Catching UP

Bandit here. It's hard for a feller to describe some of the more important facets of life when there's been a long hiatus of telling. You know, you see a pal after a long time and you think, "what's worth telling?" and "we're friends, so let's just move forward". So maybe I should but then again, a dog's gotta brag a little bit about his life. So here's the deal.

There's a group that meets at AlbaStudios. It's The Copper Plate Specials. These are artists who put ground glass onto copper then fire it in a horribly hot box until the glass melts, fusing onto the copper. Mostly the process is waiting for the glass covered metal to cool so the human can put yet more ground glass onto it. It's called "enameling". Not much to smell but what's great is that there's folk in the studio. And what's better is that one is a very young member. In fact, she's still in her baby carrier.

My part starts when my employer goes to answer the door. AlbaStudios safety is my job. I pay close attention to who is at that door. Benny does the opening, then I check out the possible. When the puppy comes in, my work expands to a more interesting level. I accompany the pup to the couch, where her carrier is placed on a coffee table. I'd like to groom her a bit but the human mother says no, thanks, for some strange reason. Usually the puppy sleeps though lately she's gotten a bit more rambunctous with wanting to look around. There's a lot to see in this place. For one thing, there's the sandblasted tall ceiling and beams, all smelling great. Right over the coffee table (it's generally used for a foot stool) a Calderish mobile flutters, looking like blue sky and white clouds. It's hanging from fishing filament from that tall ceiling so far above.

Like I said, the puppy has gotten restless. Fussing a bit. Enough that one session her mother forgot a baby blanket. My employer put it on the coffee table so it would be noticed the next visit. I left it there too, as lost and found needs the human to arrive for claiming ownership. So, the next visit she did.... after I pulled it over to her that is. I also brought the baby's equiptment bag to the mother, dragging it using only my smallest of front teeth attached to it's corner so as to be very careful. I think that she appreciated the help. So now I'm a lost and found items transporter, which suits me fine.

The mother fed the puppy, tried to get her to calm down but the kid was wide awake. We tried the bump the Calder mobile, with it's teardrop shaped parts bouncing and spinning. No luck with that puppy. And not happy if the mother was more than inches away. I attempted to sooth the kid but nothing would do. After a long time, my employer Benny Alba took a break (remember, the metal takes time to go from cherry red hot to cool enough to touch). Benny sat next to the baby, rocking the carrier, while I had my head on the coffee table to help. After a long time the puppy fell asleep! My employer, who is also an enamelist, went back to the main work station.

That left the puppy unattended! I was completely shocked as she'd indicated that she wanted company quite distinctly. What to do, I thought. What to do. Earlier, when the mother turned her head the opposite direction of the baby, I had bumped her with my nose but she ignored that.

Well, a solution came to mind. That mother needed to get right back and make sure that the baby got all it needed asleep or not. So I went over to her and, just like I did with the diaper bag, took hold of her sweater. I PULLED the sweater she was wearing about a foot towards the baby. THAT got her ATTENTION. This time I figured it was imperative that she get back to her mothering. So she squeaked, "Bandit, let go!" and my employer said "no". Since what I wanted was done... I am such an effective guy, I let up.

Problem solved! Mission accomplished. And I get more biscuits too.