Homing In
“So where are we headed?” Bernie said. We were in Ray’s car, Ray driving, Bernie beside him, me in back.
Ray glanced at the note Bernie had written on the cocktail napkin. He licked his lips. “How about if that’s a surprise?”
Bernie smiled a little smile. But I didn’t get the surprise part because just before we made any move, like getting off the freeway or turning onto a street, Bernie pointed out the direction. So Bernie was in control, right? Well, why not? When Bernie was in control everything worked out. This urge I was having to kind of sink my teeth into the back of Ray’s neck gradually subsided.
And soon, guess what? We turned onto our own street, Mesquite Road. We were going home? Home is the hunter, Bernie says. Don’t know why that popped into my mind. The mind: a subject for another time.
Tags: Mesquite Rd., Ray
This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 at 8:46 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
3:50 am on November 9th, 2010
This is a total surprise. I have no idea what's going to happen next. How did Bernie know?
3:55 am on November 9th, 2010
Morning B.Stover!
I would love to read about Chet's ideas on the mind. . .
I have no idea what's going on here. The note??? Sort of wish Chet could read.
4:15 am on November 9th, 2010
Good morning Melanie. How is your ice situation?
I was wishing Chet cold read also. We have some sort of signal in Ray's glance at the note before giving Bernie an answer to the question.
4:20 am on November 9th, 2010
The Robert Louis Stevenson poem ("Requiem") that Chet is referring to is about death.
4:35 am on November 9th, 2010
There's another one by A.E. Houseman "Home is the Sailor" that in the second verse says
Home is the hunter from the hill:
Fast in the boundless snare
All flesh lies taken at his will
And every fowl of air.
While Stevenson's poem "Requiem" 2nd verse is
This be the verse you 'grave for me:
Here he lies where he long'd to be:
Home is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
Both about death. It would be interesting to see if one influenced the other.
4:42 am on November 9th, 2010
Darn, a quick search only showed up that they were both guests at Thomas Hardy's house called Max Gate during WWI.
And I have to go back to work. .
Interesting though, do you think Bernie read either of those authors and/or poets?
5:11 am on November 9th, 2010
I think Bernie is referring to the Houseman poem (which Spence is probably familiar with). It's about the hunter having complete control over the hunted. Bernie seems to feel like the hunter.
I know more about Stevenson (who was known more for his novels than his poetry I think) than Houseman. I'll see if I can find anything about influence.
5:15 am on November 9th, 2010
I just thought of something: Stevenson died in 1894 of "consumption" age 44. I'll see what I can find.
Melanie: What was the source for the visit to Hardy's house?
5:21 am on November 9th, 2010
Hope I don't get moderated!
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/hardy/bio.html
5:37 am on November 9th, 2010
I checked a biography I have of Hardy. Stevenson and his wife Fanny visited Max Gate in August 1885. (Hardy trained as an architect and the house was finished in June of 1885.) Housman was a friend of Hardy (one of the pallbearers at his funeral) and was at Max Gate in August 1900.
I'll check out the Victorian Web (which is an excellent site).
5:58 am on November 9th, 2010
I hope we don't get side tracked with Thanksgiving again tomorrow! I want to know why they are going home and I want to know who is waiting for them!!
Ooooooo…..This is getting better and better! Delicious!!!
6:05 am on November 9th, 2010
Wolfie!…. Maybe Bernie is going home to get his gun!….grunt!… It looks like he might need it very soon now….sniff!sniff!
6:06 am on November 9th, 2010
Wolfie: I agree!
Melanie: I looked at the Victorian Web article on Hardy. The paragraph that lists visitors to Max Gate is confusing because it's in the same paragraph that begins with his activities during WWI. (Where was the editor?? There probably wasn't one.)
6:08 am on November 9th, 2010
Hi Everybody – We're back in sunny Ellicottville. The temperatures are forecast to be in the 60's for this weekend. That's great because it's the Fall Wine Festival and hundreds of people will be able to enjoy the outdoors.
One big problem – skiing is scheduled to start in 2 weeks.
6:16 am on November 9th, 2010
Mollypop! A wine festival….do they have any Cahors?
