hounds in the snow

 

Captain America on the left in basic black, and Cassius (the Roman) on the right...they are always on leash in public, and don't play then...nor when unleashed in house...nor (so far) when taken to a fenced in area...so a spot was temporarily created for them...and

parrot dog

 

In Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island", the pirate Long John Silver had a parrot perched on his shoulder. The parrot was named Captain Flint. Ever since that tale, people have associated pirates with parrots. Well, Cassius likes to rest his muzzle on a shoulder during car rides. John says we have a parrot dog.

Hound to couch ratio

is about one for Captain

It will be a monthly walk

Greyhound Walk in the Park, Strongsville Ohio on this cold and grey morning.  

This class picture picture is very similar to last month's [click], but with a few less members.  This was the second gathering, and it will be a monthly occurrence. More information on this group at [click, facebook].

After the class picture, there was a group roo. Greyhounds singing is not called howling, it is called "rooing". A team chant happens easily.

 Out of the parking lot and onto the "hiking trail" next to the road

 

These hounds tangle easily when encountering and greeting each other, and it is usually peaceful. When you stand with pack, it is mellow. Several hounds and several people together, and you notice the hounds are silent, and people's conversations are quiet. It is like a moment of extended grace descends over the communicants.

It was a very overcast and dim lit morning, so foto quality with a cheap camera is not too good. I like this accidental snap, the back of the traffic sign looks like an odd collegiate mortar board cap.

 
    hounds: Cassius (L), Wick (FrC),

Ana

Prada

Clancy

feather mouth

Captain, John, Cassius at Lakewood Solstice Steps Saturday

A few anecdotes:  I contend that greyhounds that went through the racing industry have been stunted. I speak from having two such hounds. Neither one really plays, the older one--a little bit; the younger--nothing. Both are males, and they get along. They only have growling instances in the backseat of the car. They walk well together, in the house they often course. Late one night last week, Captain was running in the hall, and he would go to the place Cassius was, and he attempted to get him to chase. This did not happen. Another time, he tried to get him to play with a toy--nothing. Captain rarely plays with toys, and it is a spirited engagement often less than five seconds. Cassius, not once.

We got Captain in December of '15, and Cassius April of this year. We would toss bits of food to Captain, and it took repeated attempts before he could catch. Now he is very good at this, and jumps forward, and to the side to meet the offering. Cassius does not respond to this. Food will bounce off his head. Cassius will pick the food off the floor. Only once did he catch a piece in his mouth.

Well, Saturday we went to Lakewood with the hounds. We made a few stops. The first was in a pet store. We came to get some kibble. It was a small store, with a few customers, and a few employees there then. John was ahead of me in line with Cassius, i was with Captain holding the leash short. Then something happened too quickly for me to see and grasp. Lighting in the store was not too good. Some commotion began, i look and see something of several colors in Cassius's mouth. I thought it was a multi-colored rope chew toy. It wasn't. He was shaking it, and what i had thought was colored yarn, was flying feathers. Several people gathered around Cassius. One, don't know which, got the parakeet. Cassius will give up on an object if it is touched. The bird was passed to someone who caressed the parakeet, and said he was alright. The bird flew from a cage, flew by Captain's head, and either flew right into Cassius's mouth, or Cassius snatched him from flight. I did not see the scene until the bird was caught, and people made gasps, and other noises. The clerk in front of me was a tall young man, and he was breathing with difficulty some moments after. I asked him if he needed a sedative, he and others smiled and chuckled. We quickly left.

That night, we had some popcorn. The hounds are good in detecting food, and if one knows, the other one comes quickly. Captain started staring at me. So i start tossing popped kernels, and he catches more than four out of every five. Soon Cassius comes, and he gives me the look. I toss to him, and each one hits the floor. When giving treats to the two, and asking for feats to be achieved, Captain is far better. So he gets the first treat, i coax Cassius, and sometimes he does, and sometimes he doesn't, or gets confused and does another action. Captain then does the correct call, and expects to get the treat instead. But, Saturday night with the popcorn, he let Cassius pick up the drop, and he would catch the next. This series continued. Wow, when both mouths come to my hand in other distributions. Cassius will reach for Captain's piece, he has taken it from his mouth. When breakfast and supper time comes, if i place both bowls before the two hounds get there, Captain will nibble on the one bowl, before he goes to the second. After Cassius finishes his bowl, Captain will come by and see if he left anything behind.

the thin grey line

 Erie Shore Greyhound Adoption of Ohio sponsored a greyhound walk Sunday morning.

Before the convening of the greyhounds, we tried standing in a field of fog, the more we approached the more the fog dissipated.

Now, when we arrived, girl cross country runners, and bicyclists were also gathering; in the canine sphere, besides the greyhounds, a fellow was leaving with a basset hound, the basset hound was interested in staying.

There was a Greyhound jamboree at Bonnie Park/Mill Stream Reservation Cleveland Metropark. People scurried for a group foto of 42 greyhounds and their staff. This is an instance where a panoramic setting would have been handy

There was a walk next to the road, but only we went to look at the sight the park was named for. It was worth seeing.

 if you ever wondered what happens when greyhounds meet

hounds wanted to go to Lincoln Park

 

Well, they wanted to go on a ride somewhere, and i asked them about Lincoln Park, they were excited. So, we parked in front of what had been Our Lady of Mercy's rectory, and crossed the street. School children were also out on a walk. It has happened several times that children want to swarm the hounds, and so they did, after a kid asked, "Can i pet your dog?".
We often get asked, "what kind of dogs are they?". 
We say, "greyhounds". To-day, that started the dialogue.
"Are they pit bulls?". Well, that was the first time for that guess. As anyone that has been in a class, or gone to a meeting, or has seen a press conference, it is common to be asked the same question again.
"No, they are greyhounds". 
"They're black and white like my dog [who is a pit bull]".

