Thoughts on dogs | Revisited

I was at my "other" house last night watering and I always make sure I water the spot where two of my Golden Retrievers are buried. This gets my thinking about those wonderful dogs and friends. And reminded me of an article I wrote in 2004 while the Big Gold Dog was still very much alive, which I like...here it is again.

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"Researchers have recently proven that people who talk to their dogs are cutting-edge communicators, not just a bunch of eccentrics."

Thanks for that, I'm glad to know I'm not just a kook, a complete kook that is. A new German study cited here says that most dogs understand language at a rate the scientists said was equivalent to that of a 3-year-old child...or an ape or dolphin. I'd prefer to communicate with an ape or dolphin more than with most 3 year olds, but that's another story.

I've always known that dogs have an innate ability to understand, and I've always talked to them. I guess that's why I love dogs so much and we've always gotten along. I've only been bitten by one dog in my life....my brother's French poodle. The reason for the bite is quite obvious; he didn't understand what I was saying.

My Golden Retreivers have been amazing in their grasp of the English language however. Ranger, my dear comrade of the late 80's and 90's had quite a range of vocabulary. When I would say "Duck" [as in a waterfowl] he would immediately look up and start searching the sky for a stray gaggle of mallards. He was a retreiver yes, but I had never ever taken him duck hunting nor been around lakes with ducks. Where he got that trait I don't know, genetics maybe. And we had to spell out C-A-T, for if we uttered "CAT" he was at the front door barking furiously for 20 minutes. The same with "SQUIRREL", only this would send him out the back door trying to climb the mulberry tree. If we were, by chance, to utter the word "BATH" in his presence he would slowly start to slink away and if we made a move in his direction he would shift from "slink" to "haul ass" in a nanosecond.

Ranger was also adept in automotive language. Like most Golden Retreivers he relished being in the family bed. My mean and evil Ex Wife did not relish nor allow a 95 lb. dog in the bed. So whenever she would leave in the morning, into bed he would hop. If I came home first drving my Blazer, he would still be in full repose. However if the mean evil EX came home in her Volvo he was out of the linen in a flash. He knew the sound of a Swedish engine better than most humans I know.

The present Big Gold Dog, Tres, is less communicative than Ranger but in a way, smarter about his understanding of language. Tres knows all the words, but he also has me figured out. His dog notes on me read something like:

-Owner: soft touch, easy, pushover; don't have to do a thing he says.
-Important words to respond to: "Chow", "Ride", "Walk", "Treat". Ingore all else.

Actually Tres is more of a talker than a good listener. Thankfully for us, he's the only dog I've ever had that will tell you precisely when he needs to go out and do his duty so we never worry about him. He will go to the back door and utter one single muffled "woof". That's it..."woof", I need to go. If by chance we don't resond quickly enough, there is a second and very loud "Bark". We know then he really has to go. The same procedure applies when he wants to come back in.

Daphne is another matter entirely. Daphne is an Abyssinian Squirrelhound....aka "Mutt". Mutt's are genetically smarter than most other dogs since they most typically are the strays of the world and have had to fend for themselves over the eons. Daphne is as smart as they come, and like a precocious child is generally a wise ass when it comes to language. She understands everything we say, but does not comply with anything we wish, unless she wants to do it. She learned "sit", "lie down" and "roll over", I'm told, after only one or two training sessions. She knows not to dig, bark at squirrels and to stay out of the flower beds. Her reaction to a command to do, or not do, any of these is to run out of leash range and smirk. A very perturbing and frustrating trait in a dog. And when it comes time to scold her with the old favorite "Bad Dog!"....well she just looks the other way like we are talking to some imaginary other dog.

Ranger: good listener.
Tres: good talker.
Daphne: poor communication skills all around.

LeMans winner in Midland

I've been keeping it rather low profile, as some details are still being worked out, but my new job is as Managing Director of Chaparral Partners. Chaparral Partners is a new entity we are forming to market and develop the cars and history of Chaparral Racing in addition to some exciting things we're working on that for now need to be unnamed. A dream job for me, whose idol as a kid was Jim Hall.

We will be working directly with the Petroleum Museum and it's Chaparral Gallery on most projects. And one of the first is just too cool. Starting around the 1st of next April we will have on loan from the Henry Ford Museum, the Ford GT40 Mark IV, above, which won LeMans in 1967*. Cool enough, but the car was owned by Carroll Shelby and driven to victory by two of racing's biggest legends, Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt. Having a good contact in Dan Gurney's personal assistant, I've asked her to put this event on his calendar...and through other contacts we hope to have both Shelby and Foyt attend also. Nothing guaranteed, but we're hopeful. If it works out....a world class racing event on March 26th, the target for our exhibit kickoff gala.

*It was on the winners podium at this race, that Dan Gurney became the first driver, ever, to spray the crowd with the winners champagne instead of drinking it. A tradition continued in every motor sport today.

Woodstock: Peace, Love and Music.

Woodstock was in full swing on this date. One of the best and most memorable performances was by Joe Cocker. I have to say I'm glad to know that Joe is alive and well today, living in Colorado. As he appears in this video, he looks like he was one of those guys who was not going to survive the excesses of the 60's.

Birthday Remembered...

Today is my Dad's birthday. He would have been 86 years old. For most of his life he was active, interesting and loved sports. I like to remember him that way....especially with golf clubs.

Woodstock | Jimi Hendrix

To Me, probably no performer says Woodstock more than Jimi Hendrix, a guitar genius. Today, people think of Jimi as typifying the Hippie drug culture. Drugs yes, they killed him, but few people know that Hendix had served in the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division and was a fairly partiotic guy.

Wind Power....

As I have watched whole areas of West Texas become overwhelmed with wind farms, I've wondered, in point of fact, just how well these are working as a potential solution to future energy problems. Wind turbines are widely "touted" by those putting them up as the basic building block in our Green future. But those putting these monsters up atop scenic mesas are also hoping to cash in on our green future. So, has anyone done factual studies on their viability?

In Australia they have and have come up with some interesting findings about the true value of wind farms.... Wind farms downunder

Woodstock | Plus 40

In two weeks, it will be the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. Hard to believe. The Summer of Peace and Love not withstanding, it was a seminal event with some of the world's best rock musicians. Fitting that it occured in 1969, because to me, this was the year that the original and classic rock n' roll ended. In the 70's and afterward it was different, losing it's free spirited, hard driving enthusiasm to commercialism which ended up, temporarily, ending music as we know it with.....Disco. I'll be playing clips of some other classic performances in coming days. But above, probably my favorite....Santana. Rock on...!