A True Story About the Husband and the Hound

   Cashmere Sweater, Skirt: Consigned at Periwinkle (Vintage Saks made in Scotland, Old Navy) / Bracelets:  F21 & Christmas gift (J Crew) / Leather Bracelet & Earrings:  DC Holiday Street Market / Crystal Necklace: Grandmother's

Once upon a time there was a lonesome non-Husband working his way through long hours of medical school in Missouri. One day, he saw an ad for beagle puppies and thought, "Hey, that would be fun!" Upon meeting the seller, he found a mess of tri-colored pups in the back of a pick-up. He paid the man $50, plucked out the wiggliest, squiggliest, smallest Hound-pup of the bunch, and put her in his car.

She whined and whimpered on the ride home till the non-Husband put her in his lap. Then the Hound-pup was very contented. They lived happily the next couple of years, learning to howl at rabbits and having adventures and such, providing one another quite good company.

Then one day the non-Husband had to go away for his internship and residency and couldn't take the Hound-pup, who was practically all Hound by this time. So she moved to Nevada with the non-Husband's brother, and then to Utah with the non-Husband's parents after the howling didn't work out too swell with the Vegas neighbors.

Meanwhile, the non-Husband completed his intern year in Arizona, and then went off to West Virginia for his residency. This is where he semi-met Girl by asking her to play football at a picnic. Girl declined, by the way, so he arranged to pick her up for a trip with mutual friends to jump off of a waterfall the next day. This was a surprise for Girl.  Pretty soon, the non-Husband was showing up at Girl's apartment and asking her to go for ice-cream. Where he told her stories about his Hound, kept her out to the wee hours on a playground, and tried to teach her to drive a stick at the end of the night. Girl is pretty sure that last part was because he didn't want the night to be over. She didn't either.

The weekend of Girl's birthday, the non-Husband flew to Utah for his sister's wedding. He'd invited Girl to go with him. He'd even offered to pay halfsies. But that Sunday was Girl's birthday and she was expecting family. And she'd only just begun to date the non-Husband, after-all, and didn't want to appear presumptuous.

The non-husband returned on Girl's birthday, bringing the Hound with him. They arrived in time to both be big hits with Girl's family. Pretty soon, the Hound was whining at the door for Girl after she left from visiting the non-Husband at his place. Then the Hound began staying the nights with Girl, whose job allowed her to walk the Hound throughout the day. It wasn't long before the Hound moved in with Girl, and not long after that the non-Husband became the Husband, and he moved in too.

And that, friends, is a true story of how the Husband became the Husband, the Hound got a mama, and the Girl found herself with a Husband and a Hound fighting for snuggle space in her bed.

  Clockwise from top left:  non-Husband and Hound-pup, Girl jumps off waterfall and is photographed by non-Husband on that fateful day, non-Husband becomes Girl's Husband, Hound takes over Girl's bed

And you thought this post was going to be about my outfit...

P.S. It's black and white day at Everybody, Everywear! C'est très chic, le noir et blanc, n'est-ce pas?*

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C'est très chic, le noir et blanc, n'est-ce pas? = Black and white is very chic, is it not?

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Lake Como Biking & Cliff Jumping: 30x30 Outfit 11

Top: J Crew final sale / Jean Shorts: Gabes (J Brand ) / Shoes: Privo / Earrings: Urban Outfitters / Sunnies: TJ Maxx (Oscar de la Renta)

On this afternoon, the Husband and I rented bicycles to explore some of the lake and it's quaint villages.

We came across beautiful scenery and Scott went for a swim while I watched swans and duckies play...

...and we laughed from a bridge as a mama duck fed her floating baby fuzzballs. They were so cute, patiently waiting as she dove under water until she surfaced. Then they'd zoom towards her and she'd feed them in turn. Très adorable.

After returning the bikes, we went back to the apartment and made dinner with the Russells. We'd gone to the market for pasta, vegetables, sauce, bread, and ingredients for caprese salad. The mozzarella and tomatoes here are out of this world, especially tossed with fresh basil, arugula, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar.

That night we played Rook, a favorite old game of my family, though I'm nonetheless an expert. The more interesting part of our day, however, took place this morning. Scott and Rand took off super early this morning in search of this waterfall along the Domaso river. They had no idea how far it was from the town. They just knew to follow it into the mountains and hope they came cross it soon. They arrived back late morning with a few videos of their own and these photos...

So of course, I wanted to go! After lunch, Scott took me to find the falls again. You'll pass classic Italian homes and frescoes on the way {I've never seen so many Virgin Mary tributes as I saw in Italy. They're everywhere. Along roads in the middle of nowhere. On abandoned buildings. Apartment walls. Restrooms. Etc.}...

