The Little People

The lovely Anne, over at Almost Quintessence has asked a question about the pups. And since she doesn't have an email address listed on her profile (What's up with that, Anne?), I'll just inflict share my answer with all of my sweet readers.



The beautiful dog pictured above is Alice. She is a Walker Coon Hound, or a Walker Fox Hound, or simply a Walker Hound. She does, indeed look like a beagle--on stilts. She bays like a beagle, too. She is a sweet, gentle girl, unless you happen to be a cat or a raccoon.




Alice adopted me. Several years ago on a Thanksgiving afternoon, my mother and I took our dogs to a park on the south side of San Antonio. It is a great park with a big field where we would let the girls run while Mom and I walked the path surrounding it. Because the park is in an area just south of town and the neighborhood is wooded, there are several stray dogs running about. On our way back to the car, we saw this lovely animal standing in the middle of the road. Mama said that we should bring dog food the next time we come to this park, and we promptly forgot the incident.



The day after Christmas that same year, Mama and the dogs and I went to the same park. On our way back to the car, there was that dog again. After I got Mama and the girls safely into the car, I sat down in the driver's seat. Before I could close my car door, Alice was draped accross my lap.



What could I do? I put her in the back of the car and drove to my vet's office, and asked them to give her shots and spay her.



When we got to the vet's, the woman at the desk told us that our new dog was a Walker Hound. "Then we must call her Alice," my mother said. And so she is.



Mama, Ursula, and Ruth are all gone now, but I still have Alice and Dinah to love. Oh yeah, and Susan and Morgan and Joel Grey Cat.




Ruth


Mom and Ursula at the park


Dinah

Al Pal

Comments

Clearly Alice knows a good heart when she sees one. What a lovely story. No idea why you had to label it 'embarrasing revelations' !! :)

Heidi
Rick said…
Hello Prof.

I'm visiting the blogs of everyone that has left a comment on my blog this past year. I'm having a little give-away to celebrate my first annivesary. No gimicks - just fun. I'm hoping you'll sign up.

http://organizeddoodles.blogspot.com/
Mary Alice said…
Oh, I love a good heart warming dog story, as you know. And of course she is Alice. Perfect. Alice Walker is a great namesake.
anne said…
Oh! She is beautiful. As are Dinah and Ursula. I think it's just great how some animals choose their human companions.

I am such a sucker for dogs (and cats, horses, dead owls, etc.), particularly hounds. I almost adopted a blue-tick coon hound but someone adopted him first. Which is probably a good thing because I definitely didn't need another dog coming into the mix at the time.

However, the mix has since changed and we are picking up a new addition next weekend! Yay! I will be sure to post about him.

Oh, and the email thing. I'll get that taken care of. And I think I have to change my time stamps on my blogs as well. I stink at maintenance. Hee.
anne said…
And Ruth is beautiful too! I can't believe I left out Ruth!
Mrs. G. said…
Dinah looks sassy.
JCK said…
I loved this story. Alice melts my heart. And Ruth was gorgeous!
Claire B. said…
Photos of dogs who have passed on are my tear triggers! And of course, the one of your mom and Ursula on the park bench. . . oh!

My husband's phone photo is of our old guy, Alex, who died on D.'s birthday in '07. Whenever he pulls out the phone he gets to see Alex's smile.

Great post!
Julie Pippert said…
Oh a doggie post, no an ode to doggies post. I love it.

They are beautiful.

And wait...Alice is not a fan of raccoons? I have a few here...you know, if she's bored and wants a job? Maybe say...next weekend?
K. said…
I am completely enamored of the way that you seem to pull certain things into your orbit, Professor J. I think to a certain extent we all do, but you seem to have a particular gift for it.

I, too, love the picture of your mother with Ursula, and I adore the choice of Alice as a name.
Anonymous said…
What a lucky day for Alice! Also love how you seem to attract what you need. Very cool.
Anonymous said…
That is a very cool, warm, sweet, bitter sweet post. I think of Ursie often when I look at my sweet Lucy. I had not seen that picture of your mom and Ursie at the park.
Jen said…
I gotta say - Ruth looks like a firecracker to me.
Mike Golch said…
the Dogs are quite(man I whsh I could spell or there was spell check,that way I would look better)
I one had a german Shepard mix that was such a loving person it was not funny she enjoyed going for rides,she even thought that she was a "mommy" to a castoff kitten that I had found and brought home.Mike Golch
She really does look like a beagle; she's darling.

Popular posts from this blog

Embarrassing Personal Revelation #892

Holy Shit! I am going to get a job washing dishes for a living!

To Mary