September 25, 2019

Dear Friends,

Hello again from Italy.  It has been a while since my last post, I know but that is mostly because I've just been hanging out at the house, and life has been pretty boring.  The rain has started and the fog is starting to roll in.  It seems to have a schedule.  It rolls over the hills each afternoon, hangs out for a few hours, and then moves on.  Well, that is on a good day.  As we move through fall and into winter, it likes to hang out a lot longer and then we can't drive to our favorite restaurants for dinner because you can't see a foot in front of you. I don't mind so much, because I always eat at home before we go anyway, but Jim and Maree like to go out to eat at Alessia's for fritto misto of calamari and shrimp or Anna's for pasta with tarfufo and chicken.  I always get a little lettuce or carrot from the salad or the frozen green beans Maree brings along.

This past week, things picked up a little bit here, and I got to go somewhere new and stay in a hotel.  Last weekend, we took a trip to Perugia.  Even though it is only 90 minutes from our house, Maree and Jim have never been there before.  My assessment of Perugia,  Four paws up for dog friendliness.  If I had five paws, I would give it five.  We walked around (and I got pushed around in the stroller part of the time so I didn't end up pulling Maree's arm out of the socket or making her trip on the uneven stone pavements).  I even got to go into a little bit of the National Art Museum with some very cool sculptures and an amazing ceiling.  But the town is just full of architecturally interesting buildings, a beautiful cathedral, and a grand piazza where the annual Umbrian Jazz festival is held.  There is even an underground city which you can travel through as you take 5 escalators down to the bottom of the hill where the big parking structure is. 

The best part of Perugia for me, was the dog friendly restaurants.  Our Saturday night dinner was at Al Tartufo, and they brought me a dish of treats.  They told Mom, "No dog.  No truffles."  But Sunday lunch was the best and I can't wait to go back to La Taverna.  Once we were seated at the table, the waiter, who thought I was just so cute, asked if he could bring me chicken and rice.  So, shortly a bowl appeared with lunch for me.  Then the owner had to come and say hello.  He loves dogs and told us he will not eat in a restaurant that does not allow dogs.  When it was time to leave, the waiter told us to wait because the owner wanted to come and say goodbye to me.  He was a very nice man.  He even gave us a nice discount because he liked me.  Now that is what I call truly dog friendly. 

Back home, there has been some excitement too.  Yesterday morning, I found two dead bees -- the really really giant kind, floating in my water dish.  And when I went to sit on the sofa, Maree grabbed me because there was a giant bee crawling just where I was going to put my derriere.  She made short work of that bee.  Well, we have found several more of those huge bees around too, so I have to be careful.  I do like to chase those flying things.  But as though all the bees weren't enough of the wild for one day, that afternoon when Jim opened the front door to go out to the car, he called Maree and said, "Is this a viper?"  Maree looked at the little thing - about 14 inches long, and said, "Close the door.  Don't let that in.  Yes, it is a young viper.  See the triangular head."  So, Maree was all freaked out and worried because it was right up against the bottom of the door and she thought it might be able to get into the house.  She sort of stood guard and kept shooing me away from the door.  I couldn't go out in the yard for a while either.  I really wasn't very sure what was going on, but I knew there was something wrong.  Anyway, there is a good end to this story because within an hour, that snake decided to mosey on off somewhere.  Now the only problem is where did it go?  I hope it doesn't decide to go into my yard.  It is small and sneaky I think, and I might not see it when I am running through the grass to bark at the neighbors. 

Well, when I am not traveling around or tweeting to drum up support for my campaign, I am thinking, thinking about the world.  My twitter friend Darcey from Ireland said I always look thoughtful.  Well, I am a thoughtful guy.  I think about global politics, global warming, animal cruelty which I have been seeing so much of on twitter, and the fate of our democracy which seems to be hanging by a thread at the moment.  I continue my Four Feet Forward campaign to motivate all the four footed friends to act to save life, the universe, and everything from the mindless people who seem to be running things.  I keep hearing the term impeachment, and I'm not sure what that means, but I'm not sure it is going to be enough anyway.  Well, fortunately not all of my thinking is so heavy or my head would explode.  I also wonder about the way people walk.  Have you ever noticed that most people when they walk, their palms point toward their thighs (thighs, I like thighs, those chicken thighs taste pretty good).  But there are some people whose palms point behind them.  I'm sure those people are aliens or at least zombies in disguise waiting to break out and rule the world.  Hum, I have to take a look at the guy in the White House and see how he walks and his wife too.  I'm not so sure about her.  She looks like one of the Stepford Wives to me. 

Speaking of my twitter account, I now have just under 1000 followers.  People like me because I am so cute.  And my best twitter friend, Scooby, could be my twin.  He isn't an American Eskimo dog, however, he is a Japanese Spitz.  When I see his photos I get a little confused sometimes because even I think he is me.  We even have the same toys.  Unfortunately, he lives in Ireland, so I don't think we will ever get to meet.  On the other hand, that might be good, because if I am a time traveler and he is me in another time, then if we meet the whole world might explode.  You just never know what catastrophes time travel can initiate. 

As I write my blog, today, however,  I am just thinking of bones, treats, green beans.  It is almost lunch time here, and I'm ready for food.  Or maybe I should just keep chewing on this toy.  There's not much left of it anyway. 

Hope to see my California friends over the holidays when I understand we are coming back to visit Brian and family.  If anyone has any thoughts for an inexpensive rental for about two months, please let Maree know.  She's been looking without much success.  Of course, they will have to allow one small very well behaved and very cute dog.  Just know that if you come to visit me, I like to bark and jump and try to get you to pay attention to me.  I am not well trained at home, but I am perfect everywhere else.
Well, friends, I wish you all happy thoughts and snake less and killer bee less days. 
 
Your Thoughtful friend,

Dino for President 2020