the remains of the day

the weather in this part of ontario is exceptionally mild and quite warm for the time of year so mr clippy and i have been making the most of it and have been enjoying some nice walks in the woods.

today we took our lovely dog bella with us.

you may notice from the photos that we are walking apart and would seem to be not quite in step with each other.

out of synch even.

there is a reason.

en route to the woods mr clippy was driving and i was as ever, the co-pilot, the extra eyes and ears.

a valued and trusted role and one that should never be taken lightly.

we waited at the intersection, about to turn right.

he was looking to the left for oncoming traffic.

there was a break in the traffic and he began the turn but, unfortunately, he was a tad hasty and hadn't checked to his right again.

therefore he didn't see the cyclist who had come up suddenly trying to beat the DO NOT WALK sign and was going like the wind in front of our car.

inches in front of our car.

!!

i may have screamed.

i was a little shook up.

the cyclist and i made eye contact for one brief moment before he sped away and there was fear and loathing in his eye and no doubt panic and fright in mine.

mr clippy hit the brakes, HARD, and said a few very bad words.

then he said a few more very bad words.

being sunday i thought they were in particularly bad taste.

then

he proceeded to blame the cyclist for almost killing US!

whereupon i of course informed HIM that HE was in fact to blame.

and i was incensed enough to employ the phrase, '100% to blame."

this was not well received.

in fact had i just stabbed him in the back with a large pitchfork, he said, he could not have been more hurt.

that i never took his part and that in my eyes he was always wrong in these situations.

it was always HIS fault.

?

well.

who's the one in the driving seat?

trying to kill me, throw the dog through the windshield and run down unsuspecting (dumb) cyclists on a lovely sunday afternoon!

not me.

in mr clippy's world the cyclist was and evermore shall be in the wrong because he tried to beat the light!

i could not agree less.

the first rule of driving i patiently (it seems to annoy him when i'm patient) informed my other half is to 'first do no harm'.

the discussion continued and became, sadly, somewhat heated.

we 'debated' the issue quite noisily for the whole of the journey to the woods and for a good way around the path.

until the dog began to look sideways at us and made a little whimpering noise.

 i of course could not be swayed.

when you're right, you're right.

right?

after i while i refused to argue discuss the matter any further.

i maintained my self-righteous stance that had i not been in the car and warned him, he'd have hit the cyclist and in a court of law he would lose.

and probably get sent down.

for quite a while.

years even.

locked up.

and the key thrown away.

and i would never visit him.

the family would disown him.

he'd rot.

i may have gone too far.

after a while of walking one behind the other, each deep in our own thoughts, with only the crunch of the leaves to break the silence between us and with nervous glances of the dog from me to him, mr clippy mumbled aloud something about being glad that i couldn't be on a jury if he was ever on trial.

i'll take that as his apology