As some may be aware, but many not, Chester, my faithful writing assistant, mice catcher, and general pain in the neck, passed away some months ago.
Recently I was running a series based on his adventures, under the title of Past Conversations with my cat.
For those who have not had the chance to read about all of his exploits I will run the series again from Episode 1
These are the memories of our time together…
This is Chester. I’ve just dropped the bombshell we’re thinking of getting a dog.
So, the first response from him: Well, the last dog didn’t turn out so well, did it?
We didn’t tell him what happened to the dog, but maybe he’s psychic.
Or is that psycho?
Anyway, the last dog we had moved to my son’s place when he moved, and shortly after, broke his hip and had to be put down.
So I say, that dog moved when my son left. I don’t have any more sons living in, so that won’t be a problem.
It’s going to be a mistake.
Oh, how?
You know they all start out like soft furry balls, like cat’s I’ll admit, but then they grow up, and up, and up, and up. And eat you out of house and home. Not like us lovable cats, we stay small furry balls, and don’t eat all that much.
No, you’re just fussy, and it’s like hell on earth getting you to eat.
Then stop buying the cheap stuff.
Cheap? Cheap? That last lot of food cost an arm and a leg. At least with a dog, it will eat anything, including scraps from the table.
He gives me that condescending look reserved for people who think they own or know cats.
As you wish, my Lord.
Then he walks off, head in the air and tail swishing in annoyance.
As some may be aware, but many not, Chester, my faithful writing assistant, mice catcher, and general pain in the neck, passed away some months ago.
Recently I was running a series based on his adventures, under the title of Past Conversations with my cat.
For those who have not had the chance to read about all of his exploits I will run the series again from Episode 1
These are the memories of our time together…
This is Chester. He had been shocked by my transformation into someone he least likely expected to find in his domain.
After a chastisement, I told him he could expect more shocks in the days to follow.
Why he asks. All I want is a peaceful life lying in the sun by the window, and no pesky mice to chase.
Sorry, I say. I’m playing roles for my next book. Trying to get the feel for the character.
A drunk, a fool, and a man who does household chores. You’re failed in all three, just in case you want to know what I think.
I don’t.
The cat doesn’t have a sense of humour, or if he does, I’m not seeing it.
I think you’ve got it wrong. Not a drunk, a man with physical disabilities, not a fool but a clown who’s lost his will to perform, and yes, I am the one who does the cooking and cleaning,
And who’s in charge of feeding you? Anything else you care to add?
Looking good, keep up the good work, but how about fresh fish rather than that packet stuff.
As some may be aware, but many not, Chester, my faithful writing assistant, mice catcher, and general pain in the neck, passed away some months ago.
Recently I was running a series based on his adventures, under the title of Past Conversations with my cat.
For those who have not had the chance to read about all of his exploits I will run the series again from Episode 1
These are the memories of our time together…
This is Chester. He’s pretending to be wise.
We’re having a discussion about perspective. I’m trying to explain that it is different for every person.
He reckons from his perspective, I’ve lost the plot.
So, I say, this is how it goes.
Imagine you’re arrested for a crime you didn’t commit. All the evidence is circumstantial, your gun is missing, and only two people know the combination, you can’t get corroboration on your whereabouts at the time of the crime, and you were heard to say you wanted to kill the victim.
A measured look of thoughtfulness followed by, he’s guilty of course.
Why I ask.
Give a man a gun and it’s bound to go off. That’s the problem with you humans. You need to figure out how to get along with each other without having a gun to back you up. Have you ever seen a cat with a gun? No, I didn’t think so.
How did this get to be about guns and not perspective? I ask.
Leave the gun out of the equation, then it’s only circumstantial. Just saying.
We were staying at the Hilton and advised there would be a large cruise liner berthing next to the hotel. There was the Arcadia.
This is the view from the other side of the hotel. Where our room was, we could almost walk onto the aft end of the ship.
We were also told this was a rather extraordinary day because there were two cruise ships in the port. particularly because it was near the end of the cruising season.
The other ship was two berths along, the Sun Princess.
Not as big as the Arcadia, up close it was still very impressive.
Along with My Fair Lady, another of my favorite musicals was Sound of Music and having seen it a number of times over the years, it had conjured up a number of images of Salzburg in my mind, and with them a desire to go there. We had been to Salzburg once before, an overnight train stop between Vienna and Innsbruck, an afterthought, but what we saw then was reason enough to come back later and spend several days.
A pity then the day we arrived, and for much of our stay, it rained. But, like hardened travelers, very little stops us from doing anything, and particularly sightseeing.
We stayed at the Crowne Plaza – The Pitter in a very well appointed room. Breakfast included, it was a great way to start the day.
The afternoon we arrived we went for a short walk to the old city passing through the Mirabelle gardens with the Pegasus Fountain, Rose Garden, and Dwarves Garden. Later we discovered that the archway had been used in part of the filming of Sound of Music.
