I should know better

I had a happy day over on the east coast yesterday visiting like-minded (i.e. animal-minded) friends. One big-hearted soul is keeping, in addition to her own Papillons, those of two other people who are on holiday.. Surrounded by dogs and dog chat, and getting an ecstatic and very greasy welcome from Marcus who is at the moment “in oil” for the sake of his growing coat. – a nice way to spend an afternoon.

I also took several photographs of my friend`s guinea pigs. I find them fascinating, and I`ve only just worked out why.

I`ve kept and bred mice (fawn satins) and I`m famiiar with other small rodents. But guinea pigs are much bigger. And they look at you as if they were thinking.. Those deep black eyes seem to harbour serious speculation about Lilfe The Universe and Everything.

Now, I`m assured that ths is nonsense, and that there is more content in the hard vacuum of interstellar sspace than between the average cavy`s ears. A rabbit is Einstein compared to a guinea pig. The average cavy can manage two thoughts – sex and food – but not both at once.

Well I don`t know. When I took this picture, Beau, the stud boar, - who looks like something carefully designed to capture the soft toy market - favoured me with a very intense look. Was he speculating about the nature of the cavy-human interface?

Or wondering if my very large handbag could just possibly be full of broccoli…..?