ALL IN THE BEAUTIFUL MONTH OF MAY

One of my first ever animal portraits of my own first dog; a golden cocker spaniel with her constant companion Random.  Random was named after the Random Inn pub in Naas where she lived.  When she discovered our house and garden she used to come for a social visit and a few hours sleep in one of the dogs beds.  Her owner was retiring from the Inn and asked my mother if the dog -known to her as Towser, could stay with us .  Of course we were delighted.  Random lived with us from then on, but returned to the pub for her dinner every day - the food was more to her taste.  She took Sheeba, the cocker spaniel under her wing and the pair slept entwined , like the eternity symbol except in black and gold rather than black and white.  
Sheeba was a wild spirit, a tree climber, loved chasing gulls across the rocks at Lahinch and her show name was Lucia of the Maybush, being born on May 1st.  The year I brought her to the Cocker Show in Dublin she won hands down, the judges delighting in her happy friendly nature.