Tongues of the Kerry Blue.... by B

WHoooOOOOoooooo!! The Rocky Creek Scotties, have a new contest...TONGUES!!!! Boy do we have TONGUES!!! We almost didn't get a chance to participate -- after the "Pump" debacle was cured, we thought it would be real smart to go up to enjoy sun and fun at the cottage... uhh NOT!! it's been raining dogs and more dogs... falling from the sky in large quantities.. more then I, theBUSTER, could even stand.

Ah well....the humomm and I decided to come home just for a couple of days to get something called "work", done. Sounds like she'll be building an ark.

To get back to TONGUES....

HMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
THINKING.......


Ahhhh yes.... a crazy Persephone TONGUE (HEE HEE PAYBACK!!!)

Now children don't be frightened of the crazy TONGUE..... it's just lovable Persephone under the table showing you her GREAT BIG teeth and TONGUE...


Now here's a cute one----> TONGUE......

Here is an example of a tongue as large as a Wilson....



Then we have................................................NO TONGUE!
TONGUE________

This is just to much fun...
TONGUE
NO TONGUE....

Well I guess I must go now and look in the mirror at
MY TONGUE!

ENJOY!
theBUSTER,
Ms.Persephone (hehe scared ya, didn't I?),
&
Ms. Blue <--I'm keeping my mouth shut on this one!

The Pond, the Pump, and the Triumph of Persistence over Reason

Part I


Buster here, reporting on the ongoing mechanical melodrama at The Pond! It's Monday in New Hampshire and not raining... what's wrong with this picture??? It's just a matter of time before the waters pour from the sky we know they're coming. The humomm & dad are back from the lake, and the score is:

Pump: 2 !!!
Humans: Zero !!!!

SO NOW WHAT????



Water pumps represent a technology so simple and arcane that nobody really knows anything about them anymore. In this case, a pump is necessary to bring water from the pond to the cottage.

Talk about challenged <------the humans are pump-challenged. How hard is it to put in a pump?? Like don't you just plug it in?? They say NOPE------> I think they're just stalling.

They didn't bring us this time because of the "no water" situation and the fact that they had to put all their CONCENTRATION on installing the new motor... the new motor is installed but now there's something else wrong! They do have a list of the many things it may be:

1. Bad foot valve
2. Bad impeller
3. Bad seals
4. Leak in the cottage plumbing
5. Stupidity of some sort

Well, here's what happened to the Old Pump:



See the motor casing? Bad thing!

So Step One was the Interment of the Old Pump with full military honors. Tears were shed, the crowds wailed. The cracked cranium (upper right) reminded many of Britain's George III and America's George II.


Step II: The Presentation of the New Pump with appropriate Pomp & Circumstance. Great hope among the masses.



Step III: The Installation of the New Pump upon its throne. Much anxiety among the peasantry
.


IV: The Testing and Trial of the New Pump. The Proletariat are discontent. "It ain't the Old Pump!" It runs. Nothing but hot air is discharged. Rather like the federal government.


Step V: The Inquiry and Search for Clues...


A potential culprit? Could such drama be the result of a treasonous foot-valve? These nasty critters lurk at the end of a hundred feet of piping under the Pond. Nasty to replace!

Could the fact that the air charge in the water tank is registering zilch point doodly-squat have anything to do with it?

A neighbor suggests that Mr. Beaver may have chewed up the PVC piping--somewhere!

Meanwhile.......


Life goes on in the Provinces. The Blueberries emerge, silhouetted by The Pond.



Hawkweed emerges in its orange glory.




This is what Hawkweed looks like close-up.




The trout rise...



A warm and cozy cottage beckons!

Dang! WE NEED WATER!!!!!!!


Part II


Monday next...

The pre-charged air tank is adjusted to precisely 38 psi, in accordance with its long-ignored instructions. The pump does not work.

A new foot valve is installed under the pond. The pump does not blink--total failure!

All seals and plumbing are checked. Misery.

All alternatives except one have been explored. The remaining option is so implausible that it boggles the mind. Could it be?

The pump is disassembled. The check-valve (pre-installed on the New Pump) has been put in improperly. The fix requires thirty seconds. The pump works.



