The Nose Knows

He may be old as dirt, blind as a bat and almost doorknob deaf but Dennett's regal nose has never failed him and yesterday morning was no exception. A masked bandit was on our front porch and the D man let me know by barking and spinning and doing his much loved propeller tail wag. To humor him I went out and took a peek and by gum, if that raccoon wasn't high tailing it down the nearest escape route to the woods. I saw his bulk and I saw his distinct tracks both coming and going on our front porch. Okay, there is still a good use for snow. Good dog Dennett! We spent most of our morning walk retracing the little devils route around our property. Like the Johnny Cash song, he had been everywhere. It was slow going, but I enjoyed every intent sniff almost as much as my partner.

I think it's time for a reading update. If you like a good beefy well written historical biography, Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser is worth your time.

It took me almost two months to read it and I savored every chapter.

Next up on the read pile ( and saving for rereading too) is A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. This is a lovely, sweet and sentimental read. You will finish the last page feeling sad it's over but fulfilled and touched. Not since I read The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein have I enjoyed a dog story so much. I'm picky about my animal stories too but these two belong up there with Black Beauty, Beautiful Joe and The Yearling. And folks if you haven't read Beautiful Joe by Margaret Marshall Saunders, you need too. In the past few years it has been reissued. I don't think it has ever gone out of print. I was read Joe's story by my grandmother as a child and reread it in high school and again, in adulthood.

Weather wise we may have turned the corner onto Spring street. It took me until Sunday to make it to town. It just kept snowing and snowing, but Sunday's snow was light and yesterday the sun actually appeared and stuck around for the majority of the day. Of course this morning it's lightly snowing...again.

The superfantastic black pants are done and I am pretty darn happy with them. They look and fit great. I made additional changes to the pattern as I went along and will keep them. Darts in the front instead of just tucks and the elastic starts at the side seams leaving the whole front smooth instead of at the tucks that are now darts in the front.

The pockets are in just the right place and I need to measure it and note on the pattern piece the placement. The hemming was done on the silk blouse thereby putting it in the done and wearable category. I like it but I don't love it. For silky fabrics I am still on the lookout for suitable patterns and next time I buy silk hopefully it won't be so tight in the yardage.

Parting shot: Three's a Crowd.