February 24, 2010
comments 3

Dog owners find spiked beef tongue

From the Toronto Sun: Dog owners in the Bathurst St.-Eglinton Ave. W. area are shocked following the discovery of beef tongue pierced with long spikes in a ravine used frequently by people who walk their canines.

Dorothy McKeown and a friend were walking their dogs on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. in the Cedarvale Ravine when her friend’s dog Lola — a lab-sheppard mix — started chewing on what looked like a piece of meat.

McKeown and her friend pulled the meat out of Lola’s mouth and found a 46-centimetre beef tongue pierced with nine 30-centimetre spikes.

I heard on the radio this morning that there has been a long-standing dispute between dog owners and dog haters in this area. What’s going on here? Is this some kind of sicko freak trying to hurt dogs? It wouldn’t be the first time. I recall late last winter some asshole added anti-freeze to the water containers in the High Park leash-free area, and prior to that, some psycho-moron seeded another park with poisoned weiners.

Look, I know that some people oppose leash-free zones. We have a political process around it. There is an application process and there are public meetings and everyone can have their say. Get involved. Talk to your local Councillor and express your views. This is a municipal election year. Vote for the politician who supports your views.  When I was at the public meeting around the application for a leash-free area at our local water filtration plant next to Sam Smith Park, only a very very small minority of attendees spoke out against the proposal, and so we now have a rudimentary leash-free area. If you don’t like it, stay away. Just don’t go there.  If you’re getting strange urges to hurt something, see your doctor. Leave our dogs alone please.

I hope they find the idiot who planted the spiked tongue soon. Meanwhile, dog owners, be careful out there.

February 23, 2010
comment 0

Search terms that led to my little anchovy pond

das boot
hohner accordions yellow
27th street
photos of los tigres del norte
peter falk
los gauchos
patychky
pictures of dogs getting zapped
coyotes etobicoke creek
weed and feed canada december 2012

I wonder just what the character who searched for pictures of dogs getting zapped was thinking? I understand most of the other search terms. I often dream of yellow accordions myself.

February 21, 2010
comments 6

Fugitive Dog Park

Our local dog park has moved. Overnight a few nights ago, it migrated south. Perhaps the City’s overnight task force moved it? Who knows. Somebody moved it. The whole business is merely two signs affixed to sections of gate. Apparently the City was going to monitor the dog park closely but so far it seems they haven’t noticed it has moved.

It isn’t a bad idea to relocate it further south because the location they chose – a chunk of a huge field, is exactly where commuters cross the park to catch the bus, and that’s going to be a problem once the off-leash area gets popular, which I expect will be soon.

Another consideration – if they relocated it west, either right at the bottom of the hill or on top of it, the leash free area would have lighting, handy for stooping and scooping. The lighting is already in place.

Still, I’m happy to have the leash free area. Today there were a couple dogs and their humans in there for Memphis to play with.

February 21, 2010
comment 1

The Kelligrew’s Soiree

This tune was written by a fellow named Johnny Burke. It’s a Newfoundland song in an Irish tradition. Here’s one version of the lyrics:

You may talk of Clara Nolan’s Ball or anything you choose,
But it couldn’t hold a snuffbox to the spree at Kelligrews;
If you want your eyeballs straightened just come out next week with me,
You’ll have to wear your glasses at the Kelligrews Soiree.
There was birch rind , tar twine, cherry wine and turpentine,
Jowls and cavalances, ginger beer and tea;
Pig’s feet, cat’s meat, dumplings boiled up in a sheet,
Dandelion and crackie’steeth at the Kelligrews Soiree.
Oh, I borrowed Cluney’s beaver as I squared my yards to sail,
And a swallow tail from Hogan that was foxy on the tail;
Billy Cuddahie’s old working pants and Patsy Nolan’s shoes,
And an old white vest from Fogarty to sport at Kelligrews.
There was Dan Milley, Joe Lilly, Tantan and Mrs. Tilley,
Dancing like a little filly, ‘twould raise your heart to see;
Jim Brine, Dan Ryan, Flipper Smith and Caroline,
I tell you, boys, we had a time at the Kelligrews Soiree.
Oh, when I arrived at Betsy Snook’s that night at half past eight,
The place was blocked with carriages stood waiting at the gate;
With Cluney’s funnel upon my pate, the first words Betsy said,
“Here comes the local preacher with the pulpit on his head”.
There was Bill Mews, Dan Hughes, Wilson, Taft and Teddy Roose,
While Bryant, he sat in the blues and looking hard at me;
Jim Fling, Tom King, Johnson, champion of the ring,
And all the boxers I could bring to the Kelligrews Soiree.
“The Saratoga Lancers first,” Miss Betsy kindly said,
I danced with Nancy Cronin and her Granny on the Head;
And Hogan danced with Betsy, well you should have seen his shoes,
As he lashed the muskets from the rack that night at Kelligrews.
There was boiled guineas, cold guineas, bullock’s heads and piccaninnies,
Everything to catch the pennies you’d break your sides to see;
Boiled duff, cold duff, apple jam was in a cuff,
I tell you, boys, we had enough at the Kelligrews Soiree.
Crooked Flavin struck the fiddler and a hand I then took in,
You should see George Cluney’s beaver and it flattened to the rim;
And Hogan’s coat was like a vest, the tails were gone you see,
Says I, “The Devil haul ye and your Kelligrews Soiree”.
There was birch rind, tar twine, cherry wine and turpentine,
Jowls and cavalances, ginger beer and tea;
Pig’s feet, cat’s meat, dumplings boiled up in a sheet,
Dandelion and crackie’s teeth at the Kelligrews Soiree.