Category: Hugo and Lola

#161 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn art, Hugo and Lola, SerendipityLeave a comment

Blogwise it is going to be a quiet patch for the next few days.

Lola has had a hysterectomy and is advised to take life gently for the next two weeks. No walks longer than ten to fifteen minutes. No giddy excitements. This was a planned procedure so I had stored up quite a few non exciting projects to be completed at home.

This morning I bought some mackerel, mackerel models if you like, for a longstanding commission and a portrait exhibition later in the year.

Plymouth Market has an excellent fishmonger with gorgeous fish straight from the fish market.

I had no qualms asking for three of the prettiest mackerel for posing reasons. The mackerel pose, not me.

I also asked for fish heads to paint actual fish face portraits but I need to go back later in the day for that.

Obviously for continuity of dog care it was a very quick nip into the market but even a quick nip created a ponder, one created entirely from my own ignorance.

I love a market, but snobbishly or for whatever reason, foreign or London markets really float my boat. Meanwhile my local market gets barely a thought. Well more fool me. I do know that Plymouth Market is an architectural gem and I do go there reasonably often but I have never noticed these two pieces of wall art before.

The bottom one even features by name one of my favourite London Markets. Spitalfields.

Now of course I need to return to the market and research the artist!

So for my next visit, fish heads and Art History, who knew caring for a post surgery dog could be quite so stimulating!

#135 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and LolaLeave a comment

Still shamelessly using the weekend sun to illustrate the blog, even though we are already on Wednesday. Significantly we are also still under a blanket of West Country greige, which sucks the soul a bit and makes any adventure outside a damp affair.

I had my first large meeting, in person experience, last night. Two years on from the first, long, Covid lockdown. Because life has changed in unimaginable ways, this meetings topics, location and reasons for being were unknown to me two years ago. There was something very comforting in realising that non professional/ business meetings have not changed a jot. However Zoom meetings with the ability to mute for a good giggle or rant off screen have made my meeting/social/skills a bit slack. I worried that I might burst when the generic, entitled, white, male got up to speak. Struggling to get his, ill-informed views across because of the plums in his mouth. Note to self- always sit at the back in future!

For reference I have included a Youtube clip of The Vicar of Dibley in case you too have forgotten the way of meetings.

We took the dogs with us. Hugo is a very entitled, white male. Sensibly, apart from one brief woof, he kept his opinions to himself. Lola, being female listened intently. Fully aware that at any moment she might be asked to take notes.

#99 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and Lola1 Comment

Earlier this week the dogs had a true post pandemic moment. Of course they probably have no concept of the pandemic but they must be aware that the past two years they have spent far more quality time with us. This week they went to the vets and a mummy was actually allowed to accompany them into the consulting room. Such is the skill of animal nurses and vets that they almost certainly have no thoughts on attending the vets without us. But for the humans @theoldmortuary visits to the vets have been additionally traumatic as we have had to wait in the car park as they have endured, and not always silently, their various treatments and procedures. Our veteran 24 year old cat took the single ticket, one way trip to the surgery last summer and Hugo has had a very intimate area probed. His howls of indignity filled the car park and set off supportive howls from all the dogs in the car park. Lola in particular took the howling to operatic levels of sound and drama. So as they snuggle on the rug I imagine they are looking at me with gratitude.

But in reality I think they would like me to move on and leave them in peace.

#87 theoldmortuary ponders

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As the days of the festive season give way to January, I was anticipating a return to Sunday normality. Some time alone with a newspaper is one of the regular joys of the weekend. What I had not factored in was two dogs who have had two full weeks of an endless supply of cuddles from a bigger variety of people in the house. Regardless of our level of business or relaxation there has always been someone willing to give them on-demand cuddles, tickles, snacks, access to the yard or bracing walks. Just two of us is suddenly not quite enough for their wish fulfilment. The picture above looks either posed or a lucky moment with a handy camera phone. It was neither, just an absolute certainty. During my twenty minutes of attempting to read the paper this happened more than ten times. He needed nothing, but what he wanted was the undivided attention of the only human available. As soon as I took this picture I gave up reading the newspaper. As soon as I gave up reading the newspaper, he went to sleep on it. As soon as he went to sleep we took him on a walk. I’m not sure which of us is the victor. Only one person did a victory dance

#57 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and Lola, SerendipityLeave a comment

It is not all about dog walks in lovely places and comfortable places to sleep. Sometimes Hugo and Lola believe that they are doing actual work. Here they are on car duty while we have a wee and grab a coffee.

Yesterday was pretty full on for them. Early morning house guarding duty while we went, with other bobbers, for what turned out to be the most disappointing ‘ bob’ of recent times. It was a really low tide so there was a good bit of rock scrambling before we even hit the water and then it was all a bit sea weedy for a while until we hit water deep enough to swim in. The dogs, of course, had to offer counselling and support when we returned.

After the car journey there were more dog responsibilities. Urban Squirrel watching.

And minor hangover care after a Christmas party.

#40 theoldmortuary ponders

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Friends, Hugo and Lola, Serendipity2 Comments

Just a little blog today about the joys of an early morning start, and another unexpected morning joy.

