Here is Kingston!

Post Turkey and Kingston

Like a good greyhounds, we slept yesterday. I have to admit creating a blog about Sir Nigel although at first a good idea, I have now realized that it maynot have been a 'great' idea since, let's face it, he sleeps, most of the time and I mean 18 hours a day. He makes our Maine Coon, Kingston, look positively an ultra social glamour puss. He is one of those cats that no matter what he is doing, he is on.
I think I should change the name of the blog to "Where is Sir Nigel? With Glamour Puss Kingston!" or rather avoiding him, since Nigel moved in a little over a year ago, there is definately some clashing personalities. Many sight hounds are a bit more like cats than dogs, this dog is more like a horse. So Kingston likes to say up high so he does not get trampled by this minature race horse. Which is exactly what an exracing greyhound is. Well, I think that I have found a new thread to follow here, maybe we will get down to comparing dog and cat food later.

Visiting the Neighbors

Sir Nigel had his thrice weekly off leash run at the local enclosed DogBone Park. He was in great form, taking off like a bullet to the astonishment of all dog owners. Although the park is a good size, for him, he really does not even get out of second gear, but sprints from one end to the other in something like 4 seconds. I love the dropped jaws as I read their minds 'so that's what a greyhound looks like...'
Sort of, in reality, not even close. They have a double gait, which means that at one point all four paws are off the ground with a complete stretch out of the length of the hound, front paw to rear paw in mid air.
We were having great fun when he started to hold up one paw. The same paw that had a dislocated toe about a month ago, and $450.00 later was all better, or so I thought. So, it looked OK, back home to rest.
We arrive home and what does he do? I open the hatch and out he bolts and takes off for the neighbors, that luckily have an enclosed property, well, pretty much of it.
Jane, my neighbor comes outside as she sees me sneaking past her picture window on my way to her rear patio, we make a plan, while we are outside making plans, her husband starts to bellow, "JANE!" Greyhounds are basically inside dogs, she left the door open and I guess he just walked in like he owned the place, stood perfectly still in the kitchen and I guess scared the you-know-what out of her husband who suddenly looked up to see this big black stature of a dog looking back. FYI he is about 28 inches at the shoulder and then add on a very long neck and head and you are looking at a good size dog, which almost disappears head on.
That is today's adventure. His paw seems fine. I just wish I had a picture of him and my astonished neighbor in their kitchen, maybe next time!

Day Two of Blogging w/Sir Nigel

Sir Nigel is an entitled greyhound rescued from the Tucson, AZ track by Greyhounds Friends for Life. Last night I had to go out and could not leave Nigel alone in the house without barriers. (more on shoes, later...) So he was outside, our yard is totally fenced all the way around on a hill. Ran out for 15 minutes to pick up walk away Chinese and when I came home he was no where to be found. Not a yelp or howl. It was pouring rain.
There is nothing he hates more than getting wet. I screamed, I yelled from all 6 outside doorways, he always comes, or more likely howls like he has his foot caught in a bear trap. This is most distressing to the neighbors, it has been reported, but the splattering rain is all I heard. I was becoming panic stricken. The papers I signed for his adoption sounded like I really did not own him at all, but if I broke any of the agreements, (properly fenced property)he could be forfeited. I thought great, there is a gap in one of the boards from the storm. I got ready to dresss the part of home property investigator, where, why would he be missing? Just then I heard his tags and he romped up a hillside from the deep bamboo forest in the farthest and lowest part of the property. He came inside and he was 'dry'! I do believe his head maybe small but his brain figured it out!
Bamboo is pretty impenetrable as anyone who has macheted their way through it knows, and so dense, yes, it would be good shelter. Sir Nigel does have some logic in his brain! (There has been some discussion on his IQ) If his elevator really goes to the top floor.....and if it does, I guess someone is home part of the time.....
Back to my Chiense dinner and a neighborhood I am sure is grateful he has been found.

Nigel, the 45 mph couch potato, the most laid back companion ever...

I own a 3 year and 3 month old black ex-racer originally named, 'Go Army, Beat Navy.' Come on now, really? I know that greyhound breeders start to run out of names after a number of years of breeding hundreds, yes, hundreds of puppies. But that does not exactly roll off your tongue or stick in your brain as a 'hot' tip in the racing world.  The rescue group, Greyhounds Friends for Life, took some pity and renamed him 'Neven.' What is that? Well, after several revisions, 'Neville, Niven, Evan, etc. some how Nigel stuck with his black coat, white chest and proper posture, how could he not be part of the extended family of Monty Python? He certainly looks the part. All spindly, long legs, knobby ribs and spine with a face completely devoid of emotion. Just a black void with purplish flashes for eyes. Completely invisible in the dark.  Which is why one night he scared a skunk so badly he sprayed running in panic through three of our neighbors yards.

Well this is just an introduction to Nigel, my new best friend, and the gentlest and least demanding of any companion I have ever had the pleasure of spending time with.  Mostly because he is asleep 18 hours a day...really.