Thursday 17 September 2015

Zen dog

The American author John Steinbeck (1902-1968) was born in
Salinas, California.  His Pulitzer Prize winning work
The Grapes of Wrath is widely attributed to be part of the
American literary canon and in 1962 he was awarded the
Nobel Prize for Literature.

John Steinbeck was also A DOG LOVER!
In his book Travels with Charley: In Search of America he
details a cross-country trip that he and Charley took together.

A poodle but certainly nothing Zen about him.

Charley, Steinbeck's French poodle, was born in Bercy on the
outskirts of Paris and trained in France.  He was a bi-lingual
mut but only responded to commands when given in French.
This is what JS had to say about him:

"Sir, this is a unique dog.
He does not live by tooth or fang.
He respects the right of cats to be cats
although he doesn't admire them.
He turns his steps rather than disturb an
earnest caterpillar.
His greatest fear is that someone will point out
a rabbit and suggest that he chases it.

My darling Geordie, he turned "chilling" into an art form.


This is a dog of peace and tranquility!"


4 comments:

  1. Years ago, we visited Steinbeck's digs in the Cannery Row area of Monterey, Calif. Wonderful adventures in those books. I miss Geordie, too, just because of all the pix I have seen of him. I miss him, too, Jools.

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    1. Still brings a tear to my eye when I think about him. You think it would get easier but it doesn't.

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  2. Please forgive my ignorance or forgetfulness, Julia - but what breed was Geordie? I was trying to explain "long dogs" to my DH but I was at a loss to specifically name the breed. He looks very beautiful and BIG. And no, it doesn't get any easier. I still miss many of the dogs (and cats) I've had over my 65+ years! BTW, I am very much enjoying BAGATELLE which you sent the other day.

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    1. Geordie was a deerhound. A longdog is a cross between two sighthounds usually a greyhound and perhaps a deerhound or saluki. A lurcher on the other hand is a cross between a sighthound for speed and something like a collie for intelligence. Either is to die for in my doggie opinion.

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