Kern County Dog Show fun

Toys, toys and more toys were immediately evident at this year's Kern County Kennel Club dog show, held at the fairgrounds on March 28 & 29. What wasn't evident were any of the local rescue groups or dog activity groups. Maybe with the economic downturn they didn't have the funds in their coffers to be able to attend. If that's the case, it's too bad, as these events are the perfect opportunity for dog enthusiasts to share their passion with other, and a chance for the public to get a little up close and personal with some of the groups who are diligently trying to reduce the number of homeless pups in Kern County. I missed seeing them.

On the other hand, I also missed seeing...people. While my husband and I were there, it looked like fewer than 200 people were in attendance as visitors. Maybe that's another reflection on the economy, but since we spent all of $10 for parking and admission, I just want to let people know they missed out on a gorgeous day full of equally stunning dogs. My apologies in advance for the sad photo quality. I've really got to learn how to properly take a picture.


This young Afghan was busy getting buffed and puffed prior to ringtime. Such a beauty!


I caught a brief shot of the gaggle of Goldens, having just exited the ring.


This Beardie was busy getting some finishing touches before heading off for judging.


The Bouviers were being judged as we passed by. Despite their teddy bear looks, these are some seriously protective dogs.


A Saluki and a Whippet taking a snooze in one of the vendor's booths.


A Miniture Schnauzer waits for his moment in the ring.


A Westie busy getting beautified.


A Whippet patiently waits amid all of the ruckus in the exihibition hall.


Two of the sweetest Cavilier King Charles Spaniels of the day.


As you can see, our own critters got in a good snooze while we fawned over some other pets for a change.

On reading The Underneath

"There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road."

I saw a wonderful column back in December in the SF Chronicle about children’s books that featured animals as their main characters. Within the column were two lists, one of classics and one of “not quite classics.” The Underneath, by Kathi Appelt, fell into the latter category.

Based on the description provided within the column, I knew I wanted to make this book part of my holiday gift list. The book was described as a children’s book, but one that could easily be enjoyed and appreciated by adults as well, in much the same manner as the Harry Potter series. That was all I needed to hear. Come holiday time, I asked --- and I received, along with several other books.

I purposely waited until I finished the other books I received over the holidays before beginning this one, as I had a feeling that this book would be something memorable and wanted to be able to linger a bit with it.

I’ll say this much --- the book definitely lingers with you. Part animal tale, part mythological journey along with a dose of easily one of the very baddest bad guys ever to be featured in children’s lit, The Underneath is a book that defies an easy summation. It only took the briefest of introductions to the bad guy for me to decide that, children's book or not, this dude could haunt a couple of dreams. Is he too scary for kids? I still can’t decide. Perhaps as an adult who has seen the ramifications of animal abuse, the villain strikes me differently than he would a child who has yet to be acquainted with those who commit acts of meanness against the vulnerable.

Part of me felt the material was for a much older audience than it was being recommended for, while another part remembers some of the books I read as a child. They certainly had their share of less than honorable characters and fairly “mature” themes and I clearly lived to tell about it.

The Underneath weaves a number a storylines simultaneously, jumping from plot to plot in an almost frantic manner. Once I got the rhythm, it was interesting the see the way all of the pieces were woven and how it would all tie together in the end, and I was not disappointed.

Part fantasy, part love story, part adventure tale, The Underneath frequently struck me as a nearly perfect book to be read aloud to youngsters, as the author’s use of syntax seemed uniquely suited for narration.

400-plus words later, for those inclined to animal stories, it's definitely worth a look.

Crusin' the book store

I headed over to Barnes & Noble today in search of Elizabeth Hess' other book, Lost and Found: Dogs, Cats and Everyday Heroes at a Country Animal Shelter. As I pretty much expected, the book wasn't in stock there, though I was pleased to see two copies of Nim Chimpsy on the shelves (in case the three other people who occasionally peek on this blog are interested). No biggie. That's the beauty of the Internet; what you can't find in person you can find online.

I have a couple of reasons for wanting the book. First, it is subject matter that interests me. All you have to do is click on just about anything I've posted to know that. Second, as a hack (read: unpaid) writer of critter-related material, I've been so completely pleased to have had a couple of exchanges with Ms. Hess that I figure it's the least I can do. Not that I wouldn't have checked it out if she hadn't responded to my post, because I would have, but perhaps not as soon.

Frankly, I could converse with her every week. She's a published author who writes on topics I actually care about and she's taken time out of her life to acknowledge my little blurbs. I'd love to communicate with her about all sorts of issues as they relate to writing and animals. How many opportunities am I going to have to actually talk to a real, live, nonfiction writer whose subjects are animals?

However, I don't want to give the impression that I'm some kind of Annie Wilkes whack-job on the Internet, and I'm not really sure how I can accomplish one objective without the possibility of bumping up against the other, so I'm at a bit of a loss. Still, I am curious if she's working on anything else at the moment and, if so, whether it's also animal-related...

The Great Ape Protection Act

Funny how worlds sometimes collide. Right now before Congress is the Great Ape Protection Act, legislation that would require the government to phase out invasive research on the more than 1,000 chimpanzees still living in U.S. labs and begin the process of retiring approximately 500 government-owned chimps to a sanctuary. Watch the video, then encourage your legislator to co-sponsor and support the Great Ape Protection Act, H.R. 1326.

Note for Elizabeth Hess

Dear Ms. Hess,

Nothing in my world was more exciting (and less expected) yesterday than to have you comment on my post about Nim Chimpsky. Would I have thought that in a million years you would have read my comments regarding the book I would have laced my post with the dozen or so questions I was dying to ask at the book's conclusion.

Now, on the even-more-incredibly-off-chance that you might see this post as well, and would be so kind as to reply, the one thing I would most love to know is how it was that you decided to write about Nim at all. You mentioned in your comment that so much about his life was hidden, so I can only imagine the enormous effort it took to gather all of the material to go forth on a project such as this. Of all the subjects in the world to choose from, why this one? What was it about Nim that made you compelled to spend years recreating his life?

Vicky Thrasher