Hebe-the-dog's early education has moved on from Gardening. She has now turned her attention to Science.
As you might recall, she was very interested in how she could change the leaf edges of my potted shrubs, so that they mutated from the photos and drawings in Dr D G Hessayon's The Tree & Shrub Expert, now displaying various wavy outlines, or, what the crochet fraternity would call, 'a variety of picot edges'.
However, this wasn't a part of an Arts & Crafts study, as she seemed to be analysing the decorative edging more from a scientific standpoint, because the leaf outlines could differ (a) according to her speed, and (b) according to the angle of her teeth at the particular moment of impact.
And she is working her way through the various stages of the Chaos Theory.
I am reminded that even in the randomness of chaos, there is eventually a pattern. Hebe-the-would-be-scientist, unable to practise folding an A4 sheet into a finite 7 times - apparently - is tackling the number of times a sheet of kitchen roll/hankie can be ripped, once carefully extracted from my right sleeve. So far, by her experimentation, it can be shredded as many times as she likes!
She is especially keen on a snow machine effect of tissue all over the kitchen floor, alongside my chaotically tossed wellies (x2 pairs), that I prefer to be neatly rowed up like soldiers, under my hung-up coats at the back door.
Hebe does not share my love of order. She sees no value in neatness. Where's the fun in that?
And she has strayed into Biology - gently pawing flies and carrying them - unhurt - in her mouth for several sequences. But, alas, all these experiments eventually result in the subjects being swallowed. Not the slug though. It got tossed and squeezed, and eventually discarded as an oddity. It didn't fit in with her statistics. And it certainly didn't taste like a gummy bear - given the distortions in her expression!
Occasionally she delves into Linguistics and reacts to words she is familiar with, like biscuit, dinner, come, good dog, walkie and Hebe. But seems lukewarm on words like no, down, stop it, and sometimes Hebe.
For example, when she saw the legs of my black jeans hanging quite low on the washing line, and that the wind seemed to make them move enticingly, all that could only result in imminent investigation. So she grabbed one of the legs and tugged and tugged and wouldn't let go despite my repetition of NO and STOP IT, and the look on my wild face. Then she learned a few words that, linguistically, just shouldn't be said in front of a 4 month old!
But, I suppose, even scientists need to have fun sometimes.
Progress so far:-
Hebe Dog: fast learner, quick thinking, willing to try new things, decisive.
Pack Leader/me: must try harder.
