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Monday, August 4, 2008

Dog Stuff Again

That picture is from last Friday evening, when a thunderstorm made sudden rivers down Waukazoo Street in Northport. This morning, here at home, a soft rain patters on the large, flat burdock leaves outside the back of the house, downhill from the lawn and garden area we really do keep free of burdock. It's a Scottish morning. The rain also reminds me of a book I haven't read yet.

I ordered THE ART OF DRIVING IN THE RAIN, by Garth Stein, after reading a review of the book in David’s CAR & DRIVER magazine. The reviewer said something like (this is a paraphrase), “If anyone ever told me I’d read a novel written from the point of view of the family dog, I’d have said they were crazy, but this is one of the best books I’ve ever read.” Other people have said the same. One person in the bookstore said it was THE BEST book she had ever read! Anyway, it seemed perfect for reading aloud at home, as we are a dog household and David is a car guy (among other things). The first few pages I checked out for myself, though, gave me a shock. The whole story must be told in flashback, because at the beginning, the dog is old and maybe on his way to the vet for the last time! Well, I couldn’t read much of THAT without breaking down right there in the bookstore, in front of my summer customers, so the book went back on the shelf. (It’s only a little over a year since we lost Nikki.) Shall I give it another try?

And where is dog-friendly lodging near Northport? You’d think I’d be able to find it, if anyone could, but I’ve been having a terrible time. Would appreciate tips for the Labor Day weekend for couple with two dogs. Thanks!

Here are flowers on the porch from a recent sunny evening. I will dedicate them to Russian author and Nobel laureate Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who died Sunday evening at the age of 89. He got his work done, paid his rent in the universe.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well this one was a tour de force, P.J., and I've linked it to the private blog shared by all my book-mad dog-obsessed family. No telling what might come of that.

P. J. Grath said...

Do you mean you've read the book? I should showcase it today, as we may have more rain coming. And Dog Parade is coming up on Saturday, 1 p.m.!