Out and About Around Town

June  11, 2016

Beauty is everywhere in this world.  

We just have to find it.

~ Me.

This gorgeous dog with his well-marked unusual quilt-like coat was the last one to be chosen from his litter.  Thankfully, he has a loving owner who adores him and recognizes his mottled beauty.  So truly original.  He has a kind and gentle personality to match his soft coat.  His owner said a lot of people tell him this.  This young dog is a good old soul.  

I asked his owner if he is a Catahoula, we seem to be meeting a lot of them out and about here.  Their distinctive coat is eye-catching. Before landing in North Carolina, I never saw this breed.  Curisoity has gotten the better of me.  

I found this on Wikipedia:

Both the Catahoula lineage and the origins of the name "Catahoula" are uncertain, but there are various theories.

One theory posits that the Catahoula is the result of Native Americans having bred their own dogs with molossers and greyhoundsbrought to Louisiana by Hernando de Soto in the 16th century. As for the aforementioned Native American dog breeds, for a time it was believed that they were bred with or from red wolves, but this idea is not supported by modern DNA analysis. Several recent studies^[1] have looked at the remains of prehistoric dogs from American archaeological sites and each has indicated that the genetics of prehistoric American dogs are similar to European and Asian domestic dogs rather than wild New World canids. In fact, these studies indicate that Native Americans brought several lines (breeds) of already domesticated dogs with them on their journeys from Asia to North America.^[2]

Another theory suggests that the breed originated three centuries later, some time in the 19th century, after French settlers introduced the Beauceron to the North American continent. The French told of strange-looking dogs with haunting glass eyes that were used by the Indians to hunt game in the swamp.,^[3] and the theory states that the Beauceron and the Red Wolf/war dog were interbred to produce the Catahoula.

There are two theories regarding the origin of the word 'Catahoula.' One theory is that the word is a combination of two Choctaw words 'okhata', meaning lake, and 'hullo', meaning beloved. Another possibility is that the word is a French transformation of the Choctaw Indian word for their own nation, 'Couthaougoula' pronounced 'Coot-ha-oo-goo-la'.(Don Abney)

In 1979, Governor Edwin Edwards signed a bill making the Catahoula the official state dog of Louisiana in recognition of their importance in the history of the region.^[4]

 These dogs are super cool, laid back and 

have outstanding markings.

We meet a lot of them.  They're very calm and sociable.  They often have swimming pool blue eyes which always make me swoon from the hips down to my knees and sweep me off my feet.  The eyes are so gorgeous.  Their coloring is a head-turner.  I've never seen a dog with such interesting shades. Oftentimes, the coat resembles an Appaloosa horse, with the dark shades of hair more coarse and recessed.

Wandering around this area of Western North Carolina, we see lovely, simple sights.  Sometimes we drive past them, sometimes we have to screech on the brakes and take a photo.  I have to teach myself to stop more often.  I miss things I would like to reflect upon later.

Sunny Point Cafe's Gardens are bulging with purpleness (my fave color) and several cars stopped to photograph the colorful sidewalk display of larkspur the other day.  There was a lineup of people blown away by the purple offerings.

                              

Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it.

~ Confucious.

 

Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, 

for beauty is God's handwriting.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

These are a few photos of The Basilica of Saint Lawrence; we stopped in here one hot and hazy afternoon.  
We're spiritual but not confined by organized religion.
This fabulous Basilica is a place not to miss in Asheville.

                                 

This is a calming, soothing place.  As I entered, I was overcome with the surreal, quiet and peaceful aura.  I pondered to think of all the cleverly trained crafts-people who devoted much time of their lives, groups of Italian stone masons and sculptors, who worked for a pittance to create this incredible place for people to enter and to relax and focus.  For centuries, this will be treasured.  I am thankful I was able to experience a few moments of my life to enjoy it.

 

The cool stone foundations are grounding and soothing.

The brightly colored stained glass windows take your breath away.

                          

The more often we see the things around us - even the beautiful and wonderful things - the more they become invisible to us. That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world: the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds - even those we love. Because we see things so often, we see them less and less.

~Joseph B Wirthlin.

Recently, we met Wrinkles, a sweet, 

treasured family member of 15 years.

Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder.  She has lost her vision from a cat attack and another incident, but she is a confident, fun-loving graceful elder and dearly loved by her family.  

Wrinkles is a gift and she is loved for who she is.

Beauty comes from within.