My French Haircut

My hair was getting longer and longer, and Mom couldn't decide whether or not to take me to a groomer in Paris.  She was a little concerned about the "look" I would get, but more concerned about how I would be treated and how I would feel when she left me at a strange place.  It was also a long way to go to the nearest groomer, and since the poussette is broken, getting there would be a challenge. She had trimmed around my eyes and toes, but my nails needed to be cut and my ears plucked, so she decided she'd at least check it out.  The young woman who did the grooming at "Au Paradis Canine" was very friendly and reassuring and gave Mom all the right answers to her questions, so Mom made an appointment for me.  On THE DAY, I started off on the leash and Mom carried my empty airline carrier; we did this for about four blocks until we came to the taxi stand on rue Soufflot.  Mom popped me into the carrier so she wouldn't have to discuss with the driver whether or not he would accept dogs in his taxi.  When we got there, she asked the driver to wait while she took me in and LEFT me with a stranger.  I didn't like it and scratched hard to get out of the kennel she put me in, but to no avail.  Three hours later, I had a French haircut.  Mom was satisfied with my new look, except that most of my mustache was gone.  Well, you can judge for yourself - do you like the before or after picture better?






BEFORE







                           AFTER

The trip home from the groomer wasn't quite as easy as the trip to the groomer.  Mom was glad to see that there was a taxi stand at the corner of the block the groomer was on, and there were four taxis sitting there.  However, upon a closer look, we saw that the taxis had no drivers.  Mom asked the driver of an occupied taxi about the missing drivers and he said They can't be far away, and drove off.  We waited and waited for a driver to return and when one did, he said he was out of service.  So Mom got a little upset and said, Isn't this a taxi stand?  Why are the taxis here and there are no drivers?  He shrugged his shoulders and told us to go to the Boulevard St. Germain where there are a lot of taxis.  (We were standing on the corner of rue Cardinale Lemoine and Bvd. St. Germain.)  So, we walked and walked (well, Mom did.  I was in the carrier.) until we got to another taxi stand, where there were several taxis lined up and the drivers where standing around chatting.  Mom asked if they were in service and they said No.  She would have to go farther up the block.  At this place there was a line of people waiting for taxis.  Finally, one of the out-of-service taxis drove up and picked up the first people in line.  Gradually, other taxis came from here and there and it was - finally - our turn.  We got home about an hour after we left the groomer - the taxi ride was about five minutes long.

BOL!  We're going on a little trip tomorrow and I get to go along, even without a poussette.  We're going to the Loire Valley to an annual garden show that is held at a chateau - Chateau Chaumont.  The Loire Valley is famous for its chateaux, and although Mom has visited most of them, her friends and I have not, so, in addition to the garden show, we'll be driving around and visiting a few chateaux. 

The garden show is quite spectacular (I've heard.  I'm sure I won't be able to get in.) and different from most.  The displays include features that incorporate the plants and flowers in with other materials that may be "found objects" or metal or mirrors, or man-made structures.  People (not dogs) can walk around and through them.  Sometimes you have to stand in a certain spot or look at a reflection to see a pattern created by the flowers.

We're taking a train from Paris to a town called Tours where we'll pick up a car.  I've never ridden on a real train before, so it's pretty exciting!  What makes it even more exciting is that it will be the TGV, France's high-speed train.  AND, the best thing of all is that I won't even have to be in a carrier.  Mom paid for my ticket and I can sit in the seat beside her!!  We'll post pictures in a few days of where we've been.