On a whim, Pat and I went to the dog show at the Ulster County Fairground.  It was a beautiful, sunny day.  We arrived too late for most of the action, but in enough time to see the finals for the hounds and the toys.

Owners and handlers prepped their contestants with hair dryers and comb-outs.                

Papillon knows how to pose.                   Pomeranian all fluffed up.

  Chinese crested hairless reminds me of Count Chocula.

The poodle gets a spritz of hairspray.  This was the winner of the best in toy breeds.

Basset hound gets its photo taken.

Greyhounds wait their turn.

This Irish wolfhound is hot and tired.

The Weimaraner’s owner said that dogs of this breed love to be close to people.  For me, the best part of the afternoon was meeting this dog.  My family had a beautiful Weimaraner when I was little. She was well-trained, thanks to my father, and so gentle.  I remember lying on the floor with Maida, my head on her chest, while I played with her soft ears.  She never growled or snapped or moved away, no matter what I did.

In the years of my childhood, we had a much older version of this book.  The cover was black.  I pored over the photos of the different breeds until I could recognize most of them.

And last Sunday, I got to see many of them in person.