Ballard Street by Jerry Van Amerongen for October 22, 2018

I think ‘ol Betsy knew right away that it wasn’t the same.

Clarence knows at worst all he has to do is sweep up some sawdust.

He doesn’t want the real thing, he wants the wheel thing.

And I bet it never wants to go out in the rain or snow, so that’s a plus…

It’s certainly not the same as Scooter or Millie.

Betsy says, nothing to smell under that dog’s tail. But Clarence is just moving up from taking care of a house plant, this is all he can handle right now.

It’s funny how often dogs resemble their owners.

Clarence has always wanted a dog. His mother never wanted the mess and his wife, Clara, claims to be allergic. Poor man, he may be delusional, but he means well. He even……

Clarence! Get that thing off my lawn! Sheesh, the nerve of some people!

Through it all, Spot maintains his calm, cheerful disposition.

Wooden yew like to be so imperturbable?

No clean up, no barking at night, no vet bills. It’s not the same – it’s better.

Yes it’s not the same. Yours is brown and mine is yellow with brown spots.

No. It’s not.

Much quieter. Likely given to him by a neighbor in exchange for his real dog.

Who wants to go for a roll? Does puppy wanna go for a roll?…

At least he doesn’t have to carry a pooper-scooper to clean up after it.

Mornin’ Ballardeers!

In case anyone was wondering why you haven’t seen the ole Capt. around the Tiki lately, I’ve been doing a lot of traveling of late and haven’t been able to sail into Ballard Bay for awhile.My First Maite and me, spent last week celebrating our 4th (legal) Anniversary by sojourning to the artisan mountain communities, far northeast of our home base in Machala. We stayed in Cotacachi ( known for their leather goods), visited San Pedro de Iberra ( wood sculptures) and Otavala ( textiles, {and everything else from jewlery & art work to llamas and cattle} at a huge open market ).

We back home today, after an 17 1/2 hour trek that involved 4 different buses and 2 taxis ! Left the guest house in Cotapachi at 6:30am and got to our home in Machala about midnight – Cotapachi – Ibarra, Ibarra – Guayaquil (via Quito), Guayaquil – Machala.

This week, in honor of my birthday ( we won’t talk of numbers ) we’ll be setting sail ( actually busing ) for Huaquillas ( only an hour away ) which is on the Frontier between Ecuador/Peru and is a “tax-free” shopping zone, especially great for electronics and imported “stuff”. Then we’re headed for Tumbas, Peru for a couple of days.

Needless to say, I will not be commentating much ( if at all ) this week but rest assured I haven’t been banned from GoComics (yet) and when I return to Ballard, my galleon The Irish Rover® will be loaded with exotic goods for the Tiki and for StelBel Enterprises and for everyone else on Ballard Street, thanks to First Maite’s sharp eyes and bargaining skills.

Fair winds and smooth sailing – Capt. Linguist

“You’re right, when I give him a cuddle, he gets all prickly…”

On the bright side, no plastic bag necessary!

Clarence got him at a store that sells Timberland gear.

Chariot!