Of course, traveling through Ireland, it would be common to meet a few of these beautiful dogs. Annie met this one yesterday. She continues to post gorgeous photos of her daily stops, so check 'em out there at www.rainiergirl.blogspot.com.
I print off her blog each day and take it to my mother, who has been delighted to see what her granddaughter is doing. We all look forward to the day when Annie's here for a visit and she has her trip set to music for special family showing on the TV.
For now, the blog will have to suffice.
I know that when I take today's posting over to Mother, she's going to mention Kit. My first memories of dogs center around Peggy, the English Setter; her son Laddie; and Kit. I believe we had at least Peggy and Kit when we moved to the North Boyer farm in 1950.
That was when Mother also had a horse named Largo, which she kept in a vacant lot near our home. I've been told that the neighbors down there in the Euclid area suggested there would be plenty of room in the country for that horse.
Mother took 'em up on that and bought the 40-acre fallen down farm just north of the county airport. The runway came almost to the south end of our hayfield then. Only six acres was cleared at the time.
Anyway, the animal world thrived on that farm, as Mother added Bossy, the Guernsey milk cow, and it could be that Peggy may have had a batch of puppies, including Laddie, soon after. My brothers may remember more details cuz I was just 3 years old at the time.
Peggy was the nutty dog who barked at herself in the barnyard mud puddles, while Kit was the beautiful Irish Setter who remained somewhat serious and possessive of her family. She did not like men, especially those who came to fill the oil tank or to deliver other goods. I think a few of these folks may have even told Mother that they would not return unless she kept that dog locked up.
If memory serves me correctly, it seems like Kit went deaf in her old age. I just remember her being so regal and so serious, and I don't recall what eventually led to her demise. Could be that when we're little, we block out some of those things.
We had another Irish Setter years later. His name was Sean, and he belonged to my sister Barbara. I think we bought him for her birthday or Christmas when he was a pup. What a gorgeous dog he was---huge and flowing red feathers on his tail and legs. Sean was also like setters in that he loved to run.
He would take off across the pastures, full speed ahead, and whoever was watching would enjoy moments of artistic beauty in motion. Nothing prettier than a brilliant red dog racing across a deep green field, but nothing more out of control either. Sadly, Sean may have been on the run when he was hit by a car, and I do remember that day.
Barbara's heart was broken, and the rest of us sobbed with her.
We have all learned since that setters have that "on the run" tendency, as evidenced by the two we had when our kids were little. Bogey and Julie came to us from the Tates, when their son Adam was a little boy. The pair didn't have a lot of patience with really little kids, but they loved ours who were older and who loved them back.
Unfortunately, however, they also loved to run, and they spent more time on the run, visiting Serva Burger, the LP Mill and even the folks who ran the Black Sheep in Coeur d'Alene. We were constantly retrieving our setters. They hung around until their deaths----which were both very sad times. We have good and funny memories of those two black and white vagabonds.
I guess today's photo of the "friend" on Annie's blog inspired nearly a thousand words from my memory bank, but that's okay. Animals tend to do that most of the time, and I'm guessing that anyone who loves animals can get going on a good yakkity yak any time they see a photo like today's.
She's got other critters on her blog too, but I'm still waiting to see a 4-legged variety with tail, mane and saddles with a Miss Annie Love aboard. Maybe that is happening as I type.
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