Sly Dogs

I don't plan to do regular dog and cat blogging, but I liked these photos so much that I couldn't resist.

The handsome fella below is named Sonata, which is an odd moniker for a polar bear sized Great Pyrenees, but he came with the name according to my brother-in-law, who is his lucky owner. If I were going for a musical name, I think I would have named him Basso Profundo, because his bark will rattle your bones.

The next two images are from the Nethermead in Prospect Park. It's an open secret that this area of the park serves as an off leash dog run during the weekends. Officially, leashes are required, but everyone, including the dogs, seems to have adopted a code of behavior that allows the pooches to sport and frolic without incident.

If you don't own a dog, it's a great place to go borrow for a few minutes. I don't know if the woman in the photographs has her own dog, but she brought some treats and was the most popular girl in the park until they ran out.

Comments

[Michelle, Brianna, VIctoria and Elizabeth]

Dear Pip & Dave, By the way- if you want to hear the story of Sonata's name origin...just ask! :)
Thanks again! Michelle

[Michelle, Brianna, VIctoria and Elizabeth]

Bless your heart for answering! And thank you so much for the update on Sonata!I am so excited to hear he will have a little boy to play with- I know he fell in love with their daughter immediately! It was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do to let him go- but we knew he needed land to run on, and a home away from the constraints of 'neighborhood life'- he kept jumping the fence and taking himself for walks...and we were so scared he would get hit...He needed a home with the room, love (and animals to chase/herd!)like he has now. We were so blessed to find your brother and sister in law- and their passion for Great Pyrenees' made giving him to a new home a little more bearable. My daughter Brianna, who trained him and was the most closely attached to him has been crying tears of joy since reading your response! Thank you for easing our minds and hearts, and reassuring us we made the right choice in finding his new home. I am glad he is so loved and so happy- he will always be part of our hearts. Please contact me at pavemikig@aol.com and I will give you my phone information in case your sister in law has lost it...just let me know (please put Sonata's name in the subject matter, so I don't think it's 'junk emails' :)
And thank you again for responding- We were 99% positive it was him- he had a habit of having one eye almost winking, and he had a spot on his nose he had ripped up trying to get out for one of his 'walks' one day- so he had all the 'signs'- and you brought us so much joy with your update!
I knew he deserved a home with the room and opportunities that we couldn't give him living in the city, and I loved him too much to just take him to a shelter. Your family was the answer to our prayers, and I know that his new home has brought him the happiness and freedom he deserved and needed. I truly hope we will have the chance to catch up and hear how he is doing first hand, but in the meantime bless you and thank you for updating us on 'my baby's baby'...I know it took a load off her heart to know that he was safe, happy and healthy- and she was THRILLED to SEE him- she just happened to google his name and your site came up! You don't know the gift you gave to my girls...It has been such a difficult couple of years for us, and giving him up and not hearing how he was was like a cloud hanging over our heads...now the sun is shining through the rainbow! Thank you again. Truly,
Michelle

[Pip]

Hi, there Michelle and everybody! Yep, that's your former dog! I'm Pip, Dave's wife, and my brother and his family in Grainger county adopted Sonata in the summer of 2005. Sonata is very much loved now and has a big farm to run around in, horses to pester, other dogs to keep him company, and is an A-one watchdog! He gets cockleburrs in all that white fur in the summer, but that's about it. My brother and his wife now have a little boy, in addition to my niece that you remember. She's about to turn five and my nephew will be one in another month. So glad to hear from you all! I will let my family know and get my Sister in Law to call you, she'll be thrilled!

[Michelle, Brianna, VIctoria and Elizabeth]

Dave- I hope you are the one who posted the picture of Sonata...If he went to live in Granger county about 18 months ago, he is our beloved pet- and we were so blessed to find someone who would love him- and give him a place to run where he could have the freedom we couldn't give him. If we could just know that he is OK- my daughter Brianna had trained him- he was her 'special project'and she loves him to this day and just wants to know he is happy...would you please touch base and let us know if he is the dog we found a home for in June 2005, to a nurse with a daughter...strike a chord?? :)
In exhange- I will let you in on his name's origin...and yes, his bark could pierce anything it wanted to!!! :)
Thank You, Michelle

[Gunni Cool]

I have some more pictures of Norma and her dogs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gunnicool/

[Simply Coll]

Love the dog photos.. especially the first one.

[JG]

That is Norma, a walker in the slope and regular fixture in the park. She is usually seen darting around in a small SUV packed with dogs.

[Dope]

Hey Drew! Thanks for the hot peppers. My Brooklyn buddies will "love" them.

Thanks for the links too. I'm going to set up some music links and maybe even a podcast or two real soon.

[Drew Thornton]

Dave,
Enjoyed your visit last week. Hope you had a good time and good trip home. Try these websites:
http://www.fetishguitars.com/index/wandre_index.html

http://www.buddyandjulie.com/

Also, check out Maple Byrd's collection. There is a link in Buddy & Julie Millers site.