Rio: I think Bernie has the .38 special with him. In the post of August 28 it is "tucked in his belt." It's Aug. 31 that they find the body of Ratko. Of course he's been home since then. So when he goes to the Dry Gultch to meet Col. B does he take the gun? Good question. (Unlike Chet I think all questions are good.)
6:29 am on November 9th, 2010
Like Chet, facts are fading on me!
6:45 am on November 9th, 2010
YAY
Back to the Astrid story.
Wish I knew what the H Bernie is doing. Chet seems to be relaxing though. Hope that means Bernie is in charge.
6:46 am on November 9th, 2010
Gun!… Because Bernie thought he was meeting Col. Bob to fill him in on the case I doubt he took his gun with him….grunt!…Bernie isn’t one to just carry his gun around with him at all times…snort!
7:15 am on November 9th, 2010
Size!… My friend wants to order me a stretchy harness from one of those catalogs we get in the mail all the time…snort!… So she measured me round my back and chest for this halter thing….grunt!….Guess how many inches I am?….heh!
7:35 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio: I can't guess. How many?
7:42 am on November 9th, 2010
Round!… My barrel chest is 26 inches round to the top of my back… heh!… My friend had a look of shock, horror, incredulous unbelief and now dismay… snort!… She is muttering something about target weight and me not hitting it….sniff!
7:46 am on November 9th, 2010
Riö: You need to do some dreaded walks. Or swims, either of those would help firm up those muscles!
7:48 am on November 9th, 2010
Melanie!…I don't think so…sniff!
8:12 am on November 9th, 2010
Hey!… An archaeological team, digging in Washington DC , has uncovered 10,000 year old bones and fossil remains Of what is believed to be the first Politician. …snort!
[img ]http://chetthedog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/1289326337-Politician.JPG[/img]
8:14 am on November 9th, 2010
Hmmm!… I wonder why the photo came out so odd with the white square area around it… hmmmmmmmmmm! snort!
8:17 am on November 9th, 2010
Riö: You are so bad!
Here's a bird that I saw out back on the island.
[img ]http://chetthedog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/1289326653-IMG_1680.jpg[/img]
8:38 am on November 9th, 2010
Melanie – Beautiful picture! That cardinal is very red. The male that comes to our feeder has turned brownish with some red. I never saw (or noticed) that happen before.
8:51 am on November 9th, 2010
B. – I'm looking at the flyer for our Beer & Wine Festival and see there will be over 30 breweries and wineries. I didn't know about the beer part until I looked just now. They will probably all be fairly local so no Cahors. Certainly there will be some Traminette.
Mom will be busy on Saturday with a Safety Patrol meeting and a chairlift evacuation. She says you haven't lived until you've been taken down from the chairlift with a rope and sling. Then by evening there's a cocktail party at one friend's place and on to dinner at another friend's. That will be enough wine for her, I hope.
9:16 am on November 9th, 2010
I am reassured to know that I am not the only one that has no idea where this story is going. I hope Bernie has his gun or gets his gun. He should have it with him ALL the time.
Beautiful bird, Melanie, especially since we don't have them here.
Not a beautiful politician, Rio, but accurate.
9:18 am on November 9th, 2010
Mollypop: I think you'll need some wine after the chairlift evacuation. The cardinal in your yard could be a young male. They look more like the females until they get their regular coloring. Of the pair of cardinals that come to my garden, the male is very red still.
Rio: What are the measurements of the average pug?
I just got back from mailing TFAT to Liz.
9:20 am on November 9th, 2010
I just finished the first episode of PBS's Sherlock. LOVE IT!
9:24 am on November 9th, 2010
I'm going to purchase Sherlock from Amazon to watch on my computer. (I didn't see the last episode yet.) I really like it. For some reason the modern context seems to work well. Perhaps it's because, if the stories and novels were being written now, that's what Sherlock and Watson would be like–cars, cell phones, texting.
9:26 am on November 9th, 2010
Mollypop? Do they make snow at your ski area? They make snow here at the ski areas but so far what they make at night is melting in the daytime.
