Domingão Aventura

 

What a week! If you read my last blog post you know that I injured my paw pretty badly. I am still getting over that but, luckily, I expect a full recovery. If you read closely, then you know that a film team from Brazil was in the middle of filming a story about me when it happened! There’s never a good time to hurt your paw but especially not when you are supposed to be on camera! But, you know what they say, the show must go on!

The filming started out with me doing some super cute pool tricks. I swam underwater. I did my signature spins. I put my paws on the edge of the pool and smiled for the camera. I am sure they got some great video of me eating endive in the pool. But I do kind of wonder what Cristian is taking a video of in this shot. I’m not sure I want that in front of an audience of 50,000,000 Brazilians! (Is that a brazillian Brazillians?) Well, maybe he’s just getting my back paws.

 

After swimming I had to have my corn. I need some good carbs to make up for all the energy used up in the pool. In the photo above, you can see Cristian Dimitrius, who is the star of Domingão Aventura, leaning over to get a close-up of my teeth. I don’t think I’d remembered to brush that morning either. (Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve remembered to brush any morning.)

 

Naturally, the chickens had to come over and get in the act. They’re not just camera hogs, they are corn hogs too. I never get to eat in peace!

 

Then Melly fed me my corn which is doubly nice since the chickens don’t usually steal from her. I put on my cutest face and took dainty little bites, just like a well-manner capybara should.

 

After a swim and some corn, a capybara naturally wants to take a few minutes to relax. You need to dry out and soak up some rays.

 

Part of any healthy digestive system is a little coprophagia, the eating of special poop to help digest cellulose. I am not sure people really want to see that though. Some things really might be better left private.

 

By then it was starting to get late so we spent a little time in the house laying out our plans for the next day and selecting my wardrobe. I do think I look fabulous in my Texas A&M scarf and it helps to promote the ROUS Foundation for Capybara Veterinary Medicine, which is through Texas A&M.

Then I think we all know what happened, I was brutally attacked by a door during the night! Oh sure, doors seem so innocent and harmless, but I will bet many of my friends have suffered similar attacks. Doors can kill if you aren’t careful! (In case you don’t know what happened, now would be a good time to read Oh! My Aching Paw!)

Due to my injury, all we did the next day was go to the vet and what with all the rushing and limping and bandaging and whatnot, I didn’t even think to wear my scarf. And Melly didn’t remember that she’s supposed to wear the same clothes every day while they are filming. Oh well.

But the next day was Saturday and my paw felt quite a bit better so we decided to do the photo shoot in downtown Buda. Cristian thought Buda looks colorful and quaint. Melly said it just doesn’t look like Brazil. I was doing great on the walk, sauntering down the street nose-to-knee with Melly since My Rick wasn’t around. Then an ambulance drove by making a horrible screeching sound that practically broke my eardrums! Luckily Melly hugged me through it.

Just then some people came up and wanted to pet me. I let them with my usual grace. But while they were petting me a man popped out of a local restaurant, Nona Gina’s, and make a comment about how he could make me into a nice roast capybara! Melly and I ignored him. I guess he thought we didn’t get how clever he was because he added that maybe Melly would rather eat me as sushi. At this point Melly said, in a flat voice, “I think that is very rude.” The man let out a loud huff of indignation and slammed the door! As if Melly and I were the rude ones! Melly said she is never going to eat there again!

 

It is the middle of winter here and Melly hasn’t gone swimming with me for months, but Cristian is made of sterner stuff. In the photo above he is explaining to the camera that it has been getting down to freezing here at night and the water is very cold. But you don’t get a chance to swim with a capybara every day!

 

The cool water actually feels good on my bad paw. Plus, I don’t have to wear my bandage while I am in the pool.

 

Cristian had originally intended to rent a wet suit for this but things got messed up after my injury. I didn’t know humans could go in cold water. I am pretty sure Melly won’t get in the pool with me again until April at least and she’s got a good layer of blubber for insulation.

 

We didn’t have long in the pool but I they should have gotten some of my extra cute behaviors on camera. Cristian even threw me back a couple of times.

Well, that is the end of our photo shoot. I’ll put up another blog post when the show is going to air, which will be in Brazil so my non-Brazilian fans won’t get to see it. But Cristian said it would be up on the Globo site soon after airing, sometime in March probably, so I’ll post a link as soon as I can.

A fun Domingão Aventura segment about lions

You can click on the link above to see what the show is about. You don’t really need to understand Portuguese to enjoy it.

Also, thanks to Cristian and Chris and everyone at Domingão Aventura for a very generous donation to the ROUS Foundation for Capybara Veterinary Medicine!

If you’ve read all the way to the bottom of this post, I’d like to ask for your help. Melly needs a comeback line for rude people like the one at Nona Gina’s. What should she say? We are looking for clever and sarcastic rather than cursing and mean.