Ginger and I go to the races

 Ginger (my Irish setter) and I were invited to help out at the Aiken Junior SPCA 'paddock playground' at the Aiken Steeplechase today. (This was the18th Running of the Aiken Fall Steeplechase.) It was raining this morning, but cleared up around lunchtime. Ginger was a big hit with the hordes of children who came by the booth to have their faces painted ... she was supposed to also do some 'serious' pet therapy work by having the kids read to her, which she has done before at other events ... inside. The combination of lots of kids, other dogs, horses, and the smell of food and treats, well, Ginger wasnt particularly interested in laying down quietly. (Though the kids weren't interested in reading, either:-) But oh, she does love children, from babies to teens, and is so very gentle with them, licks babies faces, nuzzles little girls necks, play bows to little boys. We walked around the track several times, and she was a perfect lady, met several folks who told me their "Irish setter stories', everyone commented on how beautiful she is (well, she is). She could have been adopted out a dozen times (I was wearing my SPCA Tshirt) ... I explained she was mine (or I am hers, actually) and told her story (Ginger is my girl who kept escaping from prior owners and ended up down the road from me at All God's Creatures old location... where she jumped the fence and made it to my front gate, where she waited til my husband came home and jumped into his truck and rode regally into her 'chosen home'.) That was a little over a year ago, and she has been a joy and a delight, a welcome addition to my little pack. We got home around 5PM, the rest of the girls were impatiently awaiting our return, and got a nice long run before dark.