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Monday, August 24, 2009

Stylish and Resilient?

I have a pale pink, merino wool cardigan that is my current easy-wear of choice for the California Layered Look. CLL is a local necessity as the hot, hot days are often curtailed by nature's own air conditioning; the marine layer, otherwise known as fog, which rolls in, visible in the distance, stretching its ghostly tendrils down from the crests of the hills that block its roiling, inexorable march inland. This happens most at the end of the day and is a welcome relief. There are times, however, when we are subject to "June Gloom". There are coastal areas, San Francisco included, that can go days without a glimpse of sunlight or blue sky. Happily we live under blue skies most of the time, but a wrap or sweater is always wise to have in reach.
My early morning forays with dogs are a great example of optimum use of said cardigan. I get dressed in the semi-dark so it has the added advantage of a light color that makes it easy to discern. I splash water on my sleepy face, feed old Diva and zoom out with the wide-awake Foster-dogs, usually only just missing contact between my head and the lethargically rising garage door. I make my coffee upon my return, after feeding Darcy and Boomer and before walking Diva. I remove my cardigan because the house feels warm compared to outside and I am warmly exhilarated by the leaps and bounds I have had to take to keep up with D & B as they sniff the fresh trails of visiting deer. They are fascinated by the one glimpse they had of a raccoon sliding its fat, seemingly boneless, body into the gap of a storm drain. I think in their minds they call him "the melting creature" and endow him with many scary talents because they can't resist staring into every gutter we pass but they won't step over one and seem ready for instant flight. I admit I can't resist making sudden noises to make them jump and scare them further.
Boomer had an appointment last week for minor surgery to have a cyst removed from his back. The Collie Rescue Group organized and paid for this. We had to be at the vets' by 8am for a consult and drop off with a hungry dog who had had his walk but was not allowed breakfast. That wasn't too hard but I felt torn leaving his sister, Darcy alone in the garage, also hungry (because I couldn't feed her, not him) and wondering why I took him and left her behind. The best I could do for her was to whip off my pink cardy and leave it on the floor to snuggle or destroy as she chose. I ended up coming home between vet and work so her breakfast was not too delayed and at the end of the day, good news, Boomer's cyst was benign and my sweater was still intact.
Last evening we were invited at short notice to dine with friends. We knew it would be relaxed and outside on their patio. They have two dogs and I opted for cotton capri pants and a black t-shirt, not a big deal if slobbered on by lab-mix, bulldozer dogs. But what about my layers for when it got cold later? I inspected my pink cardigan, briefly; it looked none the worse for wear. It was perfect as the wind at sunset was quite cool and our hosts' dogs were highly interested in sniffing the hidden stories that no-one else could imagine just by looking at my deceptively pristine pink cardigan.

11 comments:

  1. How strange it is that we can become so attached to an article of clothing. Perhaps a familiar cardigan replaces the warm security of the womb? Or a cherished "blankie" we carried with us as a toddler? Or is it just the weaving of dreams with each thread a memory we need to hold on to for just a little longer?

    Not sure if I have "pink cardigan" of my own right now. Then again, summer in New Jersey conjures fewer clothes, not more.

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  2. This was an immensely satisfying read woven around your pink cardigan. Just great.
    My latest post is about our OES rescue dog, so what fun to read that you are involved in Collie rescue.

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  3. A great post, my dog sleeps with my slipper and every morning parades it around the garden He very rarely brings it back to the house though!!
    That's my job.

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  4. Jean, I love your blankie and dream weaving references. My reasoning was based more on being to lazy to think of an alternative.
    Lydia, I saw your Old English, very adorable. I seem to be unable to avoid volunteering for all kinds of things. We had two potential homes back out last week. Very disappointing. Their day will surely come but I have had them for 3 months now, since their owner passed away.
    Di, Slippers do seem to be the ultimate dog trophy, don't they?

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  5. I have a fleece like that. It is an all year round garment in this land, rain, rain, hail, wind snow and odd sunnshine. Recently the smelly pony 'leant' on a gate and escaped into the acres of lush grass, I heard the gate pop and leapt into action, realising I had no headcollar. I removed fleece, wrapped it round pony neck, lead him back to 'starvation', went to shut gate.. broken... used fleece to tie gate. I only recently remembered about it and retrieved it, none the worse for wear.. just in time for winter :-)

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  6. watercats, great examples of uses for clothing. You reminded me of an incident a while back when I came across a young and very large Pit-Bull roaming without a collar. My white cotton sweater was useful in Lassoo-ing him. Of course, his owner threatened to punch me, even after I explained he was in a preserve for ground nesting birds and needed his dog to be on leash. Close mouth and walk away are two thoughts that rarely pass through my head until it's too late.

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  7. Tried to leave a comment on this, but have been having trouble leaving comments on alot of blogs while out in Brittany, hopefully back at home now things are going to work better... the internet connection out there was slow as molasses in winter, I kept getting annoying timeout messages saying Google could not open the page...

    Anyway, you are so kind to have offered up you favorite sweater to the uncertainty of a hungry dog's whims, claws, drool, and fur... that is true generosity... :-)

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  8. Owen, I admit I was pleased that my sweater survived. It is currently in the laundry basket. Google had some hacking problems world wide and was refusing connections to protect itself. I would't blame Brittany.

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  9. The cardigan is the most underestimated of garments in my opinion... scoffed and derided by some but loved by those of us who are in the know...

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  10. Steve, I agree. Some of us wore cardigans that were hand knitted by Grandmother. Wearable love.

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  11. I enjoyed your use of words and the dogs, I just love dogs, I have Jack Russel terriers

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