Then once you get to this bridge, you climb down to the river. Part of the time you can hike along the side, climbing the rocks and walls from the old series of dams, but you have to wade some, too.

And then you come to the falls. I decided to jump from the lower one, because the pool was bigger. Scott swam around first to make sure it was deep enough.

I had to get up my nerve again. Waterfalls always get the best of me. The rushing water when I surface makes me a bit claustrophobic, especially when the fall is this wide. Fortunately, there were hikers passing and their presence encouraged me. Nothing like losing face in front of a bunch of Italians I'll never see again.

After we'd each had several goes...

 
...the Husband tried to let the current just wash him over, but it wasn't fast enough. I only dared dangle my legs.

When we'd finally had our fill of jumping, we made our way back to town. Scott found a new little friend along the way and I discovered several of these signs at the entrance, which the Husband had conveniently not pointed out to me on the way in and was thankful I didn't see them. He's wise, that one. I'm glad I didn't see them too.

P.S. Ha! I thought I'd get up two posts a day, and I'm getting two a week instead. Sorry I'm so slow. I promise to get the next one up soon, exploring a gorge in Bellano and the fancy Villa Carlotta on the lake.

Pont du Gard: Outfit 6A

  Dress: Victoria's Secret / Blouse: J Crew / Shoes: Privo / Earrings: AE / Bracelet: J Crew Factory / Watch: Skagen

You've already seen this outfit here, from my post on Nìmes, but our evening at the Pont du Gard was just too amazing not to give it it's own post. You've also already seen what I'm calling Outfit 6A here, where I modified Outfit 6 so that I could jump off a rock into the Gard river with this fab Roman aqueduct in the background. The things I'll do for a photo. Or for a cliff. You see, the Husband and I kind of sort of met jumping off of a waterfall. So if we find something to jump off of these days, we do it. It's in our rule book.

Did you know they have annual fireworks and light shows on this bridge? Can't you just see it?

In fact, that's why I had to jump in my dress. They were setting up for a show that very evening, and once you left the bridge area, you couldn't re-enter without paying the steep ticket price for the show. I even told the guards my sad tale of wanting to join my husband in jumping off the rock just one time because I'll likely never be here again and it's our tradition. And he was doing it!

No dice, though they did look a bit remorseful. So I showed them. I went back, stripped off my knickers and blouse {whilst hiding behind a rock...that takes talent, friends}, tied a knot in my dress to prevent it from flying up, and got up my nerve...

...then took the leap...

...and emerged victorious!

Then I did it two more times :) Repeat the whole nerve building and jumping scenario:

Though I still wish I had the guts to dive like the Husband. It's just so much prettier:

It would've been way neat to see the show, but we've seen the likes before on our last Europe trip in form of a light show on the Château de Chambord, and we really wanted to get to the Med that night and it doesn't get dark in France till almost 11pm so the show didn't even start till 10:30pm. So you'll have to settle for a few shots from Chambord instead.

Amaze-balls, no? I never thought I'd use the phrase amaze-balls. But there was a time I never thought I'd see such fantastic sights, either. There's a time and place for everything, I guess. Even Holly Holiday's weird lingo.

P.S. I got the most scrumptious chevre {goat cheese} crêpe with fresh greens, tomatoes, and tapenade at the café here. I highly recommend it. Goes especially well with some fresh apricot juice. I get apricot juice every chance I get, in case you haven't noticed.

P.P.S. I also recommend the museum at the Pont. It's really astounding to learn about the Roman influence and technology. At one point, this aqueduct stretched for 31 miles and carried 44 million gallons of water to fountains, baths, and homes in Nîmes. Running water in the 1st century AD. That amazes me. It's also the highest Roman aqueduct bridge ever built AND the stone blocks used to build it, some weighing up to 6 ton each, were precisely cut to fit together so perfectly that friction could hold them together without mortar.  

Amaze-balls. 

P.S. Linked up here to the Pleated Poppy's What I Wore Wednesday! 

I've been busy....

doing things like this...

and then this again..

and still being bested by the Husband like this:

Little show off daredevil. He's why I jumped in my dress. That's part of 30x30 Outfit 6 right there.  I couldn't leave to get my swimsuit. I couldn't not jump after he did either. There's a whole story and more from our day in Nîmes. I'll post it soon. Oh yeah, and I have my Outfit 5 post from the medieval Carcassonne to do.  AND Francophone Friday on Le Marche des Puces to do. Oh là là. It's all coming, I promise! I was going to work on it tonight. But we're in Cannes. And it was more fun to enjoy a fresh mozzarella and tomato panini and salted caramel gelato while sitting on the edge of the Mediterranean to watch a full yellow moon peek in and out between the clouds and palms.

P.S. That's the highest Roman aqueduct bridge in the world behind us in those photos. Built in the 1st century AD. Whoa.