All posts by Patontina

unpredictables

The flying dog

One day dad & mom come with a furrythingy and say “Hi Pat, this is Dot – she’ll be our little pup from now on”. I was stunned. I love Lampe, the dog that named me (Pat-one). I was unsure – how should I treat this new … thing? Should I be nice and friendly, or stand for Lampe against the little furry intruder?

I guess she was somehow perplexed and timid, too. In the beginning she didn’t even dare to join dad & mom when prompted to jump in and leave all together. Annoying… !!! And cunning, too – dammit. Was it really unavoidable being sick every-and-single time at the first jump or bend? I mean… you know… not so nice to me indeed…

Then, step by step, we got to know each other better. Lampe gave a hand (one of the three good ones :-)) teaching her so many things, and also told me I am allowed to like Dot – he won’t take it bad. Dot got relaxed, too. She understood I’m trustworthy and, actually, now considers me her “mobile-couch”, a drivable home taking her in so many new places. No more need for dad & mom to prompt her and go. When we stop, my door stays open and Dot decides what to do, jumping in and out to explore the world or come back for a nap. I like cuddling here. Especially now that she’s no longer getting sick!!

She even proved to be a super dog herself (like Lampe): not any pup can fly from the second floor (how-did-you-do-it???!!!) with no consequence whatsoever! I guess someone gave a hand here as well (maybe more than one…). Good trick, for sure. But fine enough, ok? 🙂

 

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maintenance, travel, unpredictables

Back on track!

So we are leaving Europe again! Just couldn’t wait!
The last few months have been hard, but after rain comes sunshine – and me likes the sun 🙂
I’m getting used to the Big Fast Ship – me likes that too. Not many buddies there but a couple of really nice oldies to share the trip with. Then straight to the South, with the usual happy stop over in Tarfaya.
Ehm… not without any bumps, though. All of a sudden I’ve got a gloppita gloppita liquidish noise from the gearbox. Mum and Dad got instantly worried and we stopped for a quick check in Guelmin. Good to have friends here and there around the globe – they said I’d just take it easy and come down in fourth gear. That’s not bad, when you’ve got a thousand km ahead of you at max speed 80 Km/h, but we’re never in a hurry!
It was a great journey, all long the way carpeted with blooms from the winter heavy rains. And then home. Dakhla, here we are (again). A puppy is waiting for us, but I need the doctor first. So here he is – I’m a bit scared… will it hurt?

 

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travel

Once upon a time…

…. in a land far, far away I happened to put my wheels on the hardest rocks I ever experienced. They ran like waves across my path, and it was so dark in the night. I really didn’t know where to go but the car before me led the way with no hesitation and I kept running and running. Bump after bump. Stone after stone. Right in the desert with no way back home.

And finally we stopped. Seemed the middle of nowhere but there was a light. And a warm fire. And a haima. And friendly voices, and salutations, and tea.

So we sat down, drank tea, had food and spent the night talking under the starts.
Oh gosh – how many starts can the sky hold? How many that I could never see before? And they call them different, but they shine alike. So it’s not Pleyads – it’s Thuraya (and so you get where the satellite phone comes from). And it’s not the Milky Way – it’s Road to Santiago (if you’re speaking Spanish) ot Hay Merchants Way (if you’re speaking Arabic).

While we talk, shadows move in the darkness around us but you shall not fear: slowly and gently, these ghosts take the shapes of camels coming back for the night and a bit of food. Mom and Dad are offered fresh camel milk. It’s warm… it’s foamy… it’s good! And then the bread is made. Time to remove much of the hot hashes, put some cold sand on the fireplace, lower the temperature. A flat mass of dough comes out of nowhere and is dropped on the sand, in the fireplace.

Really????
Really!

All you’ve got to do is cover with other sand, then warm ashes and let it stay. You’ll see ashes rise, the bread is being cooked. And then you take it out, pat it and it’s ready to eat (and no – there’s no sand attached!). Warm, soft, tasty.

Belly is full. Mind is cleared.
What a perfect time to fall asleep…

 

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