Alfie and I were at the dog park the other week when there was a 60 degree day and bright sun. I decided to let him go and run while I would work on my school portfolio at one of the tables in the park. When we got to the park there happened to be a pack of four dogs already running around and playing so off Alfie went, to play with the other dogs. I set up camp at a table and began working and it wasn't long until this guy with a camera came up to me and asked to take my picture for the local paper, the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. I said sure and just went about my business. Then, Alfie, inspired by Gisele Bundchen, decided to climb up to the table and start bashfully playing with my paint brush as I painted, licking my face, turning this way and that and generally hamming it up for the camera. When the guy was done he came over and asked if that was my dog. I told him yep and apparently he has aspirations of becoming an elite fashion model and is never shy in front of a camera. The photographer told me to look in the next day's paper for our picture. Below is what was printed.

Kate Lynch of Little Rock paints while her dog Alfie, a redbone coonhound, keeps an eye on a pack of dogs at Paws Park in Murray Park in Little Rock on Monday afternoon. Lynch was using watercolors and painting from a photograph she took in New Zealand.

When it was printed it was a space filler in the paper on the Arkansas section, thrown in between a story about a fiery bus crash and a convenience store robbery. Alfie could usually care less about visiting with me when he is running around the dog park so I thought it was funny that he decided that day to come over and interact with me all cutesy and what-not. Just so we're clear, it's an act. He's a charlatan, don't trust him for one second. I'm still not clear what his motives were but I believe it might have been to buy a one way ticket to stardom and outta this one horse town. I will keep you apprised.

I thought that the extent of people recognizing me would end at the three people I know here in Arkansas. Turns out, more people read the Dem. Gazette and read the captions of random pictures, than I thought. For instance, I dropped Alfie off at doggie day care (yes day care, I'm not working and I use dog day care, I'm that person) and the first thing the guy at the place said to me was "hey, I saw you guys in the paper!" But they were dog people and had watched Alfie at their center so it wasn't so unusual. About three days later I was throwing some trash into the dumpster in the back lot of my townhouse/apartment unit when Reno (named by me, not his given name), the homeless guy that sifts through the dumpsters for redeemable cans and bottles, scared the living shit out of me and then proceeded to tell me that he had seen my dog in the paper too. At which point he jumped out of the dumpster and started playing with Alfie. I found it a little weird that the dumpster diving homeless guy recognized my dog and knew him by name but I figured it was fine and heck, we're sort of neighbors.

Today I was walking Alfie, the weather was a balmy 25 degrees and we were sliding across and ice sheet that was the intersection near the local bar Juanita's when a gentleman donning bright red pants with chili peppers printed all over and a black bandanna with a confederate flag placed conspicuously in the center of his forehead, crossed the street and met us at the other side.
"Hey, is your dog friendly?" he then bends down and starts petting Alfie and Alfie starts licking the day old salsa off his knees and I needn't say that he was friendly. "Boy he is a good lookin' dog" confederate flag kitchen worker says and I say" thanks, his name is Alfie."
"Alfie?" says kitchen guy, "I saw him in the paper! you're just so cute, yes you are, you are cute, ooohshy, booshy boo...." and this goes on and I'm thinking, hello? I was in the paper too. Aren't I friggin' cute? why don't people cross the street to come and hug me? Why does Alfie always get the overly affectionate conversations and kisses from perfect strangers?

Then later, at the library, I am sitting on a bench outside with Alfie, getting ready to walk home when one of the many homeless guys that patronize the library during the cold months, stopped, looked at me and said "hey girl"
looking up I realized he too recognizes Alfie and wants to wrestle on the frozen ground with him here in front of the library and I say " oh yeah, this is my dog Alfie, you can pet him if you want, I'm sure you've seen him in the paper"
and homeless library guy says "nah girl, i ain't care 'bout your dog, I like your shoes." He smiles at me, winks and walks inside.
So it seems that not everyone is in love with Alfie, some people still notice me and more importantly, my shoes.