Falling in love again…
I didn’t think it could happen – not at my stage of life – but it has! Her name is Hickory. She’s the Scottish deerhound who just won Best in Show at Westminster.
I like what Dan Zak of the Washington Post had to say about Hickory:
After winning “best in show” from the Westminster Kennel Club, a dog has every right to get cranky, to go diva, to not sit, to not stay. But over the past 24 hours, as paparazzi have trailed her around New York, Grand Champion Foxcliffe Hickory Wind has borne her title with quiet dignity and grace.
She’s got that elusive quality, all right: ‘quiet dignity and grace.’ Also known as class.
Here’s a sample of the winners of that coveted title in recent years:
- 2008: Uno. a 15-inch Beagle
2010: Sadie, a Scottish terrier
2009: Stump, a Sussex Spaniel
- 2001: Special Times Just Right, a Bichon Frise
You’ll notice that all four of the above are…well, they’re just as cute as they can be!
Hickory is different. She’s quite a bit bigger, for one thing. And the fact is that at first glance, she might seem less than gorgeous. But she has that certain je ne sais quoi, composed of the above mentioned qualities; in addition, she is possessed of a supremely dignified demeanor. And to me, she seemed to radiate a quality I can only describe as kindliness.
Her handler Angela Lloyd deserves plenty of credit. There is obviously a very special bond between her and Hickory. Click here for video.
For more pictures, video, and information about the show, go to the Westminster Kennel Club site. For additional information about the breed, go to the Scottish Deerhound Club of America.
Puppy love
No, it’s not my puppy – though I rather wish it were. On Wednesday June 24, in a column in the Washington Post, Michael Gerson declared himself to be in love – with this little guy:
Latte, the Havanese puppy
Gerson confesses himself amazed at this turn of events, since, as he states in his opening sentence, he has never liked dogs. Admittedly, for some of us reading this piece, the thought arose at once: What took you so long?
Never mind – better late than never.
“A Latte To Warm the Heart” goes from sentimental to discursive, then back to sentimental at the end. No matter; Gerson could have interpolated a discussion of particle physics for all I care, so completely delighted am I by his conversion to animal lover.
The article concludes with these words from A Christmas Carol by Dickens:
“Many laughed to see this alteration in him, but he let them laugh and little heeded them. . . . His own heart laughed and that was quite enough for him.
So…how long must we wait before introducing Michael Gerson to the likes of:
Miss (Audrey) Jane Marple
