My dog-gone dawg has rolled. I don’t know why animals do this but a google search says: “Some wolf characteristics stayed with the dog like the scent rolling instinct. The leading explanation is that they’re instinctively disguising their own scent so that prey animals won’t sniff a predator upwind. Megan Parker, research biologist at the Wolf Education and Research Center in Seattle, says that, yes, wolves-the ancestors of dogs-regularly roll in carrion. But she’s not so sure the reason is to disguise their scent. Both wolves and dogs have plentiful scent glands, she told us, so disguise is probably imperfect at best.It could be they roll in carrion to take the scent back to the pack, telling them they’ve found something interesting. Kind of like a restaurant review. It could also be that they’re marking the carrion with their scent, to tell anyone else who comes along ‘this is mine’. Of course, there’s always the possibility that some dogs may simply enjoy rolling around in carrion or feces, the way we enjoy a scented bubble bath.”

Well, he’ll get a bath alright — and me too from getting too close to him. I don’t know whether to be more upset at the dawg or the prevert that left the gift in the woods.

Maybe you missed this tip in your travel magazine about those horse collar neck gaskets? (keeps your head off of your shoulders when you snooze upright in your airline seat) The brand that inflates to a pillow could expand and damage the tissue causing trauma injury or death. If the aircraft cabin were to suddenly depressurize the neck doughnut would become a very large very hard balloon. Testing is incomplete and it is undetermined that this balloon pops before the circulation to your head is constricted. Important safety tip 🙂

Searching for calories to replace what I burned at the end of my jog, I find them (and then some) at a Sonic Drive In. Perfect. I didn’t even have to put my t shirt on. The car hop brought it outside to my steel mesh table. This was in need of a good steam clean and I felt a tinge of O.C.D. (ala Tony Shalhoubis) as I considered putting a napkin down for each elbow to rest upon. Instead, I left behind my own sweaty schmutz added to the layers.

I survived the wait-in-line ordeal at the DMV. They’ve got the processing of license renewals down to an exact science and it was a reasonably streamlined operation. This age of innocence is passing. I read in the paper about the Bush proposal to upgrade homeland security. Included therein, is the suggestion for the adoption of uniform laws for the issuance of driver’s licenses. This has nothing to do with automobile usage or driver safety. I fear that the next time I have to go in for the road sign test, I’ll be getting a background check as well.

Capillary action has drawn moisture to the backside of the rain gutter. The shingles were a bit short over the edge. Over time the wood rotted and hence the repair in progress that you see here. Pesky wasps are using this slot as their gateway into the biggest, finest hive they ever dreamed for.

Climbing aboard a 5 a.m. hotel shuttle I observed a wee little one riding shotgun. It’s great that children are able to spend a day with a parent at their job description but I don’t think that this was it. Unfair the disparity. Unfair that working parents in the affluent technology corridor where this hotel is situated have quality day care furnished as a career benefit while our driver hack has no such perk. No doubt he is an immigrant working all hours of the night to make ends meet. The child trying to catch Zsss in between dad’s 30 minute airport runs was quiet and unaware of her unfortunate caste. Let’s hope that when she’s old enough that she will do well in school and rise above it all.

A critter varmint accidentally died. The ultimate action in the chain of events was that BossOfYouRingGirl, was insulted by the odorific carcass. To reclaim the living room, I was volunteered to extract said item. Whilst standing on my head and squinting so as to avoid getting the remains in my eyes I removed the flu damper and groped for the prize. The thought crossed my mind that anyone else would have hired out this job. I found the remains on the smokeshelf and came up with handfuls of soot, dust, chimney clinkers, and pieces of birds nest. The offender removed, I sealed the thing shut with caulking.

Bro’ uses the Monty Roberts “horse whisperer” method to break MANGO, a 2 year old. learn more about it…