All posts in Life in North Dakota

What is that expression, “the shoemaker’s children have no shoes?” Seems like I remember my Grandmother using this expression along with “wishes don’t wash dishes.” When I think more about it, I’m not sure she actually said those things, or if, instead they seem like something she would have said. My memory has mashed them into the memory of my Grandmother.

Anyway. My point. I work in a library, and my own library was a mess. A Mess. Stacks of books propped against the book shelves sitting on the floor. Like was not with like. Like the shelves had rejected the books. So remedying this problem was my New Years Day project.

Here’s the problem. I never discard a dog book.

Like “The Other End of the Leash” – love this book. See the nice new copy on the bottom of this photo? The copy of this book on top is Winchester’s version – as a young Greyhound he stole the book and tore out page after page. And I feel like I must keep it. Cause its a dog book. I makes me think of Winchester as a teenager – gawky and destructive – how can I throw the damaged copy away?

I put all the training books with training books; Greyhound books with Greyhound books. Including these two: the spiral bound is a privately published book of stories edited by Mary Bauer with my first Greyhound, Sterling, on the cover; the book in the foreground is also a book of Greyhound stories with Annie Greyhound on the cover. This book is available at the Greyhound Gang website.

On the bottom of one of the piles – gasp! – is the 1888 book, Our Prize Dogs, by Charles H. Mason. Its a record of prize winning dogs from that time. It has cool photos of old Greyhounds:

Here’s a Greyhound named : Mother Demdike. Love those irish markings.

Here’s Champion Highland Chief.

Here’s the Italian Greyhound. No Whippets yet. It’s a cool book.

Among the books was a metal film canister of dog tags – most are from my Greyhounds, some were finds from antique stores, etc.

What is it about the tags? They are so personal. The GPA 031 tag was Striker’s. 162 must have been Apollo’s. Who was the dog that wore the Venturia 4 1949 tag? A mastiff? or An IG? Who knows… Love the dog tags.

Sweet Princess Annie supervised most of this book/memory lane visit. I culled enough books so that the remaining collection fits comfortably on the shelves. Job well done.

Tomorrow, more art.