Not what it looks like

Honest, they were playing! But boy do they look scary.

In the end, it was a draw.

Uruguay Natural (ANCAP)

NACAP's daily air pollution over Montevideo

Someone who stayed in Montevideo several years ago asked me about the horrific black cloud he saw every day over the city. I knew nothing of it, but learned it’s the product of the ANCAP refinery in the city. ANCAP is the scandal-ridden national oil company which, despite its monopoly on petroleum, alcohol, and Portland cement, and which, in response to crude oil prices dropping 60%, lowered prices at the pump by almost 3%, manages to “lose” money.

Ah yes, in the most progressive, least corrupt country in Latin America!

Why buy a fishing pole …

… when you can make one? Well, OK, one reason.

discarded homemade bamboo fishing pole, Uruguay

In front, signaling “I didn’t do it, honest,” is the Spinky-Faced Oriental Sand Hound.

Slow construction in Uruguay

Slow construction finally finished in Atlántida, Uruguay

This attractive duplex on the Rambla (beachfront road) appears to be nearing completion after what seems to me an inordinately long time. I remember specifically because the owners, Argentines, rented the El Nido Beach Hotel last summer, whether to house workers or run as a business I don’t know.

Anyway, as I have documented nearby in the past, by the time the place is ready for occupation the high season will have passed. Rents here are massively higher than the rest if the year, from 15 December through 15 March. So if you wanted to rent in the high season, you’d want to have it ready in December. Should be able to build a house in a year, no?

But then again I have no idea why they built it.

“Birch”

Benji, eleven months old and virtually full-grown at 22 kg* (48.4 pounds) met a new playmate today, Birch, a 53 kg (116.6 pounds) St. Bernard. Birch is all of six months old.

birch-1

It was only a matter of time….

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* He eventually reached 32 kg.

Really small writing

I cut the tags off a new shirt and spotted something that looked like it must be writing, but seemed too impossibly small.

label-1

label-2

label-3

Sure enough. No clue why. Another of life’s little mysteries.

Count the dogs

dogs-tree

The Spinky-Faced Oriental Sandhound and I have walked a few times now with Syd and his five dogs on his private 197-acre reserve. Well, OK, it’s not actually his private reserve, but hey. Nobody else seems to particularly own it.

At this rest stop, one — Jordie, the alpha male — had temporarily abandoned his haram, searching, no doubt, for rabbits.

Leaving five dogs, pictured. Turns out the Spinky-face has found a kindred soul (Kiya, foreground).