Caught In The Act

I caught this sneaky little devil -- a good friend of mine -- catching a drink from a roadside noodle stand very close to the Queen Sirikit Center in Bangkok. She think's no one's watching, but she's wrong. But Bessie, a two year old white hound of mixed terrier/ridgeback heritage, can drink to her heart's content at this particular noodle shop, because the proprietors always leave a full bowl of fresh water out for her.

Bessie is thirsty because she's been chasing cats in the 95 degree F March heat. In Thailand this time of year, it gets so hot you can feel it in your soul, but that doesn't keep Bessie from engaging in her favorite pastime: Scaring the holy hell out of cats by chasing every one she sees on the streets of Bangkok.

It's pure sport to Bessie -- she's harmless -- but the cats don't usually stick around to verify that for themselves.

In fact, in this photo, Bessie had just sensed a cat passing by across the street, behind her. She's actually got very strong rearview radar, and about 10 seconds after I snapped this shot, was hot on the trail of a grayish brown stray cat. I could hear the sound of her howling and barking as she receded from view into the crowded Klong Toey market.

Later, as we sat and chatted together on a sidewalk in the humid night, Bessie recounted the story with a kind of childlike enthusiasm that made me smile.