Monday 1 September 2008

Electric Dog Disneyland

This crazy wind’s got to the dogs too. We’ve just returned from the park and my nerves feel jangly as a ball of wire coat hangers. A trip to my local park with the dogs is not unlike taking a kid on a sugar rush on an outing: it’s a drag for you the adult, but for the dogs it’s like Disneyland at age 5 - on acid. The park is bordered by overhead power lines, and Frankie and Stankie may be induction-charging from them. As they enter the park, the slow, single-marble runs of their brains wind up to a pachinko machine ballstorm, endorphins red-line, and they race off like furry bottle rockets.


They gleefully chase ducks for miles, sniff strangers’ arses with the frowning concentration of chess champions, and cavort around in the park’s abundant overstuffed rubbish bins chomping down things that’d make a maggot gag. All the while, I lumber after them, wheezing like an old couch. If dogs are this chaotic, God only knows what children will be like. I’d likely just leave them hung by their dungaree straps on coat hooks for hours. That, or heroic amounts of Ritalin.

8 comments:

Chimera said...

Great photo. Isn't the wind of the Carmarge supposed to make you insane after a couple of weeks? It why they can't tame the horses. Their ears and tails are full of the stuff.
Hope yours drops soon.
T

Jeannie said...

Heavens, Cape Town is washed away, JHB is blown away, and Assagay is having the most gorgeous, peaceful sunny weather ever... of course, the Midlands are aflame so the province isn't escaping as such.

We got ourselves a Ridgeback to practice on before we had kids. He is a wonderful dog, but his first four years were completely manic, and the fact that he is as tall as a Dane made for some interesting moments. Thing is, I've found the kids and their energy a breeze (sorry, couldn't resist!) after Campbell
"Mad Dog" McKeown. They only have two legs each - they can be caught! And then hung up by their dungaree straps...

timothymarcjones said...

T,
Never heard of the Carmage. Shall look it up.

Jeannie,
Midlands aflame? Lordy. I'm from Howick. Dunno about ridgebacks. They're pretty, but sooo gormless. That said, Stankie (pug) just ate my favourite fountain pen. Bitch!

tam said...

There's a photo in Bike SA, of a grandaddy biker who was supposed to be looking after his grandkid toddler. Taped the kid to the wall with gaffer tape so he could carry on working on his bike. I don't know if its real or a gag, but its a fine idea.

Jeannie said...

Actually, it may be North Natal rather than the Midlands - I've heard about Melmoth and Winterton (and Drummond, of all places, due to a lunatic farmer burning his fields). It's been horrific. There are at least 20 people dead, and the pilot of a fire fighting plane is dead, after crashing at take-off (presumably due to dense smoke?) We really desperately need rain, but there is no sign of it at all...

timothymarcjones said...

Lordy, I remember fires like that in the midlands as a kid.

sandy said...

Heh, lovely. I can see those happy maws trailing slobber. A randomly chaotic childy-day example (today) - dear son ran to me with full pants after not making toilet and then smeared contents on hand and on my arm (uncharacteristic panic on his part); dear daughter vomited generously over me for the umpteenth time (I have three loads of laundry on tonight and am on the third glass of wine, for symmetry); dear son turned the hose on dear daughter and filled up her & her chair before I noticed (or she drowned). Not as frantic as parkdogs but perhaps messier.
Midlands indeed firey; Howick surrounds apparently not as bad as last year when the Karkloof was obliterated but Scott said he's had some good smokey sunsets to photograph.

timothymarcjones said...

sandy,
Kids, feces and vom. Yeeurgh!

Howick fires sound hectic. I remember 2 in '79 and '80 where they threatened to wipe out the town. Bright as day in the middle of the night, and the townsfolk became a foaming gaggle of panic. Quite funny to watch, as a kid.