Warning. If you don't like Snowdogs, look away now. Come back another time. The following post is dogs. Dogs. More dogs. We saw lots of dogs. Starting with this one.
This is Essence of the North, painted by Geoff Chappell.
This one, outside the Theatre Royal, is Arthur, painted by Jeff Rowland.
And this one, at Monument, is Rosa Canina, painted by Sue Guthrie.
I did warn you there would be a lot of dogs.
And then, finally, I completed the challenge. I found a white dog and I photographed it. It's true that it wasn't a living dog. And it's true that it wasn't a Scottie dog. But it was a dog. And it was pure white apart from its eyes and nose.
This is Roodle, painted by Isy Langhorne.
The quest was complete. But was that enough for me? Oh no. Of course not. Seriously, if you're not a big fan of snowdogs stop reading. We continued on our journey. Maybe there would be more dogs. Of course there were - and there are even more than these in the centre of Newcastle. I wish it wasn't so tempting to go and see them all and then walk to the Quayside where there are more, and then past The Sage and into Gateshead. And then get a bus to Washington. And then head to the Angel of The North and come back via Saltwell Park, taking care to remember to visit Gosforth too on the way home. And then to head out the next day to both South and North Shields, take a detour to Wallsend, reverse course to Tynemouth and Cullercoats and then come home via Longbenton. Before going back to Sunderland the next day. Via Seaburn. And then, because that might not fully satisfy, go on a hunt for all the little snowdogs too in eighteen indoor locations.
We walked on:
This is The Dog Father, painted by Jenny Leonard.
And then we walked into Newcastle Central Library. I knew there was a little snowdog there. I didn't know there would be all these:
Blob and Winefride had an excellent time playing with the dogs. Winefride loved the colours on this one.
This winged dog is called Rio and was painted and decorated by children from Ponteland Primary School.
Both Blob and Winefride decided that this dog, painted by children from the Education Centre for Children With Down's Syndrome, was very special indeed. Blob and Winefride are also "Same But Different." I think they both loved seeing that message.
Winefride would probably have stayed huddled up to the dog, called Star, all day if she had been given the opportunity.
We left the library ready to go home. But that wasn't the end of it. On Northumberland Street we encountered another dog.
This is Hound's Tooth, painted by Damien Jeffrey.
We wandered past the shops and in one of them we spotted another pure white dog - so a photo had to be taken.
We walked on further and encountered this creature. This is Psychedelic Snowdog, painted by Rebecca Reed.
Blob Thing wanted to continue looking for Snowdogs but I wanted my lunch. It was already late. He wanted to go back to one he saw at the Civic Centre but I was adamant. And now of course he's trying to get me to go back. He says that he only saw eleven of the full size snowdogs that day so there are nearly another fifty of them to see and he wants to go and see them. He says we've got to go and see them soon because they will all be gone by the end of November and, he tells me, it's already November. I think I knew that without him telling me.
One last dog. Before returning home I took this photo. I thought it was only right and proper that I should grab a shot of an actual living dog. It wasn't white. It wasn't a little Scottie dog. But it was a dog.
I had succeeded in the revised challenge. I had found a white dog. But the original challenge remained in my head. If ever I saw that little white dog, a photo could be taken. One day. Perhaps.
I can promise you that the next blog post will not just be a series of photos of snowdogs. I promise. I do solemnly swear. Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. I vow to thee my readers.
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