After volunteering last week, when there was an impressively violent thunderstorm, I was walking back to my car under the clear skies when I saw that golden tree in the woods beyond. A beacon lighting up the horizon. A sun of ash-making.
My mother used to speak of golden moments - the times you store in a special memory chest and hold on to to bring out and treasure again when times get tough. Like gold coins saved for a rainy day.
In the park the other morning I had another such moment.
I was with CD who was being very brave and determined. But she (I seem to switch genders at will) didn't want the boring peanuts so I threw her one of the dog's treats. This, it seemed, was better. It was hard so she had to try to break bits off. I think she considered that it might be better softened up in the soil and so she took to burying them and then asking for more.
I showed her one and then placed it on the ground before stepping back.
She trotted over and ate it.
Next I showed her one then put a left on top of it and stepped back.
She ran over, raised the leaf and took it.
I did the same again and this time she'd forgotten which leaf and took to lifting up any leaf she saw. I threw her another and rescued the forgotten one before showing it to her again and making a very obvious three leaf pile. Below is the picture of her finding it.
This delighted me. I have some tiny pots and I thought that I would try food in pots then with the lid resting on the pot, then the lid lightly attached and so on.
But the dog treats are a bit hard. Last week I stood in front of the cooked meat at the supermarket staring at it. I, a vegan, seriously considering buying meat. I didn't want to cook it or tear it up - I didn't want to do more than touch it with the tips of my fingers - so I was looking at, I kid you not, chopped pancetta.
FFS.
I did not buy it, but I do think that the pot experiment requires more than just dog treats. Maybe I'll see if she likes suet. Of course, I already buy that - as well as dog and cat food - and that's not exactly vegan friendly.
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