I'm afraid that I'm going to talk about one of my dogs. The reason for my apologetic tone is that some dog lovers go on and on about their animals, and often the people listening have no interest in their little beasties. Well, I'm actually not a dog lover, but I do love my dogs. There is a difference. You could say that I love my dogs because I know them so well, we have a history together, and they form part of our family. One of my responsibilities as a mum, is to make sure that the family members stay clean. One member, in particular, has a real problem with this, Rosie. I don't think she consciously likes to be dirty, but when the good Lord designed her, he gave her the rattiest, wiriest, dirt-holding coat of any dog. I remember taking her for her one and only haircut last year. What a performance that was! The dog stylist patted Rosie lovingly when she first met her, and about a handful of dirt fell out of her coat and onto the counter top. Well, I'm not going to let that happen again. The poor dog was so embarrassed; she looked up at me with her big brown eyes for comfort, by I had already turned and looked away. So, I made it my oldest son's job to give her a bath. The hardest part was getting her in it, and keeping her there. Once that was accomplished, the rest was easy. He used a huge jug to pour gallons of warm water over her while rubbing her hair. I'm sure after her bath, she was half a kilo lighter. These dogs that dig and go down holes, just accumulate layers of dirt and dust while they are busy sniffing out mice and rats. Anyway, Rosie came out of the bath and gave a tremendous shake. She was as shiny as a penny, and the bath looked as dirty as a sewer. Now, our little princess just needs a pink bow on her head to look like one of the royal family. Um, maybe that's not the best comparison....., to look like a movie star.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: apologetic, in particular, consciously, sewer.

The man who bumped into me on the street the other day was so apologetic. He didn't need to be.

It is so important to learn good grammar, and in particular, expressions using prepositions.

I'm sure his strange habits are unconscious; he doesn't do them consciously.

The local council is mending the sewer lines before there is a huge, smelly disaster.