An operatic tragedy!

There was all sorts of commotion in Duthie Park on Monday morning, with my normal walking route barricaded off, can you believe?

Gail explained that they were preparing for a big outdoor event that evening, a live relay of  'Madam Butterfly' from the Covent Garden Opera House in London, sponsored by BP.

Here is the tent where all the BP bigwigs would get to sit. (Only the most extreme kind of optimist trusts Aberdeen's weather..)

Well I can tell you, this was most exciting. I could barely contain myself. I snuck off to a quiet corner of the park, the wildflower patch, and practiced my arias. I mean, surely, everyone would welcome a dog that could sing along so lustily.

Just imagine my disappointment when Gail announced at about seven o'clock that she was going off to the park with the neighbours, equipped with wine, snacks, and a warm fleece, while I would be staying a home, alone... 

Disappointment turned to outrage when Gail came back later in the evening, radiating enthusiasm, telling me that, not only had everyone had a splendid time, the weather stayed fine, the music was gorgeous etc. etc, but also, there'd been several dogs present, who were well behaved and had not attempted to join in.

And her point was, exactly?

Oil spill - I try to help my friends in Florida

Gail says that if I am to take on the role of successor to the venerable Hamish, then I need to do some ‘pontificating’. According to the on-line dictionary, that means being “pompously dogmatic or self-important; pretentious”.

Oh. That sounds awfully difficult. And not my style at all.

I think I’ll just stick with being vocal and insistent. I can do that. And I know that Hamish never shied away from controversy, and neither shall I.

My friends in Florida, the ‘Barkalot Boyz’ (with my help, by the way, Gail is beginning to understand why a pair of WFT's might be so named….) and their Mom, and Kira and Scampi and their Mom too, are so very worried about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and how it will affect their precious coast and all the beautiful wildlife. Somehow I feel a bit responsible, ‘cos I live in ‘Europe’s oil capital’. What’s more, we have a lovely next door neighbour here who is always friendly and gives me lots of treats and cuddles and is a wonderful Dad to his two cute young children and helps fix Gail’s lawnmower and stuff like that. Can you believe how shocked I was when I learned that he works for BP? He’s an engineer on one of their North Sea oil fields. If you read some papers you’d think that only nasty stupid bad people work for BP. Well clearly that’s not the case at all.

So you know what I’m going to do? I’m going to run out into the garden right away and bark a message to my nice neighbour. I think he recognizes my voice by now. I'll tell him how concerned my pals in the USA are about this horrid oil spill. I'll also demand that he tells his BP colleagues across the Pond they must do absolutely all they can to stop the well leaking and the oil reaching those unspoiled coastal areas. And to make sure that a tragedy like this never ever happens again.

I know it’s not much, Jake and Just Harry, but I'm only a young pup and it’s the best I can do.

PS from Gail: Bertie has his work cut out if he's going to bark at all our many friends and neighbours who work for BP. Well, on second thoughts, I'm sure he'll manage!