Spotted Dog

Mr. Hunter chills with a charming spotted dog on the shelves at Liberty.

Liberty

Regent Street

London, England

September 2011

Harrods Pet Kingdom

Mr.  Hunter browsed the Harrods Pet Kingdom.  The store sells plenty of (expensive) pet supplies and accessories, but the most notable pet encounters were the animals themselves.

We encountered this adorable, velvety Shar-pei puppy.  She looked as soft as a teddy bear.  One nearby customer even asked if this puppy was real.  She was real, and her name was Maia.

We also saw a pair of Bengal kittens.

These Bengal kittens cost £1200 each.

Here's some video of the Bengal kittens being spotted and cute:

Harrods Pet Kingdom

London, England

September 2011

Hall of Fame: Mr. Hunter's Seaweed Dreadlocks

How do you like Mr. Hunter's wig?

He found it while strolling along Goose Rocks Beach in Maine.

This is one of my all-time favorite Mr. Hunter photos.

Goose Rocks Beach

Bonus moment: a certain delicate chihuahua sneaks into the photo shoot!

Hi, Grendel!

Goose Rocks Beach

Kennebunkport, Maine

October 2006

Overlooking Quito

On our second day in Ecuador, our guide took us down to Cotopaxi National Park.  As we drove out of Quito, we pulled over at a kind of rest stop that had a panoramic view of the city.

Quito's Old Town is off to the right

The rest stop itself had piles of garbage here and there, and as we made our way across the grass, we had to look out for dog droppings.  There are so many street dogs in Quito, as well as lots of quite skinny dogs who seem to belong to particular homes.  Here's information from Humane Society International about the work they do to help street dogs in Latin America.

These two dogs came out to see us from a nearby home.

We could see puppies and chickens
on top of a building just below.

As we got ready to leave, a different dog emerged from the nearby building.

Quito, Ecuador

June 2011

The Gates of Paradise, Part Two

Mr. Hunter recommends visiting the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, home to the original panels of Lorenzo Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise doors.  It's a light and airy museum that also features some lovely Michelangelo statues, figures from the Duomo cathedral, and a striking statue of Mary Magdalene by Donatello.

Ghiberti's Jacob and Esau panel

I love these dogs from the Jacob and Esau panel!

the courtyard where the original Ghiberti panels are displayed

San Francisco's Grace Cathedral has a lovely site about the specific Ghiberti panels.

Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

Florence, Italy

June 2008

Dwarfed (but not slimed) by a gigantic pooch

On Main Street in Park City, Utah, there's a store called Love Your Pet. 

They sell special pet food, pet accessories, and even paintings and sculptures of dogs.

But the store is also home to several giant Newfoundland dogs.

Here's one sniffing Mr. Hunter now...

At one point some teenage boys came into the store.  Teenager-like, they were interested in the Newfies but also trying to play it cool, more unimpressed than engaged.  That is, until one of the dogs decided to shake itself and sent drool spraying all over the guys.  A total "I've been slimed" moment!  Then the boys laughed hysterically and at the same time let out a collective, "Ewwww!!"

  

Here they are reacting to the slime attack.  The dog who perpetrated the slime is just standing there looking ever so innocent.

And here's another photo of the Newfies, just to give you a sense of just how enormous they were.

Park City, Utah

May 2009