MORE ON DOG'S LUNGS AND SALMON LOAF

First an update: I have been hitting practice hard, especially practice on the pipes. I am getting used to playing badly and playing practice exercises on the pipes without caring how I might sound to the softball field across the street.

I am now wondering about tuning. I found a good article on tuning and I will try to post the link later.

Now to the dog's lungs: As Loraine mentioned, Kenai seems to love the pipes. We have always been able to get her to howl by doing some howling ourselves. If we are alone with her, we can start an "Owooooooo" and she will raise her muzzle to the heavens and howl right along. She would only howl along with us in private and not around other people or other dogs. It was strictly a family affair.


From the first time I started huffing and puffing on the pipes, Kenai has sung right along. At first of course I could only play for a minute or two. Kenai would switch between long, plaintiff howls and short, sharp barks, exclamations regarding the aloneness of the human/doggie condition I am sure. I Noticed that with each howl or bark, her whole stomach would punch flat. She was clearly singing from the diaphragm and getting the most volume out of each howl that she possibly could.

One day we had my brother, his children, and my sister over for dinner. There was fresh Pacific Northwest Salmon for everyone and leftovers for Kenai. After dinner, as pipers are want to do, I got out the pipes for a quick concert to show the family the progress we had been making. It was also Kenai's premiere performance among my family.

We played "Flower of Scotland" well enough I guess for a beginning piper but Kenai was the real show-stopper. Her barking and howling brought the audience to their feet quite literally. Toward the end of the song, Kenai stopped singing and started looking for a place to ralf. She spewed forth what could only be described as "Salmon Loaf", not the most viscous spew I had ever seen, but a very polite puke on an out-of-the-way portion of the carpet. We all gathered around to view the peculiar orange and brown loaf lying on the carpet as if it was some kind on mutant, alien intelligence, growing up from the floor. Quite astounding stuff it was indeed. Later, loaf cleaned up and family gone the concert and crisis ended without further event.

Today, I always practice before dinner. I will ask Kenai "Kenai, How about some singing!". With that Kenai will spring to attention and sit attentively until I get the pipes. One Breath, Two breathes, with the third breath we are both singing, and no more Salmon loaf has been see since.