"Just Done It..."

I just got back from cycling out to Yujing township and back - 36km there, and 36km back again - my thighs feel like rock. I bought mangos from two farmers shacks; at the big one, the boss wasn't there and his coolies tried to rip me off (NT$100 for two puny little red mangos); at the second one, the old couple whom I went to a few times last year... they gave me a much better price (NT$115 for two somewhat larger red mangos). Going there was largely uphill, but the relief of the downhill slopes coming back was lessened by the fact my backpack was filled up with a bunch of mangos and a big bottle of Paolyta.

*** 

Earlier this afternoon, the city government dog impound goons arrived at the park and were about to take the dogs - Shao Bai, Wanwan and Coco - away to death's antechamber. I arrived just in time to put a stop to the proceedings, although I later found out they had already taken "Cafe" (a new arrival).

Apparently, some of the locals had been complaining again. For fig's sake, the dogs don't actually bite anyone, it's just that the Taiwanese are so scared of dogs that they think they will bite people. And then there are the people who just refuse to share the public park. So after I had chased the city government's goons away, I took all of the dogs back to my apartment, and they stayed there this afternoon while I did my little bicycle trip.

So it looks like I'm going to have to adopt all of them permanently on my own. I'm going to have to think through how to deal with this, because the younger three are all approaching two years old now so giving them up for adoption is out of the question. Basically, I'm going to have to get myself a fairly large car to put them all in, so as I can take them all out with me at the same time. Keeping them in my apartment will at least be cheaper for me in one sense as I will have to buy less meat due to the rain, and instead I can feed them dry food and my leftovers for most of the week. I'll have to buy some extra food bowls and other bits and pieces too of course, and maybe sort the spare room out with baskets and teach them to go to sleep there instead of next to me on the sofa (although that might be a challenge).

I'll manage.