kim over at Frogpondsrock. It is the perfect excuse for posting those shots that have been hanging around aimlessly in folders on your computer, waiting to be seen. Hop over to the Rocking Frog Ponds and see what others have posted or dig up some photos yourself and join in.

I just love the smiley faces on those horses. (And yes, that’s my shadow. Oops.)

 

This German guy (I know he’s German, because we said ‘hallo’ and he replied with ‘guten Abend’) was enjoying his ‘patatje’, which is Dutch for chips, on a Summer’s evening in Appingedam last year.

 

You probably wouldn’t have noticed, but the people living behind this rather lovely front door are selling hony. Yep, not honey, but hony. Or hone. Or hoey. Because honey in Dutch is ‘honing’ and they left out the n. But I’m sure it will still be delicious.

 

This lady has managed to bring a little bit of France into the North of the Netherlands, with her little shop in an old wooden caravan, parked under a cherry tree.

Cute, n’est-ce pas?

Proof

Yesterday afternoon one of our friends came over for a cup of coffee. While we were sitting outside, enjoying a bit of sunshine, one two three lots of hubs' home baked cookies and our coffee, I got a text message from hubs. I opened the message and read: “congratulations on your mom’s birthday and I’ll be home late”.

“What’s wrong”, friend asked, looking at my frown.

“Hubs just texted ‘congratulations on your mom’s birthday’, I said.

“Oh, congratulations”, friend said. “So it’s your mom’s birthday today.”

“I don’t think so”, I frowned again. “I thought my mom’s birthday was tomorrow.”

Friend knows me and said: “Are you sure? Your hubs is better at these things isn’t he?”

“Hmm. What date is it today?”, I asked friend.

“March 8”, he said.

“Oh”, I laughed. “It’s my mom’s birthday today. Oops. Guess I’ll have to go there tonight then. It’s her eightieth.”

And then we had another cup of coffee and a cookie or two. And that evening I went to visit my parents, who had been wondering why I hadn’t called yet and why I hadn’t visited earlier that day.
I didn’t confess that I had been a bit confused about dates and days. Some things are better left unsaid.

But it does prove that I am really bad at remembering birthdays, as I mentioned in the ‘Oh pifflesquit’-post. In case you thought I just made that up. I never just make things up.

Sunday Selections

I thought it was time (at least for us in the Northern hemisphere) to have a taste of Summer. Just to wet our appetites. So, this week my Sunday Selections post (hosted by Kim from Frogpondsrock) consists of photos that aren’t my best flower shots, so they don’t deserve a place at my photo blog, but they were good enough to survive the elimination round. Which left them hanging around in a folder on my computer, doing nothing. Up to now that is.

And just for Kim I’ve kept a purple theme

      

      

I know, not the most exciting post of the year.