A visitor and a missed meal

Well, I just had a fun few days. Harem member #1 came to visit for FIVE WHOLE DAYS of petting and adoring me. AND she and mommy took me to the mountain on sunday to chill at the tamtams.

The Tamtams, to those who are not from around here, are a big, semi-spontaneous, semi-traditional gathering of noisy humans who make lots of noise on big drums (I'm more or less thrilled about this part, but mommy doesn't take me too close to the noise) and smoke strange-smelling stuff (well, some of them do, mommy doesn't) and dance and generally have fun. There's also, a little higher up, a place where strange people dress up and hit each other with foam swords. Since it's quieter, less smelling of strange smoked stuff and very amusing to watch, this is where mommy takes me. I like it there because it's A) outside and B) full of people who just want to pet me and adore me. Including little girls. I LOVE little girls. They're the best petters. Little boys are ok too, but what can I say, I'm a ladies' man, I always prefer girls, given the option.


So everything was going well, mommy and harem member #1 were sitting in the shade watching people hit each other with foam swords and commenting on the battle, when I spotted something small moving towards me. Now generally, I consider small animals, with the exception of small dogs, food. So naturally, what I'm seeing moving towards me is a meal. Mommy, who has my leash around my waist, turns around, a little annoyed that I've gotten up and wanting to see what's interesting me. What SHE sees is a turtle with, as she puts it, a death wish. She grabs tighter at my leash, but she's sitting on the ground and I am a strong sled dog with a mission to eat turtle. I managed to knock her on her back and step on her a few times before I stopped, waiting for the turtle, who's headed towards me at a speed mommy didn't consider possible for turtles, to simply hop into my mouth. Finally the guy who owns the turtle decides to be proactive about keeping his pet alive and goes to pick it up. Now why he had decided to bring his turtle to a gathering of 300+ people where there ARE dogs who are off leash (lucky dogs whose owners are less suspicious of their ability to stay than mommy is of mine) and where people are not expecting a turtle is an interesting question which was never answered. Mommy says it has something to do with the guy not being a knife and therefore him not being too sharp. I just know that now I had Mommy on the ground clinging to my collar, people laughing their heads off (Harem member #1 included) and a dude holding a turtle up to my face. Being a polite dog, I try not to snarf food that is held out to me. So I didn't move fast enough when he put the turtle in my face and I, gratefully, tried to take a delicate bite out of the head. The head disappeared, mommy yanked me away (or tried to) and the guy finally decided that he wasn't going to give me the turtle. I was sad. I perked up a little when the guy put the turtle back down and it tried to come see me again, but Mommy distracted me a bit with a toy and the guy got the point and picked up his turtle. I'm rather disappointed, it smelled very good.

Apparently this turtle has already been attacked by a dog. Mommy says that it has no survival instincts. Harem member #1 just told her to look at who owned the turtle, to consider what that turtle's life must be like and then to draw her own conclusions about the turtle's will to live. I just think that I should have been faster.

Speaking of food, I think it's Manger time and mommy's late with my food...
Woos,
Louka