Victory! Seventeen fatted pretzels and a bottle of Sam Adams Boston Ale are offered the the Cosmic Pump Goddess in ritual thanksgiving.



The Expeditionary Force returns to its home-base in Connecticut, and the Pump Goddess provides a sign that all is well.



Tomorrow, I shall return! The natives are abuzz with tales of renegade beaver plundering and pillaging their little domain. Buster to the rescue!

Cheers,

Buster the Pumpmeister

Today's Specials--Chez Buster

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Buster, and I will be your Maître d' tonight. I have seats prepared for you in a nice, cozy corner in the Blue Room.



Let me introduce our spécialités régionales. I am sure this will be a unique experience.



First, there is Chardonneret Persephone. Served with a garnish of butter and herbs, and accompanied by a CHÂTEAU HAUT-BRION Pessac-Léognan White, 2007. It was this creation that earned us our fourth star last year!



Then, there is Lapin Grillé à Bailey. Presented on a bed of rice pilaf with parsley and a small salad. We highly recommend the 2006 Joseph Drouhin Vero Pinot Noir to bring out the full flavor of this entrée.



Finally, the Pièce de Résistance--Crapaud Buster!

This particular dish is prepared entirely raw, and the dining experience consists of chasing the meal around the Blue Room. In lieu of wine (which would inhibit the effectiveness of the chaser), we recommend a warm Guinness Stout, followed by successive Guinness Stouts until le crapaud escapes, which is the entire point of the meal. It is a more Zen-like experience, and certainly not for a novice diner!



Bon appétit !

leBuster

TRUE COLOuRS --black & tan --

Thanks to Blue and her True ColoUrs Thursday we have defied the odds.... a blue/black & tan dog------------------------------->

THE NEW
THE UPDATED
theBUSTER!!
Today is black and tan day.. so for all of my aireeeedale friends I would like to present ME, theBUSTER
in Black (blue black) & Tan....

It took Persephone a little while to paint these spots on me
-- I just could not stop wagging my tail -- besides it tickles!
Hmmmm I don't know how long it will take for the humomm to wash them off <--------uh...does that mean another bath?
SEPHIE!!!!! you said you used washable schtufffffff!
* OOPS *
••••••••••••••Please note: no dark empresses were harmed after this post••••••••••••••

theBUSTER, Ms.Persephone, & Ms.Blue

The Further Adventures of Busterigo & Lucia: "The Cruise"

Images of Bella Lucia's beauty had haunted Buster since that breathtaking week in Salzburg.



It was a risk, but he calculated that his very soul depended upon it. He invited her to accompany him on a cruise.

Now, all the right people know this. When you go first-class, the prestigious White Star Line is the only option!

Thus, they set off from Southampton on the much-discussed maiden voyage of the White Star Line's newest and greatest vessel! Its sleek lines hinted at the grace of Lucia's cheeks; its accommodations were exquisite. And it was, of course, unsinkable. What could be better?

Lucia made una bella figura as she boarded the vessel in a suit so striking that the paparazzi swarmed to get photos.



Busterigo was dressed more casually, perhaps in tribute to his ignominious peasant origins. Nevertheless, the entire ship was abuzz with tales of incipient romance.

One starlit evening, Busterigo invited Bella Lucia to accompany him to his "secret place"--right up on the very prow of the flagship of the White Star Line!



It was an unforgettable experience. The song of the wind and Big Dipper low on the horizon. Lucia felt suddenly alive.

Later that evening, Busterigo surprised her by changing from his Italo-Irish-Peasant-Dog attire and greeting her upon the staircase of the Grand Salon for the Captain's Ball.

Who Knew?

But fate had other plans for our star-crossed couple.

It seems that 26,342 years ago, during a certain Glacial Maximum, a large ice-shelf had formed off the coast of what is now (aptly named) Greenland. During the ensuing years of global warming, pieces of this shelf had incrementally broken off, forming what mariners came to call "icebergs." Since the International Ice Patrol would not be formed for another year--precisely as a result of the adventure upon which Lucia and Busterigo were unwittingly about to embark--there was no way that they could have known that they were being stalked by a 26,000-year-old giant ice-cube.

