A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER

Ever have an evenings when you’re going out on the town and it turns out to be something you didn’t expect?

Several weeks ago we signed up for dinner and entertainment at Medieval Times. Held on the Toronto Exhibition grounds near Lake Ontario.

Step inside an 11th Century medieval-style venue with colorful warriors seemingly having flown in from the distant past for an evening of raucous rivalry: jousting, sword fights.

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Watching over the fireworks is the boisterous Queen Maria Isabella dressed in her over-sized finery shouting orders from a leafy platform above the crowd. With a mic.

There are special white Andalusian horses, known as dancing horses, and their dressage movements. And the beloved quarter horses (cowboys ride 'em in modern times) who outrace most other horses over a quarter-mile.

These are the work horses carrying armored knights competing in sword fights and jousting. These warriors don’t fool around. The sword fights real, judging by the sparks that fly from their clashing swords.

You have those who battle each other right there before us. Knocking each about, fighting to the death in honor of their individual clans.

In all this bedlam we are served wines from the goblet: garlic bread, tomato bisque soup from the bowl, rich roasted chicken with no cutlery in sight. Use your finger or starve to death.

Author’s comment: It was one heck of an evening. All of us in the audience thumping the floor with feet, clapping our hands and shouting when the bad guys beat up the upright good guys.

DOGGONE IT

Have you ever decided something was missing in your house, condo or whatever? It could be a kitten or a dog. The only thing holding you back; it’s one hell of a commitment.

I’ve had a dog most of my life. Apart from living where you could have a dog. Goldfish? Fine. Watching it swim around and around and around and getting nowhere would be too frustrating. For me.

We had the chance to have a pregnant German shepherd, age eight, visit us. We helped bring seven little creatures into the world and loved every messy minute of it.

We kept Coffee the mother and went on to look after her progeny. Until it was time to return them to the owner. He gave us a female.

She’s called Rebelle. She’s all of that. Yet we never find her tearing at a sock, a shoe or anything else. She has other ways of showing her independence; keeping us on our toes.

Author’s comment: Two dogs in the house. Mother and daughter. What a joy watching them react to each other. Nudging, sleeping curled up together during the day. They crawl into their own beds at night.

Let a stranger come to the solarium door and they raise one hell of a fuss, barking in their protective mode. Just as we’d hoped they would.