Settling In

The weather here has turned a little inclement so I have left Goosey in the garden and moved into the library where I have been engaged in a lively literary debate with Dogbert over Gogol's Tarus Bulba; literally over Gogol's Tarus Bulba!

It's amazes me how much more intellectually stimulating some dogs can be.  Dogbert made some excellent points about how the ongoing struggle over Gogol's ethnicity between Poles, Ukrainians and  ethnic Russians is a metaphor for what is going on around the Crimea right now.  I hadn't realized that Gogol wrote different versions of the book for different audiences. The  original 1835 edition was pro-Ukrainian but the expanded 1842 edition is pro-Russian Imperial.  I wonder which version Putin prefers?

Dogbert has promised to help me screen Grandpa's secret video stash of the History of Science later when Grandpa is out cycling in the park.  Hopefully when Elias & Anna get home I can dazzle them with my knowledge about Galileo, Newton & Einstein.

For those of you who are interested in Ronya, you poor misguided fools, there is not much to report. She remains focused on walks, drinking from puddles;

 and better training the humans around her, though why she cant't just engage in pursuits that elevate her mind is a huge disappointment to me.

No doubt Ronya will cleverly exploit the fireworks on New Years Eve to have the humans rushing to comfort her if she manages to look a little nervous!