I hope Barb is doing okay. I am not worried about the procedure, but they could lose her. It has happened to Dan and a friend of moms so it is just not the hospital that Dan was in that is incompetent.
9:26 am on November 9th, 2010
Also (still on Sherlock) even though we think of him as older, in the stories and novels both he and Watson are young men.
9:28 am on November 9th, 2010
Stover!… It must be 26 inches because I am an average Pug…snort!
9:28 am on November 9th, 2010
Barb's procedure was at 5:30 AM so hopefully she'll check in here soon.
9:30 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio: Then why is your friend horrified?
9:36 am on November 9th, 2010
Stover!…I think um that is just her nature….cough! sneeze!
9:36 am on November 9th, 2010
I have a technical question although I know with all the problems in the world, this is minor.
I am having to use internet explorer because Quest is screwed up.
Rio understands about Quest.
That is why I am showing up as Siberian Husky instead of Siber-H.
Can I just erase Siberian Husky in the box and type in Siber-H, OR will I be moderated?
Melanie has already said this today… I do not want to be moderated.
9:38 am on November 9th, 2010
Stover, Rio is not exactly telling you the truth about being an average pug.
9:53 am on November 9th, 2010
Does anyone know what an average size is for a pug?
SH: Are you using a different computer? Since you have been Siber-H already, I don't think you would be moderated.
10:06 am on November 9th, 2010
I am using the same computer so I will try it in a minute. Thank you Stover.
The average weight for a pug is suppose to be 14 to 18 lbs. with no difference between the males and females.
The average weight for male Siberians is suppose to be between 45 and 60 lbs. I am 55 lbs. In my tribe, the females are smaller.
10:10 am on November 9th, 2010
Description!… I found this general description on a breeders web page….snort!…The name Pug is derived from the Latin word meaning "clenched fist." And that description fits their appearance very well. They are short and stocky, muscular with a wide chest which usually measures 26 inches around, straight, very strong front legs and well-muscled hind legs. Their personality includes perky, affectionate, playful, clever and a bit on the mischievous and willful side. When communicating with humans they make a grunting nasal noise, similar to a pig. …grunt!
10:18 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio: If the normal chest measurement is 26 inches, then you are not overweight….right? How much do you weigh?
10:27 am on November 9th, 2010
Stover!….I plead the 5th…..snort!
10:28 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio: If you plead the fifth, then you're going on a diet. Do you weigh more than 18 pounds?
10:30 am on November 9th, 2010
SH: If you get monitored then just change back to Siberian Husky. That's right isn't it Rio?
10:33 am on November 9th, 2010
Siber-H – If you post with a name and email combination that has not been previously approved, you will be moderated. But just once and then it will work fine. Since this is a week day, our moderator might hop to it quickly.
Just post once with the new combination, then use Siberian Husky until you see the other one is no longer being moderated.
10:35 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio – Please show me the web site that has the description you cited – the one that says 26 inches.
10:37 am on November 9th, 2010
B – Rio's friend has said previously, before his rigorous diet, that he weighed almost 30 pounds. He's the AbbieTheKitty of the Pug world. It was the vet who did the weighing.
10:40 am on November 9th, 2010
Stover!…I’m guessing I weigh between 14 and 18 pounds….snort!
10:42 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio: I refer you to Mollypop's last two posts.
10:50 am on November 9th, 2010
I am cracking up here and Rio's nose is going to grow as long as mine. NEVER in a breed discription have I seen a dog's chest measurement given…just the average height and weight of the breed.
10:53 am on November 9th, 2010
Molly!…It was this web page….grunt!
http://www.breedersclub.net/html/breeds/pug.htm
BigMouth!…My friend has a very big mouth!…snort!… I can’t believe she would have told you guys what I used to weigh….grunt!… I do not weigh almost 30 pounds anymore…grump!
10:55 am on November 9th, 2010
Thanks for your help, guys, Yes, Siber-H is being moderated, but the old name still works.
11:03 am on November 9th, 2010
uh, Nowhere on that website does it give what a pug's chest measurment should be, but it does say that a pug needs daily exercise.
