Re: [PyrNet-L] : Thanks giving

[JGentzel@aol.com]

Tomorrow, November 25, 1999 is Thanksgiving in the United States.  I day set 
aside to give thanks.  Traditionally a day to give thanks for the harvest of 
the past year.  

I have many things to give thanks for in connection with Great Pyrenees, 
Pyrenean Mountain Dogs, Montagne des Pyrenees, or whatever you call the breed 
in your country.  I am thankful for:

The many people who work so hard for the benefit of the breed;

To the many Shepherds over the many centuries  who developed and admired the 
breeds beauty, innate intelligence, sensitivity, and predator aggressive 
behavior when called upon;

The efforts of Monsieur Dretzen and Count de Bylandt who at least partially 
rescued the breed in the early 1900s from impending extinction;

To all the French breeders who endured extreme hardship through two world 
wars to bring the breed through these rough times;

To Monsieur Senac-Lagrange whose inspired leadership in the middle of the 
1900s established what we admire as the breed type;

To Monsieur Senac-Lagrange's friend and cohort, Monsieur Alexandra 
Cazaux-Moutou of "de Soum" who took the breed to its pinnacle as far as breed 
type.  Who linebred a line that we can see even today in our dogs;

To Mary Crane who imported over 60 dogs out of harms way just before the 
second World War and her love, devotion, and talented leadership her whole 
life to the breed;

To Madame Harper who was instrimental (along with many others) in 
safeguarding the breed through the second world war and the establishment of 
the breed in England and I am sure played a major role in Australia and New 
Zealand as well as Holland, etc.;

To Marjorie Butcher of Cote de Neige, a uniquely talented breeder, who saw 
and reproduced the correct Pyr:

To her student, Edith Smith who for over 40 years,  with her husband Seaver, 
arguably, established the greatest breeding line in the history of the breed, 
Quibbletown;

I am thankful that I can still find enough Quibbletown "blood" to use in my 
breeding program;

That I can see in my dogs the likeness of the old de Soum dogs in Mary 
Crane's wonderful books;

I am thankful that I have a computer and a computer program that confirms 
that the dogs that I like, have historical reason to be liked as they go back 
to, first, Quibbletown and, then, to  de Soum in important ways;

For Seaver Smith for being such a good friend and teacher these past years;

For the contempory French breeders who inspire and humble me with their 
talents and enthusiasm in their breeding programs;

For all my friends and acquaintances the world over who enrich my daily life 
with their love and devotion to this unique dog of the Mountains; 

For those old dogs who are not going to be with us much longer, who exhibit 
such devotion and dignity in those last failing days, weeks,  and months;

Most of all I am thankful to this special breed who inspires so many of us to 
spend our entire lives and fortunes in its behalf.