Poor little tykes, little did Jackie and Jillie know the evil thoughts in our minds as we conspired without their knowledge to submit them to a dreadful ordeal yesterday. Yes, we did just that, leaving our two little dependents bewildered past understanding that we, who profess to love them, did such a dreadful, premeditated act with no thought to their state of mind.

Handing them over to two young women who oohed and cuddled them, they were still puzzled and upset that there they were, in the hands of strangers, while we backed away and left them. Come back in about an hour and a quarter, they advised. They should be ready by then.

And so, off we went. To do our weekly grocery shopping. As though abandoning our two little fellows was nothing, a mere hitch in our daily lives.

And to think, just an hour earlier we were in the ravine with them, walking through the forest trails on a lovely late-spring day pretending to be summer. It was indeed a summery day, clear blue sky, light breeze, and warm temperatures prevailing. In fact, we knew, the following day would reach 31C, and be very, very hot under a clear sky.

So we thought it's time. They've never in their three and a half years been to a groomer's. The job of giving them haircuts was mine, accomplished (poorly) with a set of scissors. They'd look fine the day of the haircut, then attain to their usual scruffy appearance, and all was well. Kind of. Their hair grows so quickly that this detested routine (by them and by me) had to be repeated all too frequently.

They're fine now, but when we picked them up yesterday afternoon they were frantic with worry, and belted out their dissatisfaction with yelps and squeals as though they were certain they had been abandoned forevermore. Lavishing kisses on our faces the frantic duo let us know in no uncertain terms that they failed to appreciate the humour in their new appearance.