Goodbye Hopslam, Goodbye Winter

I love this, but I can't find it anywhere. I even bought new glasses -- brandy snifters! -- because it was served in a snifter the first time I had it. The snifters are in the fruit cellar. The beer, I'm afraid, is gone for the season. There are many things I will miss about winter. Snow, at a certain depth, buries some expectations of the day. It's o.k. not to run, it's o.k. to abandon the laundry (Smartwool can be worn for days!), it's o.k. to work on a poem all day (sunshine inside the house on a February afternoon is almost as glorious as sunshine outside). So I'll miss that about winter. It's a time of year when, even though the days are shorter, they almost feel longer. And, apparently, it's the time of year when you can find Hopslam.

Pedigree Slow Motion (Long version)

Whippet in PetSmart Commercial

Update: The whippet in the ad is FC Onyxx gone With The Wind, Fld Ch, NA, NAJ,
CGC, CD, LCM. Owner is Sally Elliott.

Whippet Racing 1914 (British Pathe Video)

WHIPPET RACING, TROTTING RACE AND DONKEY RACE

(click image to view video on British Pathe)

Whippet Racing, Ireland 1921 (British Pathe Video)

WHIPPET RACING IRELAND

(click on image to view video on British Pathe)

Whippet Racing 1941 (British Pathe Video)

WHIPPET RACING (Dublin issue)

In this video they are using starting boxes.
(click on the image to go to British Pathe to view the video)

Whippet Racing in Dublin, Ireland 1921 (British Pathe Video)

IRISH TROTTING AND WHIPPET RACING

Brief Whippet Racing Clip (British Pathe video)

HERE'S TO THE MEMORY - part 3

Brief whippet racing clip 59 seconds in.

Cardiff Dog Show 1927 (British Pathe video)

GIVE MY DOGGIE A PRIZE, PLEASE

Several whippets being shown by children.

Dogs in London 1944 (British Pathe video)

DOGS (aka CLUB ROW) (issue title - VERY DOGGY!)

Whippet approximately 44 seconds in.

Westminster Dog Show 1964 (British Pathe video)

DOG SHOW IN NEW YORK

Whippet wins Best in Show! Ch Courtenay Fleetfoot of Pennyworth

Queen at Cruft's 1969 (British Pathe video)

CRUFT'S DOG SHOW

Whippet approximately 24 seconds in

Tipperary Cup Meeting at Kisheelan 1921 (British Pathe video)

COURSING SEASON OPENS

A boy and his whippet run across a field, he lets the dog go. Another boy holds two more whippets in the field. Various shots as the dogs run about after hares. Various shots of the spectators, the camera pans across them. M/S of a man on a horse.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=18326

Austin Whippet Biplane 1919 (British Pathe video)

AUSTIN WHIPPET BIPLANE

Another video from British Pathe. I want one of these in my garage...

Whippet Racing 1915 (British Pathe video)

WHIPPET RACING

I love this video from British Pathe located at http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=75709. This is traditional whippet racing that shows what the early dog writers were refering to when they talked about the pick up and throw launch at the starting line and the waving rags at the finish line. Also interesting to note is that the dogs had to stay within their lane.

Fairy Doors

Several weeks ago, Tommy and I went to Ann Arbor for the day to eat good food, look for some carving supplies at Hollander's, go ice skating, eat more good food, and look for fairy doors. We didn't find the carving supplies, but we met a very nice man when we were skating who happens to be friends with the Hollanders. Here is how we know that: We commenced to chat, as my mom would say, and he found out we live in East Lansing. He asked us what else we were doing in Ann Arbor, and I told him we went to Hollander's. He asked if we saw Tom and Cindy. I had not told him our names. We were outside and the scrape of blades on ice made it a little hard to hear when someone who started talking also started skating away at the same time. And so the conversation became quite confusing. I heard, "Tom and Cindy," and I said, "Pardon?" He said "Tom and Cindy!" and I said "Pardon?" This went on for some time until we stopped skating and he said, "Tom and Cindy Hollander! They own the place!" I apologized and then I introduced ourselves and it was all quite funny. We did find fairy doors. They're wonderful!