Latest news with #owner
The Guardian
4 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Tim Dowling: the dog has seen my mother-in-law's ghost – or possibly just a bug
The new dog is now a year old, and her bedtime habits are firmly established: when I retire for the night I invariably find the dog already lying on my side of the bed, her chin resting on my pillow. At this point I usually push her off, whereupon she will retreat to her own – perfectly nice – bed, or sleep on the bare floorboards, depending on the night-time temperature. At around five the dog will leap back on to the bed and tunnel under the duvet head-first, stretching out between my wife and me, leaving only her back legs sticking out the top. That's how things remain until one of us decides to get up. It's not ideal, but it's a routine. The daytime routine is looser. The general rhythm is well established – eat, walk, sleep, walk, eat – but there are random moments when the dog seems to require additional, unspecified engagement, when she sits down next to me on the sofa, places a gentle paw on my forearm and gives me a look that says: we need to talk. 'I'm just watching this,' I say, pointing at the television. The dog turns to look at the screen, and then slowly rolls her eyes back toward me. It's easy to read too much into a dog's expression, but at times like these I sense deep wells of frustration. Maybe, I think, she just wants me to change the channel to a show with dogs in it. The next day in the park the dog is lively but obedient, off the lead but never straying out of sight, playful with other dogs but willing to take no for an answer. She behaves perfectly right up until the end, when we encounter a woman in a long coat with two dogs of her own. Shortly after we pass by, my dog suddenly stops, turns and hares off after them. I whistle and call her name, but the dog ignores me and follows the woman – a complete stranger – in the other direction, all the while staring up at her with a look of true devotion. 'Well, we had some good times,' I say, twirling my lead. Eventually the woman is obliged to stop and head back towards me. We meet halfway, my dog still fixated on the woman, who smiles at me and shrugs. 'It's because I have …' I don't quite hear the last word – something like 'spraahtz' – which in the discomfort of the moment I take to be a foreign term for a powerful form of canine magnetism, perhaps as practised in remote parts of Belgium, or maybe Poland. Then the woman reaches out and hands me a tiny dead fish. 'Oh, sprats,' I say. 'They love them,' she says. That evening my wife, my oldest son and I are watching television, while the dog sits next to me and stares at my ear. 'So the take-home message is: we need to get some sprats,' I say. 'I've seen them in the pet store,' my wife says. 'Apparently they can't get enough of them,' I say. 'Be quiet,' she says. 'I'm trying to follow this.' Suddenly the dog barks once, leaps from the sofa, slides across the coffee table and lands on the other side. 'What was that for?' says the oldest one. The dog sits and looks up, staring at nothing with fearsome concentration. 'What is it?' my wife says. 'It's like she's witnessing some kind of apparition,' I say. Perhaps an apparition holding a little dead fish. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion 'Have you seen a ghost?' my wife says. 'Is it my mother?' The dog stares, unflinching. 'Actually I think she might just be watching a bug,' I say. 'If it's my mother, give me your paw,' my wife says. The dog takes two steps forward, and places its right paw into my wife's outstretched hand. 'It is my mother!' my wife shouts. The oldest one and I exchange a brief glance as if to say: bit weird. 'Give me your paw again if she misses me,' my wife says. The dog obliges. 'That dog only knows one trick,' the oldest one says. 'And that's it.' 'A tiny hovering insect,' I say. 'Or a baby spider floating on the draught from the windows.' 'Thank you for the message from beyond,' my wife says. 'Now go lie down, I'm trying to watch this.' The dog climbs on to the sofa and curls up next to me, wearing a look of profound dissatisfaction. We watch the telly in silence for a moment. 'So yeah, sprats,' I say. 'Oh my God,' my wife says. 'We'll have to rewind!'