I did learn that pugs are an ancient breed. Siberians are too. How about that.
11:08 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio is falsifying facts. If you were my student, I'd have to fail you. Now….how much do you weigh since you've been on a diet?
11:13 am on November 9th, 2010
Loss!… So far I have lost 8 pounds somewhere in the park….snort! ….My friend is mad because I still weigh 21 pounds and not 18….grump! … I can only lose so much without dying of starvation….dammit!
11:16 am on November 9th, 2010
Losing eight pounds is very impressive Rio. If you want to eat "normally" (rather than eating less) I wonder if more exercise would do the trick.
11:17 am on November 9th, 2010
"Falsifying facts" = "Lying"
Snicker . .
I just measured Franklin. Around the neck he is 28 inches and his chest is 38 inches around.
11:19 am on November 9th, 2010
Riö: I don't know if your friend has tried this, but when one of the Pack needs to go on a diet, we use green beans. Canned, low sodium. They love it and think they are eating a great deal.
Besides pumpkin, they also like butternut squash. Both good for losing weight.
11:22 am on November 9th, 2010
Liar!…I am not a liar!…snort!… There are plenty of Pugs the same size as me with the same chest measurement….dammit!…. 26 inches is the average as far as I am concerned, so there!…grunt! …Plus I did not put Quotes around the description from the website… Phooey!
11:29 am on November 9th, 2010
B.Stover: right now you can find the 3rd episode of Sherlock on the PBS website. Go to programs, then Masterpiece Theater and then there all three are! And it doesn't cost any thing.
11:31 am on November 9th, 2010
Melanie!…Do you have to watch them on the comuter??… snort!….Do you know if they are out on DVD?..sniff!
11:35 am on November 9th, 2010
Melanie: Thank you. I know it's on the PBS site but they have "things" on top of the screen that you can't get rid of. Using Amazon, I get a full screen, I can go back and watch it again any time without downloading it and taking up room on my laptop, and it costs about $15 less than buying the dvd.
Rio: You should have used quotation marks and then put your additional language in squared brackets. Of course, that wouldn't have been as funny as what you did.
I'm going to watch Sherlock now. Rio: Did you ever get to see the end of Rubicon?
11:36 am on November 9th, 2010
Yes Sherlock is out on dvd and costs about $26 at Amazon.
11:42 am on November 9th, 2010
Rio, losing 8 pounds is quite an accomplishment! I can symphatize because when Husky Rescue took me in I weighed 69 pounds . They slimmed me down to my just right 55 pounds before mom first saw me, but they have showed mom pictures of me then. I waddled. Dieting is NO FUN!
Melanie's green bean idea is a good one…mom knows people that do that with their dogs' food.
12:10 pm on November 9th, 2010
Siber-H – They do make snow here, lots of it. Right now it's way too warm. They can make snow around 30 degrees and the ground needs to be cold enough so it doesn't melt. We're located in the snow belt coming off of Lake Erie, but we get too many melting days if we had to rely completely on Mother Nature.
12:28 pm on November 9th, 2010
Hi all, and THANK YOU B!! I'm very grateful and so looking forward to receiving my copy of TFAT! You're very kind.
Rio, what's 21lbs in kilos? When Cricket needs to lose weight i make up pureed vegetables for her – steam a good variety (broccoli, beetroot, pumpkin, sweet potato, summer squash, garlic, anything in season), puree it and freeze in a muffin tin. I mean, not a tin, one of those silicon baking things, so you can flip them out easily and defrost daily. She's a dog who likes a good volume in her dish.
2:04 pm on November 9th, 2010
Liz: You're very welcome. It's my pleasure.
2:07 pm on November 9th, 2010
Wow!
Rio lost 8 pounds!! That's almost 1/4 of his 30 pounds! That's alot of begging for food that got ignored. No wonder he was occasionally a bit crabby.
Barb: Hungry?
I'm making what Dad calls Galumpky for supper. I call it cabbage rolls.
2:15 pm on November 9th, 2010
Dawson! What happened with the washer??
