i will love you anyway

i will love you anyway

"I steal your glove.
I steal your shoe.
I steal your socks.
They smell of you."
Really young dogs and cats often don't live up to the behavioral
expectations of their human companions. Even though the family loved
Joey from the very first day there were times he tried the kids' and
hubby's patience by getting into places he wasn't supposed to,
trashing small items, and having accidents.
Mick and Chloe Inkpen's i will love you anyway captures this
ambivolence perfectly. It's narrated by the dog in a stream of
consciousness format. There is no filter whatsoever.
"I chase a cat.
It climbs a tree.
I wag my tail...
...It chases me."
Sometimes the dog is aware of it's shortcomings. Sometimes this
knowledge motivates it to run away. One night in the middle of the
storm it is lost and frightened.
"Car! Car! Car!
Help! Help! Help!
Woof! Woof! Woof!
Yelp! Yelp! Yelp!
Squeals and howls!
And roars and growls!
And whines and wheels!
And what to do?"
Fortunately the delightfully androgynous red haired child who is
the object of dog's devotion comes to the rescue. Is puppy now
reformed?
Don't bet the farm on that.
i will love you anyway is impossible not to read out loud. I
did even though Joey cat was the only other sentient in the living
room. It's also a good way to start a conversation on coping with the
imperfections of beloved but exasperating feline friends and canine
companions.
On a personal note, the weather was much less than propitious when
UMaine had our March For Science. It featured wind and rain that
felt cold as snow. Given all that, it went amazingly well. Hundreds
of people with some really amazing signs attended, some driving big
distances to participate. I was official photographer and found lots
to take pictures of. First there was a quite varied line up of
speakers to whom the crowd responded with great enthusiasm. Then we
walked around campus.
A great big shout out goes out to Amber and Brian who organized the
march, all who helped it come to fruition, all participants, and
everyone who realizes that science matters immensely.
jules hathaway



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