McKinley: DEERSKIN's Ash

  Asked Shan:

> Is there anywhere we can get a look at these dogs? I always pictured
> Ash the way she looked on the cover of my book...

  Your public library will have a book on dog breeds. Most encyclopedias
will have a bunch of breeds listed in DOGS -- though I see that neither
THE WORLD BOOK nor the ACADEMIC AMERICAN has a picture of Salukis.

  Salukis (someone correct me if I have it wrong) basically look like
Greyhounds, but with kind of odd long, hanging ears. Some are smooth with
little fur, some are "feathered" with more fur. I think it's the same
with Greyhounds...? The fur thing, anyway...

  On page 120 of my copy of DEERSKIN, Lissar realizes both she and Ash
have been transformed. Of Ash, it says

"For the first thing that met Lissar's gaze and understanding was the
silk-furred Ash, whose belly had once shown pink through the light soft
down there, had grown a rich, curling coat like one of the great mad-eyed
wolf-hounds of the far north. She was still silver-fawn; but as she moved
her coat rippled, and when she flung her haed back her long fur fanned out
like a horse's mane."

  In THE READER'S DIGEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF DOGS, the Saluki's coat is
described as smooth, soft, silky. "Slight feathering on legs and backs of
thighs. Occasionally a slight woolly feathering on thighs and shoulders.
Smooth variety has no feathering."

  Of the Borzoi, it says "Long hair, wavy, silky, never woolly. Short and
smooth on head, ears, and front legs; the frill on the neck profuse and
curly. Forelegs and chest well feathered. Hindquarters and tail, long
and profuse feathering. Quality of coat determined by maturity and
seasonal changes."

  In the books I'm poring over, it looks like the Borzoi's ears are
shorter/perkier :) than the hanging ears of Ash, at least as envisioned by
Dawn Wilson on the cover of DEERSKIN.

  As I just got here, I don't know what's on- or off-topic; apologies if
I'm driving you nuts.

  On the other hand, figuring this out seems as legit as figuring out
Damar-ish "history." ??

  kiera
    who just wants an Ash for herself, I guess...

  http://www.angelfire.com/or/coppercorncottage

kierak@teleport.com Forest Grove*Cascadia Bioregion*Oregon*USA

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Received on Thu Apr 23 17:21:08 1998