Day Eighteen - Update Two

Where do all the porn stars go
When the lights go down?
I think I know where all the porn stars go
They all become Volvo-driving soccer moms

This is the 50th post. A fine conclusion to an experiment in dog-sitting 2.0. We've also taken 176 photos since we got the camera on Friday - almost all of them involving Layla, somehow.

Bath-time! Turns out Everclear is great for bathing dogs to.

Layla watches me take things into the bathroom. She doesn't seem to work out that something is weird until she is added at the end of that list.



And it goes down-hill pretty much entirely from there.



I learned that, as much as she doesn't like having water splashed on her, she likes the shower even less. She seemed to appreciate being held under it in mid-air even less. Huh.

Rinse cycle.





Why is my leg always in there?





Interference.

Dry cycle.



Dry cycle, stage two.





I will say this; she's the least-problem-causing long-haired dog I've ever brushed. She's quite hard to hold, being small, but she doesn't cry, yelp or bite. So that is a plus. Also one can just hold her with one hand while combing through the hair on her rear legs.



She retires to the bed while I vacuum and mop the apartment free, a final time, of all the crap her crap-magnet-polymer fur has brought into the apartment (the usual problem has been brushing her, only to have her come back in 20 minutes with things in her fur, without leaving the apartment. We can't vacuum after every bloody walk, for heaven's sake).

I don't know how she's interpreting not being booted off the bed for the first time in over two weeks, but she hasn't left it yet.

Day Eighteen

Kick back watch it crumble
See the drowning, watch the fall
I feel just terrible about it
That's sarcasm, let it burn

I'm gonna make a toast when it falls apart
I'm gonna raise my glass above my heart
Then someone shouts "That's what they get!"

Welcome to the morning of the last walk on Earth.



We went to Riverside



The new panorama software that came with the camera (Arcsoft) is as good as I remember it being.

Past the still-completely-scaffolding-clad church up the hill






And on into the park.



This is Layla hoping for another squirrel to be stupid enough to come loping up the hill towards us while we stand there and wait for the best opportunity to strike.



This is an ant I found while waiting (still getting the hang of the macro settings).



This has got to be one of the least-obeyed rules in the park



Interesting thing: if you scale-up the panoramic shot, above, you'll see that there are two sets of paved paths, running parallel. On the smaller one, immediately next to it, is a trail formed by runners who realise that running on cement is worse than on ground.



Given that I think running is a terrible fitness activity and I do dislike people who press down formed trails when paving already exists, I'm not a fan of the practice. It's interesting, though, to observe some people running it while other run on the other path (which is wider, smoother, in the sun). New York is nothing without its variety. I think I'll miss the parks, somewhat - although their value is only found relative to the scale of the city itsef, so who knows.

Squirrels are tough when they're behind fences, we learned.



Not so tough when the fence stops.



Why's he all the way up there? Because Layla chased him up there. And very pleased with herself she was.

Since when did hopscotch go to twelve?



Inflation is really getting out of hand here.

Sadly, even though it a hurrah of the last sort, Layla did not make it.



I carried her most of the way back - but I did get the chance to watch a tug turn about a tanker, while I waited for her to recover (no photos. I wished I'd noticed it at the start, and filmed it). Layla is not to be criticised too heavily, though: we took an extra-long walk (to save Olivia and Lucas too much work when they return later today).

Day Seventeen - Update Two

Evening walk. So, this is a funny story. Off we go!

This is Layla, about 5 feet from our building's entrance.



This is me, about the same distance. Maybe a couple of feet back towards said entrance. You'll notice the umbrella.



This is Layla about a minute later. Back at the door to our apartment.



Lame.

Day Seventeen

I decided that, if Layla wanted so much bloody attention in the morning, she'd get it.






Return on investment? Fluffiness. How long did it last?



Under half an hour. We returned to Morningside (which has had a good cleaning-up)



for an extended stay - and play - in the dog run.









Although Layla really didn't last all that long.



It was quite warm outside, though.

The park down on the South corner is a lot more popular on a weekend, I learned.



We saw a black squirrel in the park (still adjusting to the zoom - usually I just take a photo and then 'zoom' in Photoshop. With this many megapixels at my disposal, I'll do alright but, for now, I'm content to mess about with the camera).



Given the overrun by grey squirrels in England, serves them right if they are beaten out by black squirrels here.

Saw more flowers.






Also Morningside Park does a good line in stairs.






Non-Australians: you will already (probably) be familiar with our famed Rabbit-Proof Fence: that fence that borders some of our states. Did you know there is the activity of walking the fence? For it to remain Rabbit-proof, it's integrity must be checked and maintained. Hence the job: you walk that bloody fence (or your section thereof), looking for problems. Which begs the question of why I'm even telling you.



Speaking of fences, I've been meaning to shoot this one for a while. So there's this sign



attached to this "playground".



Yeah, I can see how there're only a couple of fencing issues left before it's a child-hood Shangri-La. Totally.

Parents: Our street (122nd) become Morningside Drive on the other side of Amsterdam Avenue, and curves South (if you return to the post with the map of the park, you'll see it). What do you do with buildings on a curvature like that? One wants to pack as many people in as possible, yet, those people will want, say, windows and ventilation. The solution is to give it to them.



(we had to take that one on the way home: Layla was tired enough to sit there while I took the photos. On the way out she's too damn anxious to get into the park).

Finally, some portraiture against the true urban fauna.

Day Sixteen - Update Two

Crime and medicine
Dead wrong and live in America
Off the block and right in your area
Fresh apples and peaches for the president

Eventide constitutional, abound!









Turns out I still have an excuse to doctor images. Reducing their size, for a start (rather than freak Wordpress right out). Forming panoramic shots, another:



Definitely click for the full version. You'll also notice new dimensionality, relatively speaking.

Group photo!



Erm...stalker photo!



I actually rather like that one.

We call these "Shih-Tzu Stalled, Hoping That Other Dog Will Come Over". This time he didn't.






Earlier, though, we came upon two weird little dogs. Not much going on there for Layla.



Building.



Park Benches.



An interesting aspect of experimenting with the settings on the camera: accidentally decent action shots of Layla, walking.



And, uh, Godzilla-ing



Laugh all you like but, if you lived in Tokyo, I can bet you'd shit yourself if that appeared over Roppongi hills.