Friday, September 14, 2012

I don't want to talk politics right now...

I probably should continue to write about the turmoil in the Middle East, but my heart isn't in it. Today, I spent several hours in one of the most magnificent structures I've ever visited -- St Mary's Seminary in Baltimore. We're talking about impressive art, incredibly long hallways, a statue of the Virgin that looks really spooky at night, and an exquisite chapel (which I admired from the entrance.)

I had gone to St. Mary's to consult some rare books about my favorite girl. What a wonderful library! Y'know those massive, over-stuffed, ultra-ultra-ultra-soft leather chairs -- the kind you might see in some veddy exclusive British club where a waiter hands you port and the Sunday Times? My capacious hindquarters spent the day parked in one of those.

All in all, this was a very civilized way to spend the day. St. Mary's had me thinking that I'd make a good priest -- if I could just, y'know, get past the bit about having to believe in the supernatural. 

Then I came back home, turned on the 'puter -- and guess what? The world keeps finding new routes to Hell. 

Must we always think about such things?


That story will make your eyes moisten. It may even have you believing in the supernatural.

7 comments:

prowlerzee said...

It's all-natural, not supernatural. Of course, my canine's breed, the dachshund, is known for simply chowing down on its deceased human, but they are very loving and devoted to their living companions.

Thanks for the tip on the beautiful Maryland site. 'i've been doing similar healing viewing...visiting a site whose motto is "design will save the world."

Joseph Cannon said...

So what's the all-natural explanation for how that dog found that grave? My dog, bless her, can't even find her favorite chew toy when it's two feet away from her.

Twilight said...

Awwww! Gorgeous story - and it's life follwoing art.... following life........:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby

prowlerzee said...

Well, I'm guessing by smell. Everyone immediately thinks of scent hounds who track by ground, but there are airborne scents as well. There are many stories of dogs tracking their human companions over multiple miles, and even multiple years. Bella looks more like a herding breed...some breeds are tracker/hunters.

Their hearing is keen, too and they can distinguish specific vehicles from far away.

As for comprehending the concept of death, well, elephants hold funerals. Animals comprehend many more things than they can communicate to us. The one that gets me is the concept of name. If our animal companions understand the concept of having a name, I wonder if they have unique names for each other on their own?

Joseph Cannon said...

My dog can hear my vehicle from a distance. But smelling my corpse after it has been placed in a box six feet under? Nah. No sniffer on the planet works THAT well.

I can't dismiss the many "incredible journey" stories of dogs that crossed long distances to reunite with their humans. Something extra-sensory seems to be going on. By "extra-sensory," I don't necessarily mean paranormal: Present science may not be able to explain such events well, but future science surely will.

LandOLincoln said...

It's telepathy and telepathy=love in both animals and humans, or maybe I should say in both two- and four-legged animals.

I remember reading about an experiment involving a mother and son. They were on separate floors, maybe in separate buildings, but both hooked up to all the usual measuring gadgets--blood pressure, brain activity etc.

Then one would be given, say, a math problem to solve, causing a rise in his or her blood pressure--and the other's blood pressure would spike at the same time.

prowlerzee said...

More on dogs' super, ultra, or all-natural senses. Maybe dogs have a sort of GPS we don't understand. L'Engle proposed that on a molecular level in her Wrinkle in Time series.

I've been taking my mom to doctors appointments this year. I usually take the dog and walk him around the grounds before camping out in the waiting room/s. Today we were going to one of the offices we'd only been to only once before, months ago, and mom was unsure of the final left turn. My doxie started whining about a half a block from the turn and I said this must be it. Mom insisted it was the next turn, and so I went on...and on...and finally said, I trust the dog, and turned back.

Of course, the dachshund was spot on.

He used to do this all the time in Boston, whining whenever we were within a block of the Amtrak station, where we often picked up my son. Everyone knows animals have an inner clock...maybe they have a kind of inner GPS system, too.