We took the Festungsbahn funicular railway up to the Fortress Hohensalzburg, dating back to 1077, and the largest fortress still standing in Europe. We spent a pleasant afternoon wandering through the rooms and exhibits and then had lunch at a café, the Salzburg Fortress Café, that overlooked the countryside. This was where we were introduced to Mozart Gold Chocolate Cream added to our coffee.
It led us to search for the product which we eventually found in a confectionery store, Holzemayr in the Alter Markt. Not only sis we find the Gold liqueur there was also a dark chocolate variety as well. We bought a whole box to bring back with us, as well as a number of other chocolates including Victor Schmidt Austrian Mozart Balls, a delicious chocolate and marzipan combination.
With another afternoon to spare we visited the Salzburg Residence which previously housed Salzburg’s ruling prince-archbishops. We visited the reception rooms and living quarters, as well as the Gallery. It is as ornate as any of the palaces in Austria, resplendent with furnishings and paintings. After that, the visit to Mozart’s birthplace was something of an anticlimax.
But, what we were in Salzburg for, the Sound of music tour, and the places we visited:
The Mirabelle gardens, where Maria sang Do Re Mi in front of the gates to the gardens. We spent some time here before and after the tour, and also has a look inside the Mirabelle Palace, which is not open to the public as it is the city administrative offices.
Leopoldskron Palace where the boating scene was filmed as well as exteriors. They were not allowed to film inside the place and were only allowed to use the exterior. An interesting tidbit of information, one of the children nearly drowned.
Heilbrunn palace is now home to the gazebo where Rolf and Liesl sang their song, ‘16 going on 17’. The interesting part of this was the fact the Gazebo used to film the scene was much larger than the actual Gazebo on display.
The walkway from the fortress back to the old city passes Nonnberg Abbey where Maria was a novice, and where the opening scenes were filmed. A number of scenes were filmed here, including the song ‘Maria’ in the courtyard. The tour only showed the exterior of the Abbey.
Salzburg lake district where panorama and picnic scenes were filmed. Even on the dullest of days, during which throughout our tour in continually rained, the scenery was still magnificent.
Mondsee church, where the wedding scenes were filmed. It was surprising just how small the church really is. It was also a stop to have afternoon tea or some ‘famous’ apple strudel.
Needless to say, we watched Sound of Music straight after the tour and managed to pick out all of the places we had been to.
The only downside to the tour, singing along to the songs. I’m sorry, but I do not sing, and some of those that were, well, I say no more.
But right means generally to be correct, but the word itself can be used, like many others in a variety of ways
Such as, do we have any rights any more, since the government is slowly shutting down our freedoms, and, you guessed it, allegedly taking away our rights.
What about a right angle, we know this as being an angle of 90 degrees
How about I right a wrong, returning a bad situation to a good one?
Are you left-handed or right-handed?
Are you one of those people who can’t tell their left from their right?
And who was it that decided what was your left or your right, ever thought about that? I didn’t until just now. Good luck finding an answer on Google.
And how many times have you wished you were in the right place at the right time???
Then, of course, if English is a second language, how about confusing right with write.
Means something quite different, doesn’t it?
How about rite? Yes, I guess if we were in the habit of chopping chicken heads off and dancing around a fire, that might be its meaning,
China is renowned for its exquisite silk, so naturally, a visit to the Silk Spinning Factory is part of today’s tour.
After that, we will be heading downtown to an unspecified location where we’re getting a boat ride, walk through a typical Chinese shopping experience, and coffee at a coffee shop that is doubling as the meeting place, after we soak up the local atmosphere.
The problem with that is that if the entire collective trip a deal tourists take this route then the savvy shopkeepers will jack up their prices tenfold because we’re tourists with money. It’ll be interesting to see how expensive everything is.
So…
Before we reach the silk factory, we are told that Suzhou is the main silk area of China, and we will be visiting a nearly 100 years old, Suzhou No 1 Silk Mill, established in 1926. Suzhou has a 4,700-year history of making silk products. It is located at No. 94, Nanmen Road, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Then we arrive at the Silk Factory, another government-owned establishment with a castiron guarantee of quality and satisfaction.
The look and feel of the doona cover certainly backs up that claim
And the colors and variety is amazing (as is the cost of those exquisite sets)
We get to see the silk cocoon stretched beyond imagination, and see how the silk thread is extracted, then off to the showroom for the sales pitch.
It isn’t a hard sell, and the sheets, doonas, pillows, and pillowcases, are reasonably priced, and come with their own suitcase (for free) so you can take them with you, or free shipping, by slow boat, if you prefer not to take the goods with you.
We opt for the second choice, as there’s no room left in our baggage after packing the Chinese Medicine.
Thrills, Spills, and just a dash of Romance 