Shirley Temple Hair

Owners look like their dogs and vice versa. Dogs and their keepers adapt to one another, so their appearances bear a resemblance. I saw look-a-likes in dog and mistress the other day. I viewed the canine and human from behind. The dog and mistress waddled their backsides slightly, not too much just a bit. As my eyes moved up, I observed the most remarkable similitude. The woman and the dog sported the curliest light brown hair I have ever seen. The shade was apricot, the description used for blondish—brownish poodles. The woman’s hair was the identical cheerful color, not like an apricot more the crust on a perfectly baked baguette or wheat shimmering in the sun. Small ringlet curls about two inches long covered their head and body respectively, perfect curlicues, not frizzy in the least. The spirals bounced. I was astounded. Did the woman copy her dog’s curls? The dog appeared to be a poodle mix, probably the very popular Labradoodle (yellow Labrador Retriever mated with Standard Poodle). Everyone who is anyone has one now. Of course, not me. I always picked rescue dogs, and these popular mixes were already spoken for or never abandoned. Or was the dog owner always a blondish-brownish curly haired person? Is that why she selected the breed? Upon closer inspection, I realized that the woman needed a haircut. The dog’s hair was actually better groomed. These are the crazy sights on my daily walks. Most people do not notice these quirky occurrences. The woman with the curly hair is probably reasonably affluent. Her clothes looked classy and coordinated. She wore a stylish, black down coat and hip high top black sneakers; and the dog, of course, is not cheap, since the combination breeds with poodles are very popular. As the woman walked along the brick path, bordered by a stone wall, I guessed she was headed for one of the beautiful brick brownstones that remind me of being in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Most people do not think of lovely brownstones when they think about Northern Ireland. However, when I visited Belfast, my hotel was near a university which was situated in an area of well-maintained townhouses. I wonder if the woman is happy and healthy? I did not see any indication of her emotional or physical states. She walked at a good pace on a brisk, sunny March day which told me she valued exercise to some degree. And that was it. Gone into the distance, out of my field of vision. I have not seen her again.