Raging Grannies new videos

This is the song I wrote, to the tune of My Way, and we recorded it in June.  I challenge the government in  Alberta to look at how differently they could regulate the oil and gas industry.  In Alberta, the companies manage the government, not like Norway!

 

The second video is The Scientists’ Lament.  It describes the effect of Stephen Harper’s Conservatives cutting so many environmental programs.  This has gone on for the last two years, and it’s not just the scientists who are lamenting.  A shameful blind attitude.  Surely Harper’s head is in the sand!   See it at

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Good Cop, Bad Dog

Mollie & Sage

The day after Mollie’s ‘escape’ I decided to take both dogs for a walk, keeping them on the leash the whole time.  They needed to learn that walks are controlled, and they need to stay on the leashes.  When Deb is at work, I intend to walk them every day, despite being pulled in two directions at times.  Sage can heel, but she gets excited.  Mollie drags her feet, and they both stop at every sniffing opportunity.  We went out the back gate and circled around to cross 30th Avenue.  Sage was almost at the sidewalk when I realized that Mollie had stopped.  I looked back and here she was, taking a dump in the middle of the road.  A car turned onto the road from the back street, so I yanked at Mollie, hoping to stop her process.  Bad decision.  The leash pulled her collar over her head, so here I was holding an empty leash in my left hand, Sage was pulling on the leash in my right hand, and Mollie ignored me and finished her job.  Then she ran to the sidewalk and started running toward the park.  By this time, two vehicles were stopped before the pile of shit, the second one a police car.  I ran after Mollie and yelled at her to stop.  This time she did stop and I caught up and slipped the collar back onto her.  Then keeping a firm grip on both leashes, I turned back to the street.  The first car had gone on, but the police car had turned around and was stopped in front of the dogshit.  “Are you going to pick up that mess?” the cop called out the window.  “Yes, I’m on my way to do it.”  “Okay, ma’am, we’ll just stay here and stop traffic while you do that.”  So there I was, stiffly bending down to clean up a loose pile of dogshit, while I’m sure the drivers & passengers were laughing.  I didn’t bother continuing on the walk.  I pulled the dogs after me, walked back to the house, put the bag in the garbage can, unlocked the back gate, and let Mollie & Sage roam freely around the back yard.  I collapsed onto a deck chair, and tried to be philosophical.  Sage played with her toy, but Mollie just laid down.  It looked as if she was grinning!

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Mollie Runs Free

Mollie, Australian Cattle Dog, Queensland, age 13

This is Mollie, Deb’s dog of 13 years, mother of her son Cowboy (7 years) who passed away in May.  Mollie is still with us, but is showing her age.  She walks slowly on our walks and stops to sniff five times in one block.  She would rather lie around on a dog bed or the sofa than go for exercise.  That is probably part of aging, I’m sure, and she walks much faster on her way back home than when we first set out.  Two weeks ago Deb and I took Mollie and Sage (our new 3-year-old Blue Heeler) out for a walk.  Deb took the leash off Sage so she could play fetch with her.  I took the leash off Mollie hoping she would move more freely and get a bit more exercise.  Sage was delighted and ran for the rolled-up shirt very excitedly. Mollie watched Sage running after the “ball” but made no move to participate.  At one toss Sage bumped into Mollie, frightening her.  Well, I was astounded to see Mollie get up and run away.   She ran faster than I have ever seen her, fortunately towards home.  “Mollie, Stop!” shouted Deb.  I ran after Mollie, expecting to catch her and re-leash her.  Sage saw Mollie run, then me, so she ran after the two of us.  Deb was still calling “Stop!” to Mollie, but she is so deaf and was so frightened that she didn’t stop but just kept going.  She was actually outrunning me, even though I ran as fast as possiblel (not easy for me in my old age!).  Within 2 minutes we were a cavalcade of two dogs & two owners carrying leashes, careening down the playground path, down the sidewalk toward 30th Avenue.  Four adults and a child stood at the streetside, watching us wide-eyed and mouths agape.  As Sage met them, a man scooped up the child and they stepped back from Sage, who was jumping up on them for petting.  They watched as Deb passed me, then grabbed Mollie by her collar, and I ran up to put the leash on her.  Well, Mollie had tasted freedom.  She shook me off and ran away again, and Sage was happy to ran after her.  They were both heading toward home, so I ran after Sage who was going to the back lane.  Deb ran after Mollie, and we all crossed 30th Ave safely.  We expected Mollie to turn into our yard and go to the gate beside the house, but she didn’t.  Mollie kept running, at the same top speed she had initially.  She must have been running on pure adrenalin!  Deb finally caught up to her a few feet before 36th Street, which is a very busy street.  Deb collapsed onto a neighbour’s lawn once she had a leash on Mollie.  She arrived home several minutes after Sage and I were in the backyard.  We were all exhausted.  Mollie slept  solidly for the rest of the day.  My legs ached and I realized once again how out of shape I am.  I will never forget how Mollie ran so freely.  We were all happy and scared, and pumped!

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