We had a rather unusual experience at our neighborhood park this evening.  As we entered the park with the dogs, I heard the distinctive sound of bagpipes coming from somewhere nearby. It's always been a haunting sound that sends chills up my spine, and I wouldn't be satisfied until I found the source of the music.  

At first I thought someone was just playing his stereo too loudly until I spotted the piper near the back of the park.  Someone was video-taping him as he practiced.  He played quite well, and the pipes are not an easy instrument to play.  I wondered how Bubba and Peaches would react as we approached the piper.  Peaches went right past him and didn't seem to take any notice, but Bubba was very curious about the whole thing.  He'd sure never heard a sound like that before! 

He meandered right into the filming and froze in a point before the piper.  His ears perked up...well, as much as a bassets ears can perk.  He peered up at the piper, not quite sure what to think of all that noise.  For a moment I thought he was going to start howling along.  He did purse his lips as if to vocalize but then became distracted by the camera man, who had been filming the whole thing.  At that point, Bubba went on about his basset business of sniffing the grass.  

We all had a good laugh at Bubba's first introduction to the bagpipes.  How I wish I'd had my mini-cam with me at the time, but I'll never forget it.  What a funny old guy.  Still so lively and curious like a pup at his age.  It does my heart good.