The Labrador Retriever is a strongly built, medium-sized, short-coupled, dog possessing a sound, athletic, well-balanced conformation that enables it to function as a retrieving gun dog; the substance and soundness to hunt waterfowl or upland game for long hours under difficult conditions; the character and quality to win in the show ring; and the temperament to be a family companion. Physical features and mental characteristics should denote a dog bred to perform as an efficient Retriever of game with a stable temperament suitable for a variety of pursuits beyond the hunting environment.
The most distinguishing characteristics of the Labrador Retriever are its short, dense, weather resistant coat; an "otter" tail; a clean-cut head with broad back skull and moderate stop; powerful jaws; and its "kind," friendly eyes, expressing character, intelligence and good temperament.
When an animal shares my domain it becomes a permanent member of my family and is given unconditional love for the rest of its life. Lady is one of my children. This Lady is the second four legged Lady to share my Life the first one died over three years ago. Lady 1 was the best companion I ever had and Lady 2 is doing a pretty good job filling her paws.
I hunted through pictures of dogs for a long time trying to find out what kind a breed Charley was. I finally come to the conclusion that my Charley is a mongrel (mutt)
This is my Charley! He's the sweetest thing on four legs. In the background is my Lady.
Charley likes to bark but he doesn't bite. Charley is also one of my kids. Not much Trivia on Charley. A "pure bred" dog is a group of dogs that look alike and are the product of parents with a similar appearance and which, when mated together, reproduce their kind. A mongrel or Mutt is a dog whose parents are unknown or is not considered to be pure bred. Poor boy but take it from me you're as good as any pure bred can be.
My Lady and Charley can tell me more in just a few seconds by wagging their tails then most humans can tell if they wag their tongues all day.
A dear friend (Tina) sent me this picture of a black Lab.
The birth of the Morgan breed
The Morgan Horse - An American Legend
Justin Morgan was a living legend. In the manner of so many heroes, he began as an unremarkable colt and became the father of an entire breed of horses recognized for quality and dependability.
Born in 1789, Justin Morgan started life as a small, rough-coated colt known as "Figure." In 1791, he left his birthplace in Springfield, Massachusetts with his new owner, the soft-spoken schoolteacher Justin Morgan, by whose name the stallion eventually became known. Although his breeding was unknown (thought to be of Dutch, Thoroughbred, or Arabian breeding), the quality of Justin Morgan's ancestry showed in his straight clean legs; deep muscling over his quarters and shoulders; and fine, intelligent head with large expressive eyes and short, pricked ears. Add to these the quality of his movement, a thick but silky mane and tail, and a clean-cut throatlatch, and you have the conformation of the ideal light horse. Despite these fine qualities, Justin Morgan's lack of size was such that his debt-ridden owner found no buyers on their journey north to Randolph Center, Vermont. It was simply fate that no one but, his new owner realized what a little giant he was.
Well, I can't leave out my other four legged family. My family of stray cats. Every morning and every evening I feed and offer love to all the homeless felines in my neighborhood. I've even given them names. They're wild and won't let anyone near them except for me. Yes!! I consider them part of my family.
Cat Having Kittens
A placental mammal, the cat gives birth to young that have developed inside her body. Nine weeks after fertilization, hormones stimulate the cat’s uterus to contract and expel the kittens. Here, one kitten has already been born. The next can be seen emerging from the birth canal of the mother, shrouded in the amniotic sac that encloses each developing kitten in the womb. When the membrane breaks, the young animal takes its first breath of air. The mother licks the newborn clean and dry and chews through the umbilical cord still connecting it to the placenta. Another kitten is born within half an hour, by which time the first two, blind but not helpless, have smelled and felt their way to their mother’s belly to begin feeding. The placenta, or afterbirth, follows the last kitten. In the wild the mother eats this organ, both to obtain valuable nourishment when she is tired and immobile and to eliminate the smell of blood so attractive to predators.
This next one doesn't have four legs but I include him in my animal kingdom. This would be Almighty Cash the mighty bald eagle. Go to the directory and you'll find the story. Almighty Cash keeper of the skies. The Almighty Bald Eagle.
The bald eagle was designated as the national bird of the United States in 1782. Its name does not imply a lack of feathers, but instead is derived from the word piebald, meaning “marked with white.” The bald eagle reigns as the second-largest bird of prey in North America, after the California condor.
We sure can't leave out the King
The largest member of the cat family The mighty lion. Who's size and strength have captured human imagination since ancient times, when they were given the nickname king of beasts. Lions are also known for their mighty roar, a fearsome sound that can be heard by humans more than five miles away. I've always admired the Lions dominating appearance he really has the stature of a true King.
Adult male lions can be as much as 50 percent larger than females, but it is to other males that they must appear threatening. Their manes make them appear bigger without adding weight. If a smaller male realizes he is at a disadvantage, a confrontation may end without a fight. In the event of an attack, the mane also serves to snag or cushion the impact of an opponent’s claws and teeth. Although lions are now protected from sport hunting, they are increasingly threatened by the disappearance of land and food as humans encroach upon their habitat.
Now here's a magnificent creature. Beautiful, graceful and another favorite of mine. The one and only Jaguar, considered to be the largest American cat.
The jaguar is found from the southern United States to northern Argentina, but it is especially abundant in the dense forests of Central America and Brazil. A mature jaguar is about six feet long, not including the tail, which is two to three feet in length. It stands two feet high at its shoulders. Its coat is a rich yellow to rusty-red, and occasionally black, spotted with large black rosettes, each consisting of a circle of spots surrounding a central spot. The head and body are massive, and the legs are relatively short and thick. An adept climber and an excellent swimmer. In the pre-Columbian civilizations of Peru and Central America, it was worshiped as a god. .