Starting the day early with a cup of coffee, the sunrise and a natter with swimming friends at Tranquility Bay. Even though this was officially a dog walk and not a ‘ bobbing’ session.

They were not averse to some morning basking. It is going to be a beautiful day.

My day got a little more complex soon after this when I took the car, an automatic, to have some body work done and the courtesy car had one of these!

Both feet doing something while I drive is quite a novelty.A bit of driving round early morning, empty car parks soon put my driving skills back into the manual world. And the word novelty allows me to add a small serving of another fairly unique experience of the past weekend.

I suppose Covid has altered the way hotels can serve breakfast. My inner child was properly thrilled to have a one person serving of breakfast cereal. A treat that only occured very rarely when I was an actual child and pretty rarely when I had actual children.

Mornings are definitely perked up by coffee and individual cereal packets. Not so much by a manual gear box.

#5 theoldmortuary ponders.

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and Lola, staycationLeave a comment
©Emily Bobber

This is all that is left of the West Pier in Brighton. I used to pass it every day on my way to work in Brighton. The pier closed in 1975 and has been ravaged by storms ever since. For me it has always been a ghost pier. Something to focus on when looking out to sea thinking deep or not so deep thoughts. It is some years since I have visited Brighton. It was definitely a destination booked in for this summers great staycation but a complication arose with the dates and we weren’t able  to go. Getting a “fix’ of Brighton every few years is an essential piece of ‘touching base’. Fondly known as London-by-the-sea it is a larger than life sea side resort.

One of our ‘Bobbers’ group ran a half marathon there this weekend and captured this lovely image.

Hunting in my phones image file I’ve only found one other blogworthy picture.  Hugo, posing very regally at the Prince Regents Pleasure Dome, The Royal Pavillion.

Any future visits to Brighton will almost certainly involve swimming in the sea, no matter what time of year we schedule a trip and definitely more photography!

Pandemic Pondering #531

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and LolaLeave a comment
Morning Shimmer

Shimmering and spiders.

Morning and evening dog walks have been very shimmery this week. There was a monumental midweek storm that has affected the light at either end of the day. The storm also blew the recently constructed cobwebs away. All week spiders have been moving into the house for winter. Yesterday an industrious one had built a web over the dog leads between walks. Any thoughts, that we may have had, of there being less spiders in a city house than a country one are being replaced by reality. The one job that remains post house move is to sort out art stuff into the studio. Much of it has been done but there are still some big Ikea bags full of essential odds and ends being stored in the garage. I had always planned to get it done in September but had not considered that by leaving the job until now I will inevitably shift spiders from their winter quarters in the garage into the house.

Fishy Shimmer ©theoldmortuary

I have no water colours of spiders, so a shimmery fish from the shimmery sea will have to do as a midblog illustration.

Neither of the humans in this house are arachnophobes and one furry person is indifferent, hso all this talk of spiders might be inconsequential. Lola, however, is not indifferent to spiders.

This small brown nose spends hours every autumn sniffing out spiders, not the most useful of tracking talents. Unlike most tracking dogs she doesn’t tell her humans that she has found something, she just gobbles them up if they dont wake up in time to move. Once they have properly hibernated she doesnt seem to be able to sniff them out, so by November our days and evenings will not be punctuated by Lola crossing the floors in an obsessive hunt for sleepy spiders, despite our best efforts the outcome is rarely positive.

Evening Shimmer

Pandemic Pondering #521

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and Lola, Van LifeLeave a comment

Vanlife day 2 at Bantham. Up bright and early for a dog walk.

We learnt so much last night, having lived so long in Cornwall we are well used to the marked nativism that is the signature disrespect held for all that were not born in the Duchy. Devon takes a gentler approach. Visitors are generally known as DFL ( Down from London) London being a general term for visitors from elsewhere.

For many years like so many Cornish, Devon and West Country people we became economic and professional migrants and lived and worked in London. On our regular returns to the West Country we were certainly described as DFL when in actual fact we were FH R ( From Here Really) Last night we mingled with many who were DFL and with whom we had much in common but when discussing that we were FHR needed more clarification. JUFP did the job! Just up from Plymouth.

So much easier to be a dog, they just needed to pee and sniff each others nether regions to realise that they and the DFL dogs had in fact met many times in the glorious parks of South London.

Not for them the curious Social dancing of humans just a simple. sniff and all the social niceties are observed in an instant. Not that that didnt exhaust them. Barely able to keep their eyes open last night. Today is very much a van day after the early morning walk and a breakfast until noon.

Taking it in turns to be alert.

More Bantham blogging tomorrow, you can never have too much of a good thing.

Pandemic Pondering #482

On By theoldmortuary.designIn Hugo and LolaLeave a comment

A shameless dogblog. Low tide this morning and an empty beach gave the dogs a rare chance to scamper on the beach. Lola is perfectly camouflaged on her new local beach.

Hugo, of course, would only be camouflaged at pure white tropical beaches, which are not local to us.

It’s not only our swimming hobby that stops them visiting the beach often. They have very low respect for other people’s activities. The peaceful activities of strangers are their main interest, book reading or yoga are activities to step away from the hurly burly of regular life. Neither experience is enhanced by a furry nose and whiskers snuffling extremities, however unthreatening the intention.

They also snuffle limpets who do not react.