a Taj MuttHall Dog Diary: Erikson v. Columbus

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Erikson v. Columbus


SUMMARY: History ain't what it used to be.

Remember when we were in school (not sayin' when) and we celebrated Columbus Day1 with fanfare and little construction-paper cut-outs of the Nina, Pinto, and Santa Domingo? Because, after all, Chris discovered the New World?2 Well, along about 1964 we apparently realized that someone else had been here a whole 400 years earlier "opening new frontiers"2, and Congress officially authorized the President of the U.S. to recognize Leif Erikson Day every Oct 9, which he has faithfully done ever since.

(1 Remember the cute little rhyme to help you learn your important dates? "In fourteen hundred and ninety-three, Columbus sailed the deep blue sea"? See how well you remember now?)

(2 Never mind those hundreds of millions of inconvenient half-naked uncivilized aboriginals who'd been hopping around the forest in their mocussinass for the last 20,000 years.)

What, you might ask, does this have to do with agility or dogs? Well, I'm getting there-- see, I've now spent half an hour googling "national (a variety of random things) day" and feeling a warm, cheery glow about all the things that are available for us to celebrate. Sure, you can mark your calendars for National Mutt Day on Dec 2! (Sorry, Boost, I couldn't find a National Border Collie Day.)

But here's the thing: There's no National Dog Agility Day?! I'm hereby proposing creating such a thing. I'll make a web page for it and everything. But I need to pick a date. Anyone have any good suggestions for what date and why?

P.S. Isn't it nice how Boost's hat matches BOTH her eyes? You wish you had it so good!

4 comments:

  1. I'm duly impressed that you have such cool hats just laying around your house.

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  2. I used to want to have a billion kinds of hats, because I figured they'd always be useful for SOMETHING. And they always have been. At least for an emergency halloween costume. Both of these were garage-sale finds for maybe $1.

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  3. I'm impressed your dog will let you put a hat on his head! No way would Katie allow such a thing! Good job Boost!

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  4. Both were very good girls. Tika was much easier because the hat was flexible and flumpy and so could be shaped to her head (although it still slid off if she moved suddenly or tipped her head). Boost's viking hat was hard and round, and her head is decidedly not round, so it was basically balancing on two points and the slightest twitch sent it tumbling. This involved many attempts and some tricky work with the camera. She finally solved the problem by putting her head down and refusing to move again until I was done.

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