Bagpipe Appreciation Day

July 27.  Bagpipe Appreciation Day.  When my human read that it was going to be a day to honor those unique sounding instruments (that some adore and some liken to the sound of wild cats being murdered), she HAD to get a photo of me with a bagpipe.  And because she doesn’t happen to have a spare set of pipes stuck in a closet somewhere, we had to go and FIND some.  Now keep in mind that we DO live in Nova Scotia- where bagpiping is far from rare, so it isn’t all that hard to find someone piping – especially in tourist destinations.   So we headed off to one of THE most popular tourist sites in the province – Peggy’s Cove.  Peggy’s Cove is recognized for it’s famous lighthouse, and rocky terrain.  And luckily, it is only about 20 minutes from our house.  And given that we are in prime tourist season, it is QUITE likely one can find a piper playing on the rocky shore.

My human likes to go to Peggy’s Cove any time of the year, and she actually likes it when the tourist season is over.  It’s more peaceful, and there is no shortage of parking available.  But not at this time of the year.  She hasn’t actually been there on a Sunday afternoon in July for a LONG time.  The place was PACKED with people.  The parking lots were FULL and people had to jockey for spaces.  Hardly a restful time.  But we were on a quest – and sure enough – we found a piper.

My human had played some bagpipe music for me BEFORE we got there – so I wouldn’t be too surprised with the sound.  There was really no need for the desensitization. Frankly, I could NOT have cared less once I got there.  I was just so excited with all the sites, the sounds and the smells.  When the piper finished a tune, my human asked him if he would mind taking a photo with me – for my blog.  Surprisingly, he had never met a dog with a blog before.  I sat next to him – and he remarked that he has been asked to take photos with dogs before – but never one who was so well trained.  Bwhwhahahahaha.  CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!  Me?  Well trained?  It actually was the yummy treat my human had shoved in his hand when she backed up to take the photo.  Still – he was impressed.  We paid the piper (pun intended) by putting some money in his bagpipe case.  He was a very nice man.  We then continued to walk around the village a bit, taking more photos.  And can you believe it – people asked to take photos of ME?  They must have recognized me from my blog. Everyone commented how “cute” I was.  And how well behaved.  My human started to wonder if I had been drugged.

Anyway, we found our piper – and if you can’t find one yourself today, just listen to some pipe music on your computer.  But be sure to let your dogs know 

before you do so!  Not everyone may appreciate the pipes as much as we Nova Scotians!

©  Linda Wozniak