 "You with the camera, what's up?".

 Between, and under, the two bridges of Interstate 90/Route2.

I'm with Charlie

Lakewood has an ordinance against pit bulls. A woman fought it and lost. The dog's name is Charlie. Many people think this is not alright, and that breed specific restrictions are not permitted under Ohio law.

Columbus parade

Cleveland had its Columbus parade in Pico Italia (Little Italy/Murray Hill). Before the parade we waded through the staging area, and people wanted to see and pet Captain America and Cassius. Here some of the students from Saint Rocco's gathered about Captain.

 The Hanging Judge pets Cassius.

Bless them

To-day is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the traditional day for the blessing of animals. This is one of those traditions that have been adopted by people who are not Catholics. So, the last two weekends and this upcoming one churches (of many kinds) will have pet blessings. St. Ignatius of Antioch Cleveland enjoys having it on a school day.

Johnny is with Captain, and i am holding Cassius (during the foto snap) while Fr. Troha is about to sprinkle holy water.

Willie is a five month old beagle.

Children are blessed as they go back to classes.

Black Dog Day

October 1st is National Black Dog Day. Often it is business interests, who wish free promotion, declare to the public that to-day is such and such. National Widget Day is to get the press to remind the populace to go out and get some damn widgets, or such. Black Dog Day is different. People are stupid, and believe in superstitions, and these 'stupidstitions' become negative biases. For dogs (and cats, for that matter) it can be deadly. In animal shelters, it is often the black ones that are last adopted, or not adopted at all, and become the first to be euthanised (killed). There are cruel stupid people that will torture animals with black fur.

 Then supposedly it is said black dogs do not photograph well. Captain above makes a great picture.

My black dogs (hounds), Cassius (L) and Captain America (R).

Greyhounds in art

 

 Kyoungtack Kong. Library-Mt. Everest. 2014. private collection

Cleveland Art Museum has joined the ranks of the many art museums that allow photography. They had wanted people to send in 'selfies' posing in imitation to pieces in their collections. It was about time, so many people were surreptitiously taking fotos on their phones, which were ever present in their hands.

Currently an exhibition of Korean painted screens of chaekgeori (books and things) is visiting. Many were painted in the 17th, and 18th centuries. Supra is a very contemporary, it has a greyhound curio (left edge above center).

pilloried

The Cleveland Metroparks held their 18th Century FallFest at Brecksville Reservation on Sunday. Supra, is Cassius in the stocks. This was a colonial American punishment, but it doesn't work so well on greyhounds. 

Dogs were subject to trial and punishment in puritanical New England. In Salem Massachusetts, in 1692, they had witch trials. Twenty people were executed (five died in prison), and two dogs. The usual method of execution there was hanging. One dog was killed in the streets by a crowd. In Andover, one was shot to death.

presenting at table

We were invited to a friend's great annual fish fry above the high bank of a creek. Cassius saw some people eating at table, and he quietly made his presence known.

dip in the fountain

Hot day in the morning, Cassius in the fountain--impressionistic, pointillist almost; how come we don't have French paintings of Belle Époque hounds?

To-day, we had a temperature record. The day's high was 92°F. A few minutes walk by Cleveland Art Museum, and relief was needed.

sneaky greyhound

More thoughts on greyhounds:  First i had one, and now i have two. Captain, the first, like many such hounds likes to collect, arrange, and hide objects. My nieces, and one nephew, bought him toys. He played with them rarely, and briefly, and usually out of sight. The toys would migrate about the house, and these wanderings were not seen. Cassius, the second, after a few days, plays not at all with toys. He did tear a couple to shreds, and swallowed a couple, and then no more. Well, my nephew noticed that Captain curates his stuff so that Cassius does not see their movements either. Captain is a sneaky greyhound.

 not sure where this is cribbed from

vehicle shopping

So, are we going to kick the tires?

 

there are no pillars

 return of the two headed dog

 In the Star Trek stories (and others) beings can be teleported through space. Perhaps Captain is being 'raptured'.

These are taken in Cleveland's Lithuanian Cultural Garden. John and the hounds are taller than the Pillars of Gediminas. They are not architectural; but an heraldic mark, which derived from pre-christian times. The name came in the 19th century.

Cerberus

I can see how Cerberus became envisioned.  Greyhounds have long and narrow bodies. They often stand abreast. If they look in different directions, and you see them for afar.  Κέρβερος was the multi-headed dog that guarded Hades, the hellhound. One of the labors of Heracles/Hercules was to capture and parade Cerberus.

The ancient Greek writers did not have a uniform description of the hound, or how many heads he had. Some descriptions also had snake heads included, usually on his back. The common description, that has come to us, is a black hound with three heads.

Peter Paul Rubens. Hercules and Cerberus. 1636. Madrid.

Captain at Glendale Akron

Walter Franklin's mausoleum is the most elaborate in Akron's Glendale Cemetery. Captain is posing next to one of the statues.

On Jupiter and Mars

Fly me to the moon
And let me play among the stars 

Let me see what spring is like
On Jupiter and Mars ...

— Bart Howard

                                                Cassius (L), Captain America (R)

Yesterday, we had a solar eclipse, we relaxed inside. Prudence is a virtue. To-day, we took a walk along the solar system on Mastick Road in the Rocky J. River Metropark. They have a series of stops with signs describing our solar system. One step is equal to a million miles on the walking scale, this ends up as close to 3/4 of a mile. They stop at Neptune, the eight planet. Pluto is mentioned on an early note as one of several dwarf planets. When this was controversy, a term arose 'trans-Neptunian objects'. Pluto was discovered in 1930, the next was in 1992, the current count is beyond 2,000.