News.com.au
02-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
‘Drunk idiots' flip car with bare hands
Shocking footage of a beloved vintage car getting flipped onto its side has been shared by its shattered owner. Two men can be seen approaching a pristine 1972 Fiat 500, painted in a colourful orange, around 4am on Friday, May 2, in London, reports The Sun. As the pair stumble towards the vintage car, described by the owner as his 'pride and joy', one of them can be seen attempting to open the door. Discovering it locked, he appears to then motion to his pal to come over to try and lift it up. The pair then grab the tiny car from its side and begin lifting it at a 45 degree angle before the car's weight begins to shift further away, pulling it down towards the street. Losing control of the vintage car, the vandals step back and let go, sending the 'characterful' vehicle tumbling onto its side, slamming straight into the bitumen. As it crashes into the road, the cowards can then be seen fleeing towards the camera and away from the Fiat, which gently rocks back and forth in the middle of the street. The car remained there until later in the morning, when the heartbroken owner discovered his beloved vehicle had been vandalised. Speaking to The Sun, he said: 'I was blissfully unaware of anything untoward until I opened my front door to take my dog out for his early morning walk.' 'I couldn't believe my eyes, instead of seeing my lovely vintage orange Fiat 500 I came face-to-face with the chassis. I was totally shocked, it was a totally surreal experience.' He said the vehicle was blocking traffic on the 'narrow street', despite the car's small stature. Thankfully, some nearby builders came to his assistance to help put the car back on its four wheels. The distressed owner also told of how he 'feared for the worst' when the car was brought back upright. He said he was concerned his 'sweet little car' could have 'sustained a lot of damage'. Fortunately, upon flipping it back up, the owner discovered no broken glass, and just a broken door handle, as well as some dints and scratches on the classic vehicle. There was also a pool of oil that had formed after the fluid leaked from the motor. Venting his frustrations, he said: 'I just couldn't understand how anyone would want to vandalise such a sweet little car.' 'I still feel very emotional, it's my pride and joy.' 'People often stop to take photos my little characterful car, [but] no one has ever hurt it.' In direct response to the heartless vandals, the owner berated their cowardice, adding: 'They should pick on someone their own size.' The owner had shared the shocking footage on social media of the 'two drunk idiots', drawing in sympathy from viewers. One commented: 'What was the point of that? What did they gain from doing that except shame?' 'Running away from something you did proves you are ashamed of what you did.' Another added: 'Absolutely gutted for you, man.' 'Such a disrespectful thing to do. Hope the damage isn't too bad.' A third said: 'Hope they will be found to pay for the damage,' while a fourth added: 'That's despicable – that's someone's pride and joy.'
The Sun
01-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Shocking moment ‘idiots' tip over ‘pride & joy' vintage car – as owner says they should ‘pick on someone their own size'
THIS is the shocking moment two "drunk idiots" tipped over a prized vintage car in the middle of the night. Two men can be seen approaching the pristine 1972 Fiat 500, painted in a colourful orange, shortly before 4am on Friday, May 2, in Old Street, London. 7 7 7 As the pair stumble to the vintage motor, described by the owner as his "pride and joy", one of them can be seen attempting to open the car's door. Discovering it locked, he appears to then motion to his pal to come over to try and lift the classic car. The pair then grab the tiny motor from its side and begin lifting it until it reaches what appears to be a 45 degree angle. They hold it there temporarily before the car's weight begins to shift further away, pulling it down towards the street. Losing control of the vintage motor, the vandals step back and let go, sending the "characterful" vehicle tumbling onto its side, slamming straight into the tarmac. As it crashes into the road, the cowards can then be seen fleeing towards the camera and away from the Fiat, which gently rocks back and forth in the middle of the street. The car remained there until later in the morning, when the heartbroken owner discovered his beloved motor had been vandalised. Speaking to The Sun, he said: "I was blissfully unaware of anything untoward until I opened my front door to take my dog out for his early morning walk. "I couldn't believe my eyes, instead of seeing my lovely vintage orange Fiat 500 I came face to face with the chassis. "I was totally shocked, it was a totally surreal experience." 7 7 7 He said the vehicle was blocking traffic on the "narrow street", despite the car's small stature. Thankfully, some nearby builders came to his assistance to help put the motor back on its four wheels. The distressed owner also told of how he "feared for the worst" when the motor was brought back upright. He said he was concerned his "sweet little car" could have "sustained a lot of damage". Fortunately, upon flipping it back up, the owner discovered no broken glass, and just a broken door handle, as well as some dints and scratches on the classic vehicle. There was also a pool of oil that had formed after the fluid leaked from the motor. Venting his frustrations, he said: "I just couldn't understand how anyone would want to vandalise such a sweet little car. "I still feel very emotional, it's my pride and joy. "People often stop to take photos my little characterful car, [but] no one has ever hurt it." 'DESPICABLE' AND 'DISGUSTING' VANDALISM In direct response to the heartless vandals, the owner berated their cowardice, adding: "They should pick on someone their own size". The owner had shared the shocking footage on social media of the "two drunk idiots", drawing in sympathy from viewers. One commented: "What was the point of that? What did they gain from doing that except shame? "Running away from something you did proves you are ashamed of what you did." Another added: "Absolutely gutted for you, man. "Such a disrespectful thing to do. Hope the damage isn't too bad." A third said: "Hope they will be found to pay for the damage," while a fourth added: "That's despicable - that's someone's pride and joy". Echoing other comments, one user slammed the "disgusting" behaviour of the vandals, adding: "What's wrong with people?"