2:23 pm on November 9th, 2010
Melanie: I just had to put a new lint trap on the end of the hose because the old one was so plugged that water couldn't get out until the pressure built up and caused the geysering of water. It's all good now and only cost $1.00.
2:34 pm on November 9th, 2010
Boy, Rio. Losing 8 pounds is great. Mom keeps trying to lose 30, but keeps getting sidetracked….by food!!
Okay, we are going to try to upload the map. Keep your fingers and paws crossed. It actually turned out kind of cool, but no color. Mom's printer that scans at work is not a color printer.
2:36 pm on November 9th, 2010
Did something wrong, we guess. We'll try again.
[file ]http://chetthedog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/1289349374-Map.txt[/file]
2:37 pm on November 9th, 2010
Again, we messed up. Think we'll wait for Dad to get home. Maybe he can figure it out.
2:40 pm on November 9th, 2010
[file ]http://chetthedog.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/1289349602-map2.pdf[/file]
2:44 pm on November 9th, 2010
That wasn't the correct way to upload it but if you click on that last post you can see the map. Decrease the size to 50% and it will show everything except LizF in Australia. Let us know if we need to change anyone or left anyone out! Kind of neat how "nationwide" we are.
2:48 pm on November 9th, 2010
Liz!…. I weigh 9.55 kilos….snort!… I lost 3.64 kilos somewhere this summer fall…heh!… I like all that stuff you make for Cricket Liz, the only thing I refuse to eat is popcorn…grunt!…Don’t like it one bit….sniff!
2:50 pm on November 9th, 2010
G&BB: I couldn't upload it for some reason.
2:53 pm on November 9th, 2010
Dawson!… My friend makes cabbage rolls every now and then….snort!…She uses far more hamburger than cabbage because cabbage produces extensive amounts of G-A-S and she cannot do that at the busy place….heh!
3:02 pm on November 9th, 2010
G&BB, The map is really neat! Thank you! It is wonderful that three books and one dog's blog brought us all together. Chet brought us all together!
It is nice that we have someone on the other side of the globe, LizF, even if we couldn't get her on the map. Her recipe for vegetable muffins looks delish. Mom would have never thought of that, but she can make me some now.
3:09 pm on November 9th, 2010
G&BB, love your map. It's the Kat's Meow.
3:09 pm on November 9th, 2010
SiberH, whew!! That means that someone other than us could open the file. We tried to reduce the size before uploading it, but it wouldn't let us do that. Of course, the stars are estimates to where we all live and we had no clue where in Canada Dawson lives, but we will be happy to edit the original if we left anyone off or misplaced them terribly.
3:20 pm on November 9th, 2010
Puss N’ Boots!…What do we do with this here map?…sniff!…Now, what? …snort!
3:27 pm on November 9th, 2010
Nothing, Rio. We just thought it would be interesting to take the list we made and you updated and put it on a map to see where we all live. Other than that, it's nothing much at all.
3:31 pm on November 9th, 2010
G&BB, I had no trouble opening the file, and I am the most technologically challenged of all of us. I think where you put Dawson is about right.
Rio, I haven't tried it yet, but can't we simply print out the map if we want? I like the map, but then I love maps. I could show it to the dogs at the dog park. They would be impressed that I have friends everywhere.
3:32 pm on November 9th, 2010
Hadn't thought about the fact that you probably have maps galore with locations for your agents and spies. Hope this doesn't mess up any of the agents undercover work.
3:32 pm on November 9th, 2010
Oh!…Okay. Thanks… How's the old fart Gus doing these days?…snort!
3:36 pm on November 9th, 2010
I still can't open it.
3:37 pm on November 9th, 2010
Puss N’ Boots!… It does publicize our home states… wheeze!…but will in no way affect how we do Mission Business…heh!heh! … It will help me to make travel arrangements for those very far away, like Dawson…snuffle!
3:37 pm on November 9th, 2010
Gus & BooBear: Wonderful! I'm going to print out the map and put it next to the computer.
Popcorn! That reminds me of the first time Mac had Popcorn. He was determined to like it. Mostly because I was eating it. He took one piece in between his teeth. Let it sit there and then sort of flipped it in his mouth. He rolled it around for quite awhile, swallowed and then wanted another piece.
