We were thinking about the word Spot. There must be 101 ways to
use it. Some people see Spots and when driving there can be a Blind
Spot. One can Spot something in the distance or go to a HotSpot.
Other’s buy Spot remover. We sometimes wonder if we are in the
right Spot. And still others drink a Spot of tea. In nature, Spots
are often needed for camouflage. Anyway, those thoughts lead us to
wonder why the Dalmatian had spots.
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With its unique spots, no dog is
more easily identified than a Dalmatian. It is also the only
known animal to be born pure white, the spots appearing some
10 to 14 days later. Why the distinctive marking? Camouflage
possibly, for a dog bred to hunt in desert country, where the
white coat blends with the sand and the spots are lost among
the pebbles. Did you know that Dalmatians have spots on their
tongues and on the pads of their feet?
Then we wondered why and how the Dalmatian became the Fire House
mascot -
"Dalmatians have always gotten along well with horses," says
Esmeralda Treen of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a recognized authority on
the breed. "Horses are gregarious and feel the need for company.
You can't leave them alone too long. Dalmatians take to horses and
become 'companions'. Back in the stagecoach days, the 'Dals' would
run alongside the coaches, or under the rear axle of the moving
coach. They'd keep up with the team as far as it ran, sometimes
over 20 or 30 miles a day. " When the coached reached the inn, the
coachman left the dog to guard the team as well as luggage in the
coach," Esmeralda explains. "IF the coachman stayed to guard, a
robber would sometimes distract him in conversation while others
pilfered the goods. They couldn't pull that ruse on the Dal, since
they're very alert dogs." When horse numbers grew here in the New
World, the number of Dalmatians grew with it for the same reason
they were popular in the Old Country. And, since every firehouse
back then had a set of fast horses to pull the pumper wagon, it
became common for each group of firemen to keep a Dalmatian. Again,
the spotted dogs not only guarded the firehouse horses, they kept
them company during their long, boring waits between fires. And,
when they took off for a fire, the dog would run alongside the
pumper.
You will be looking for a one quart container. Good luck and
hope you find the right Spot! Cache contains an FTF dollar
bill.
FTF -
MARTINATIME