A few things worth noting in the weekend Globe

I usually read my weekend Globe and Mail on Sundays, because it's huge and delightful and I can loll about in bed and enjoy myself. This week several things caught my attention.

The continuing pet food recall. This is terrifying. I feed my dogs Iams (dry) because it's the only food they can tolerate, and I thought I was safe because it was all wet stuff being recalled, but now they've pulled a Hill's dry cat food and one wonders when it will end. My cat Clio, being somewhat elderly and having lost a few teeth, eats only wet, from a company not affiliated with any of the ones affected, but still. An editorial argues that it's okay that pet food is not regulated as strictly as is that for humans, as the regulatory board is over-stretched as it is, and, hey, after all, they're only animals. harumph.

Margaret Wente, writing in support of Ayaan Hirst Ali, who is unsurprisingly coming under attack from all levels of Muslims for her views on Islam, writes, apparently without irony, that in the West "People no longer kill each other over faith. They no longer think of life as being ordered by the will of God. Women are equal to men." HELLO??? In what universe are you living, dear?

On a lighter note, in article about spring cleaning with an environmental consciences the news that Method (my fave line of enviro cleaners) has a Swiffer floor mop type device with a washable microfiber cloth and non-toxic floor cleaner. It will be available here sometime this month. Bravo.

And not least, a great review of papersky's book Farthing, calling it "one of the best speculative works produced in years"! Cheers and kudos to her.

A pleasant Sunday

After slothing this morning, reading the Globe and Mail (see previous post), the d's and I went for a brisk walk in Mt. Doug park. No camera this time, as it was cold and I didn't have a lot of time, but I saw many things that I would photograph if I had nano-camera things in my brain:

sun slanting through the forest

a robin perched on a tree in the sunshine, his red breast in full spring plumage gleaming in the patch of sunlight.

carpets of erythroniums, little pale lanterns on the forest floor

three trilliums

my dear dogs, snuffling and padding through the paths, looking back at me companionably, waving their tails gently

Speaking of dear dogs, my dear elder dog became temporarily lost, when I was walking downhill and very pleased to be able to go quickly and he got left behind. I suddenly realized he wasn't with me. Robinson, meanwhile, had run quite a long way up ahead, so I had to wait while I called him back, all the time imagining Cholmondeley careening off into the bush, never to be seen again. When I turned back, I met another couple of dog walkers, who told me they had seen a brown beardie "way back there" looking lost, and my heart sank. I told Robinson to "speak" and he barked happily (Chums is quite deaf, but does seem to be able to hear R. barking), then sent R up ahead with instructions to "find" Cholmondely. A few minutes passed, then Cholmondeley hove into sight, quite obviously lost and distressed, but Robinson caught up with him and brought him to me. The dear boy was thrilled to see me. I snapped his leash on him and he walked happily beside me the rest of the way back, looking up from time to time as if to reassure himself that I was there, at the end of the leash. Another nice thing to remember - his face looking up at me.

This afternoon, I went downtown and met my friend mkb, over from Vancouver for a court case tomorrow. We poked around Munro's, then I went to a photo store and bought myself a gorillapod for my trip, then we had coffee and chatted.

This evening, I have fresh halibut, leeks and left-over scalloped potatoes for supper and the new James Bond to watch. All in all, a very pleasant day. and only two weeks left of term... yay