He still eats Popcorn that way.
4:02 pm on November 9th, 2010
Ugh!…I can not stand popcorn..grunt!
4:05 pm on November 9th, 2010
When we print out the map, we are going to put an arrow and then a star off the California coast pointing in the direction that Liz and Cricket live.
G&BB, the map won't mess up any secret missions because there are no names on it. We are the only ones who know who the stars represent. It will mean nothing to outsiders.
4:17 pm on November 9th, 2010
Hello, Barb got back from her colonoscopy early this afternoon, then proceeded to sleep all afternoon. She says she is still tired, but will catch up on today's posts tomorrow. So will talk to you in the morning.
Hope all is well with everyone on the blog. TTFN
4:28 pm on November 9th, 2010
Barb!…She’s Alive!…She’s Alive!….Woooooo!… MagPie, you must take good care of her tonight my dear!…snort!
4:33 pm on November 9th, 2010
Good to hear from you Barb.
4:40 pm on November 9th, 2010
Have a good night's rest, Barb. We are glad that Maggie checked in with us.
4:44 pm on November 9th, 2010
Snuff!….So is a colonoscopy worse than eating popcorn??? ….grunt!
4:48 pm on November 9th, 2010
Barb: Mom says she's been there and done that — doc says to come back in 10 years. Thank goodness! If she had to do that every year she'd have excuses out the ying-yang. (So to speak!)
4:50 pm on November 9th, 2010
Rio: I love, love, LOVE popcorn! Dad's a popcorn addict, so we have popcorn at least once or twice a week. Dad likes to toss the popcorn up in the air and watch me catch it. Some days I'm better than others!
4:56 pm on November 9th, 2010
Kirby!… 100, 101…grunt!…Thanks alot pal! The fact that you love popcorn makes it even worse for wear…grunt!…Glad to hear from you though!…heh!… My friend thinks if she goes to a doctor she will probably die in 5 – 6 months from the appointment date…snort!…So guess who NEVER (hardly) EVER goes to the doctor…wheeze!
5:12 pm on November 9th, 2010
Rio: I trust there are no pug kisses in the offing for me???
Mom used to be real bad about going to the doctor — had to have major surgery because she put off going too long to do a minor fix. Even after that she found excuses. But this summer she finally went — did the colonoscopy thing and all the other tests that put her mind at ease. And then when her elbow started hurting she went right away instead of waiting, and that was a good thing because she found out about her blood pressure in time to do something about it. So now her blood pressure is back to normal and she's lost 9 pounds! So tell your friend that Mom went to the doctor five months ago, and she's feeling better than she has in a long time! And if Mom can get through it, anybody can! And the dumb thing is that Mom used to do medical reporting for her newspaper — so she knew better!!!
5:25 pm on November 9th, 2010
Kirby!… I don’t think my friend is afraid because of her family history – CANCER- of all sorts and shapes…snuff!… I think she just wants to be left alone. Every time she goes for some sort of ‘checkup’ they send her to some specialist who pokes and probes and finds nothing…grunt!…She just Hates it all and says …”Let me die in my bed at home if it is Gods will”….snort!…That is that and that is all I can say about that…snuffle!…Who will take care of me me me though. She never mentions that…snort!
5:40 pm on November 9th, 2010
Heh!…My friend is very healthy so do not even start worrying about anything you might tend to start worrying about…heh!.. She kicks my butt every day now….grump! …Her goal is 3 plus pounds off of me….gasp!wheeze!cough!
Spencer!….Will you adopt me?…sneeze!….Please???
6:38 pm on November 9th, 2010
Mom's shutting down the computer — goodnight, y'all!
7:27 pm on November 9th, 2010
Just read the blog after getting back from quilting and thought I ought to say "HI" before going to bed. Glad to hear that Barb is back and napping.
Hi
7:30 pm on November 9th, 2010
Oh Dawson,
A friend will be dropping off a small sewing machine cabinet for me tomorrow. She is going to put it on the porch. Don't sell it OK?
Thanks so much. It is too late to call you and I hope you read this before she gets there tomorrow.