Second Officer Lightoller ordered, "Airedales and Kerrys First!" in deference to that quaint Victorian belief that certain members of the species deserve extra protection and care. After Lucia and Busterigo boarded the first life-boat, the remaining craft were filled with human women and children. Busterigo commented a bit dryly, "I suppose this beats the dog-paddle...Don't you love that orchestra on the fantail?"

By dawn, the Steamship Carpathia appeared on the horizon to pick up our survivors.

As they climbed the Jacob's Ladder to the Carpathia's quarterdeck, Lucia asked, "Busterigo-- this was really exciting, but do you have any other great ideas like this?"

Busterigo, of course, had already made plans!

An exciting trip from Frankfurt-Am-Main to Lakehurst, New Jersey aboard the new, sleek, safe (because it is a triumph of German engineering) dirigible, Hindenburg!

(to be continued, after Busterigo recovers from his injuries...)

Buster's World: Wednesday

Monsieur le Lapin

Très mignon.

Innocent.

Quite shy.

Excellent with the proper sauce...

Great Blue Heron

Stealthy.

Quite large for a bird.

Not to be provoked. Talk to Leda...

Mallards

Overly sociable.

Always peering at the bottom of a pond.

Disturbingly loud and prone to meaningless quacking.

Best accompanied with Orange Sauce...

Barkasaurus Baileyippicus

Protects domicile from mad bunnies, stalking herons, and mad ducks.

Best treated with respect and affection.

Often louder than an air raid alarm.



Cheers,

theBuster

Buster's World: Tuesday

Hey, friends--'tis theBuster here with a few brief fieldnotes from the BusterWorld theme-park today!

Item One:

Robins.

Diminutive, fuzzy robins.

Robins in MY wisteria tree, adjacent to MY deck, within easy reach of MY incisors!

But they're cute, so I've decided to peacefully coexist with them.

At least 'til tomorrow.




Item Two: Phalaenopsis orchids.

Very strange. They look like they just arrived from Star Cluster O-47.

Laying dormant in their pods beneath the Atlantic for aeons, they have hatched in unison with the single-minded intent of conquering Earth and taking away my Wilsons.

Evil-doers!



Item Three: Castor Canadensis.

Playful.

Unconcerned with the presence of humans or canines.

Enjoy gnawing bamboo, scratching themselves, and harassing flyfishermen.

Flat tails can send a stream of water into a human's retina without warning, just as the Epeorus Vitreus hatch is really getting into gear...

Item Four: Main armament of Tongueflappus Busterensis.

Dispenses love and eight metric tons of saliva at thirty paces.

Never still.

If only it could conjugate French verbs!


Okay, that's all the news for now. Gotta go receive my piddling portion of affection before I retire for the night.

Cheers,

theBuster

Fauna Observed Today

Ondatra Zibethicus (Muskrat: loves apples and people)

Branta Canadensis (Good scholars: very orderly at school crossings)

Tongueflappus Busterensis (Never unhappy: humans often wonder why)

The Pond Prepares for the Return of the Three Horsedogs of the Apocalypse...

It's time.

It's soooooo time to get back to THE POND!


Buster The Aquatic Beast, reporting on the preparations of the human lackeys to bring the little cottage in the Monadnocks up to my exacting standards!



At first, it looked familiar, warm and fuzzy...

The blue water beckoned. Oh, how it beckoned!




Lilacs blossomed along the dirt road...



Tranquility reigned while Mr. Beaver tormented the obsessive-compulsive beaver-phobic neighbors at the far-end...



The next generation of frogs grazed placidly in the shallows...


And the new stone wall curved gracefully around the back deck. All was well...


Except for the little matter of that winter ice-storm...the one that knocked those silver maples over into the water! Yes, folks, this is the underside of the root-stock; the tree extends about 90 feet beyond it.



And the ill-starred, accursed pump! La pompe est morte. Vive la pompe!

Next weekend: Observe the humans reach their respective levels of incompetence. The drama of selecting, purchasing, installing and troubleshooting an electromechanical system of breathtaking simplicity will reduce their fragile egos to the consistency of neutron plasma!


à bientôt,

Buster