The Different Breeds Of DogsWritten by Wendy Yeager
The American Kennel Club recognizes 150 different dog breeds. There are seven different groups in which dog can belong. They are assigned to one of groups based on what breed of dog was originally developed for. There is also a miscellaneous group if dog doesn’t fit into one of seven. The seven different dog groups are as follows. The first is sporting group. These dogs were developed to work with people who hunted birds. A Labrador Retriever would fit into this group. Labs can also be beneficial as guide dogs and in search and rescue. The second group is hound group. These dogs were developed to hunt using their scent and sight. This group includes Whippet, which is fastest domestic animal of their size. They can run up to 35 mph. Thirdly, is working group, which includes Saint Bernard. They have been known for hundreds of years for their rescue work in Alps. Other dogs in this group are useful for herding or guarding. The fourth group is terrier group, first developed to hunt vermin. The Australian Terrier, one of smallest terriers, is a part of this group. They were developed to work side by side
| | The Sadness of Old BuildingsWritten by Gary E. Anderson
The Sadness of Old Buildings (From book No Smooshing!) Gary E. Anderson www.abciowa.comFor years, I’ve carried on a not-so-friendly debate with some of my artist friends from West Coast about their ideas of what constitutes a good subject. We seem to be able to agree on certain things, like apples and oranges—and even certain landscapes. But when it comes to their paintings of dilapidated old farm buildings, we part company. Some folks see rundown farmhouses and caved-in barns as romantic. Artists paint pictures of buildings with weathered boards, leaning at impossible angles—and people take those paintings home and hang them on their walls. But for me, I see those same abandoned farmsteads as unspeakably sad. After all, each one of those boarded up farmhouses represents death of someone’s hopes and dreams for future of their children and themselves. I get same sad feeling whenever I pass through a small town that was once a thriving place, full of life and activity, but now sits empty and lifeless, slowly crumbling back into black earth from which it sprang. Last week, I was lost on some back road (not an unusual situation for me) when I came across just such a ghost town. There was no name that I could see, but there were three buildings, huddled next to each other against prairie wind, and I could still make out some faded letters above their doors. The first one had been a general store, second a garage, but it was third building that captured my imagination. On its side was printed word “Hotel.”
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