We had a new wrinkle on our morning walk today. Ann joined us with Khasi, another German Shorthair Pointer, who is Chippa's best friend. Seeing the two of them together is really something and it was fun watching them chase each other all thru the bush while the rest of us walked along chatting. 
The dogs like it when Ann comes because she brings a water bottle along so they are able to stop and get a drink when they get thirsty (the photo on the right is is Chippa helping herself). From the way they take to the bottle, it makes you wonder how they've made it all this time without having the chance to take a water break before now!
At the end of the walk, we tried to get everyone lined up for a photo, which was a near impossibility, but since the dogs are the important ones, I'll forego the photo with everyone's face in it and go for the photo which shows the dogs to best advantage. They are, from left to right:
Peggy had checked the radar map on the internet this morning and discovered that there was no rain in sight anywhere so we made big plans for the day. I'd say what they were, but it's such a nice title for an upcoming entry, that I think I'll hold off.
Suffice it to say that Internet radar predictions are not 100% accurate.
We were on our way to....there when it kept getting darker and darker and drizzled heavier and heavier. We decided that was probably not a good idea, so Peggy suggested that we go into Perth to shop.
When she was in the States, the concept of "downtown" was foreign to her. Here, what we would call "downtown" is the actual city of Perth and the outlying areas, which we would consider part of the city, are their own little burgs (suburbs). So, for the yanks, we went downtown. For the Aussies, we went into Perth.
It was my first real shopping day since I've been here, and I must say that the Australian economy is much the better for it. I have do-dads and gigaws up the ying yang. I've seen every bloody piece of ceramic, cloth, and plastic this country has with "Australia" written across it or koalas stamped on it...and acquired a number of those things for myself.
We did stop in one store to look at shoes (since we hadn't bought shoes in at least 3 days). I always dread that horrible "shoe buying experience," and knew that I had to get something to wear with my lovely "mother of the groom" outfit that we bought my first day here. Shoes. Yuck. Hate 'em.
But Peggy, the shoe maven, walked into the store, picked out a pair that she thought would work, the clerk went and got my size (amazing that they carried boats that large), they fit, and within a matter of minutes I had my wedding shoes.
The only reason the entire transaction took half an hour was that while she was waiting for me to decide about my own shoes, Peggy found shoes that she liked too and apparently the department was storing them in outer Mongolia because it took forever to bring out her size. But they fit, looked great on her, only cost half the amount of her house payment or her next new camera, and she was happy.
We stopped in the food court for a sandwich, made another tour through the shops, and finally, as we headed back to the car, the sun came out.
I realized that I hadn't taken a single photo all day long, except for the ones I took at the park this morning. But it was just too crowded and grey and not very photographically interesting (because of the weather and the crowds, and the construction going on in the center of the plaza). I finally took a photo from the top of the car park, just so I could say I was there.
When we got home, the dogs were at first ecstatic to see us, and then uncharacteristically disappeared. The reason was immediately clear. They had gotten into some stuff that Peggy had stored on top of a dresser in her bedroom and had torn up a book and part of a gift we had purchased for me to take home (sorry, Diane!). We got that all straightened up and then Peggy went outside and discovered my "knickers" (which I'd left drying on a rack in the bathroom) lying on the patio. I may forgive her for telling the little girl next door (who was visiting) that it was such a huge job to transport my "Bombay Bloomers" outside that it must have taken both dogs to handle it. But I haven't decided yet. Keno and Chippa are both female dogs, but they aren't the only two bitches in this house. Harumph.
The plan had been for me to cook dinner tonight, but we're both full from the late lunch and the fruit smoothie that we got on our way back to the car, so it's leftovers for dinner and perhaps tomorrow the radar will be accurate for a change and I can use that great journal title I came up with this morning.
