BOMBS AND CRACKERS AND SCARED LITTLE DOGGIES

This is Diwali. The vet was handing out sedatives for the dogs. Lady thought it would do more harm than good, so none for me. You can't imagine the sheer volume of the bombs and firecrackers. Well, with 18 million people celebrating at the same time it gets noisy. This is my least favorite day of the entire year. The bombs and crackers have been going off for two nights now, but this is the big night. Sounds like a war. It will go on all night. Our landlord and his family came over last night to bring Lady gifts. She got a lovely box of chocolates (not for me), a box of Indian sweets, and a Buddha head incense burner. Our upstairs neighbor brought us a huge box of biscuits (cookies). Lady and I give out biscuits and sweets at Christmas. All the workers (iron wallas, street sweepers, guards, house helpers, garbage collectors) all expect a bonus at Diwali, but now they know Lady gives at Christmas, and no one came with their hand out. Another tradition along with the giving of gifts, the loud noises, stringing lights, lighting candles (I think they'll set the neighborhood on fire there are so many candles lit everywhere on our lane), the visiting friends and family gatherings, is to paint rangolis outside your door. In the past, well-meaning friends have painted Hindu symbols in front of our door. We're not Hindu. So Lady buys the colored sand and "paints" our own rangoli. I tried to help but Lady says I messed it up.

Lady brought home take out fried rice and spring rolls. We were watching (or trying to) TV. I helped myself to the rice and spring rolls. Lady didn't scold me. I am so scared she feels sorry for me. So, with my big warm blanky, I am headed for bed.

LIGHTS and SCARY NOISES -IT'S DIWALI

 This is our building. Thursday is Diwali, or FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS. I call it "THREE DAYS OF SHAKING AND BEING SCARED." Lady wanted to take more photos in the 'hood, but I wouldn't let her take me off our lane. But, you get the idea. Lady's photos didn't turn out so well.

This is the entryway to my house. The ground floor humans lit up the trees in our hallway! I take care of business in record time during Diwali. It's too loud and scary, but the lights are pretty. To our Indian friends, Happy Diwali!

Diwali Aftermath

Man! It's hard to navigate around all the mess, so I just pee on it. I think the worst is over. Here are some photos from the night, and the morning after.

View from my balcony

View the other way

Those decorations are made with sand and are called rangolis. There are also clay oil lamps that the landlady's grown-up kids lit. They set off soooo many crackers and bombs right under our living room window!

You can see the mess it leaves. My girlfriend came by to visit.

I like her, but it is annoying when she bites my ears. I just want to dance.

The whole street looks like this, but the sweepers will come and clean most of it up.

Here is another example of a rangoli. all of the homes have them somewhere.

Hmmm. Good place to mark, but Lady won't let me because they recycle.

Shake Shake Shake

That's me. My nightmare continues. The sky is exploding. Bombs are going off right below my balcony. Thousands of firecrackers are popping. I hate Divali. Our neighborhood is all lit up like Christmas. Seems like everybody is outside popping crackers and shooting off fireworks. I'm wrapped in my new double-thick blankie, and cuddled up with Lady next to the heater. Still shaking. Lady doesn't know what else to do for me. We ate our dinner on the living room floor so I could sit with her.
I hate Divali. Festival of Lights? No, for me it's a festival of frights!