There’s just enough snow on the ground to bring out the kids with every kind of toboggan, sled, chunk of plastic you can think of to slide down the hill at the Filtration Plant.
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Snowdogs
Memphis and Ellie Mae enjoying the snow.
Exhibition
Tuffy P – AKA Sheila Gregory – has work in an art exhibition that opened today at the Doris McCarthy Gallery (University of Toronto Scarborough Campus). The exhibition is called The “C” Word – A Look at the Role of Craft in Contemporary Art, guest curated by Richard Mongiat.
We picked up Tuffy’s dad, who wanted to see the show with us, and we trundled off to Scarborough. For those not around these parts, Scarborough is the name of the suburbs on the east side of Toronto. Here’s Sheila Gregory with her work this afternoon:
Her paintings are called Jolly Cowboy and Sweet Pepper Bush. The exhibition is on until April 4. It’s a big show, featuring 18 artists. If you find yourself in Scarborough, check it out.
Pancho and Lefty
Your Daily Dose: Steve Earle
Undercover Dog
Toy Pomeranian Coo-Coo Miranda goes undercover at Anchovy World Headquarters, cleverly disguised as world-weary Newfoundland, Miss Ellie Mae. Coo-Coo Miranda plans to see first hand how the big dogs live and to test the mettle of Mister Anchovy and Tuffy P along the way. Stay tuned….
A friend of mine reminded me today…
…that growing up is over-rated. It’s good to have friends. I had almost forgot.
Junior Santana Tocando Accordion
Your Daily Dose
Rossi Update
Rossi was cranky today – a good sign – he’s cranky by nature. He demonstrated how good he is at not being pilled. Another good sign.
The Goodnight Loving Trail
The Goodnight Loving Trail was used to drive cattle in the 1860s. It ran from Texas eventually to Wyoming. The trail was named after an army officer, Charles Goodnight and a cattleman, Oliver Loving. It also happens to be a song written by the late U. Utah Phillips, the Golden Voice of the Great Southwest.
The song is about the “old woman” on the cattle drive, too old to wrangle or ride on the range, he becomes the cook for the trail drive. The lyrics are beautiful.
Too old to wrangle or ride on the swing,
You beat the triangle and you curse everything.
If dirt was a kingdom, they you'd be the king.
On the Goodnight Trail, on the Loving Trail,
Our Old Woman's lonesome tonight.
Your French harp blows like the low bawling calf.
It's a wonder the wind don't tear off your skin.
Get in there and blow out the light.
With your snake oil and herbs and your liniments, too,
You can do anything that a doctor can do,
Except find a cure for your own god damned stew
CHORUS
The campfire's gone out and the coffee's all gone,
The boys are all up and they're raising the dawn.
You're still sitting there, lost in a song.
CHORUS
I know that some day I'll be just the same,
Wearing an apron instead of a name.
There's nothing can change it, there's no one to blame
For the desert's a book writ in lizards and sage,
Easy to look like an old torn out page,
Faded and cracked with the colors of age. CHORUS
Here's Ian Tyson's version
Joe Ely
Brushing Ellie Mae
Ellie Mae believes in conserving energy at every opportunity. So, when I try to groom her, she immediately falls asleep, allowing me to do one side, roll her on her back to do her belly and roll her on her other side to finish the job.
27th Street 