CTV News
29-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Dust devil damages peony field in northern Ont.
The owner of Northern Fleurista in Timmins captured video of a dust devil damaging her peony field and lifting landscape fabric at their facility on Airport Road on Tuesday.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Yellow oak kitchen looks like it should be part of a dated home but its surroundings are INSANE
At first glance, the yellow oak kitchen might make you think you've stepped into a slightly outdated suburban home. But just beyond the cabinetry lies a 4,616-square-foot fantasyland that once hosted Renaissance fairs - complete with a throne room, dungeon, vampire crypt and catwalks. Welcome to Birdsell Castle, a one-of-a-kind estate in Charlestown, Indiana, now listed for $1,295,000. Set on 7.91 acres, this medieval-inspired property blends live-action roleplay flair with event-hosting grandeur - and it's looking for a new royal steward. 'The owner of Birdsell Castle, who has hosted Renaissance Fairs and many other gatherings, is ready to hand over his crown to a new owner who has a new dream for this wonderful property,' the listing reads. Originally built in 1994, the estate was designed to immerse guests in a fantasy experience. The main living quarters include two bedrooms and two bathrooms, each housed in separate towers. A non-conforming 'King's Room' with an adjacent space could easily be converted into a private suite with its own bath and walk-in closet. Step inside and you're immediately greeted by the Throne Room and lounge, setting the tone for the rest of the castle. Beyond it lies a formal dining room and Great Dining Hall, as well as a laundry area and that infamous yellow oak kitchen. Upstairs in the Nobles Hall, the fantasy continues with four 'Noble Rooms,' each wired or equipped with mini-splits and bathrooms. The upper floor also includes a library, a ballroom and an apothecary. An aerial view of the property shows the sprawling compound from above on a day when it hosted a Renaissance fair - there's plenty of space for visitors to park But it's a hidden passage that steals the show - leading to a fully themed Dungeon with its own prison cell and a Pirates Deck. And, of course, what's a castle without a Vampire Crypt? Venture past the deck and down the stairs to find out if anything's lurking in the dark. Birdsell Castle's exterior is a masterclass in immersive, medieval-inspired design, offering a rare opportunity to own a fully realized fantasy estate. The property is encircled by a formidable crenellated stone wall, evoking the grandeur of a true fortress. A defining feature is the working drawbridge that spans a moat - complete with defense towers - providing both security and theatrical flair. Outside, the property features a mermaid pond, beer garden, two entertainment stages and horse stables. Four garage bays - each fitting two to three cars - have been converted into a Blacksmith Shop, Weapons Shop, Seamstress Shop, and Adornment Shop. Overlooking it all is a full catwalk circling the courtyard for keeping a watchful eye, or making a dramatic entrance. With nearly 30,000 square feet of usable space, including all structures, the property offers ample opportunity for events, rentals, LARPing, or simply living out your fantasy in peace. Birdsell Castle is now on the market for the first time in years, giving a brave new buyer the chance to take the reins and make history.
