REFLECTIONS

The Beagle Collection

These are three of a collection of 56 Beagles. Collecting, is that something we as a society still do, or is it something lost in the generations? What do you do with collections left from the passing of their owners? This is the conundrum for me today. The Beagles came in a group of dirty boxes from their last storage place. Which Beagles were in the boxes was the first question. The next question was their value, if any.

After unwrapping the precious figurines and finding all in good shape with the exception of Number one the task is to determine their new residence. The broken pieces of Beagle Number One wrapped separately indicated that the damaged had occurred prior to the journey to my house. One of the Beagles was separated by time, space and sheer size and weight…a life-sized concrete Beagle puppy resides in a different house. He was never packed up with the rest. His weight would have crushed the others and he was kept at my mother’s house for many years. Children and Grandchildren of that household enjoyed his novelty and the telling the story of the rest of the pack.

The Full Story is Missing

The book that was used to preserve the details of the collection was misplaced through the years. Knowing the importance of each number assigned to the various members of the pack could have assisted in determining their next home.

The Beagles came to me as I share my grandfather’s love the independent hounds. I have three Beagles rescues. One of my current pack is barking at me now. He has determined that his evening meal is being served later than he desires. I tend to enjoy the company of Beagles, except at meal time, when they are most vocal.

Long before the concept of breeding for profit, my grandfather bred his dogs for color and ability to work. In my youth I had the opportunity to meet the last of his pups, Ruby. She was all brown or red in the color of her name. In my youth Ruby was near her life’s end. The Beagle figurines, I believe, started shortly thereafter.

Reflections on what these China, bisque, and pottery dogs, pups and groups call to my mind is the thought for this page. There are no resin examples in the grouping as this medium wasn’t used until after the collection was completed. The Beagles were gifts for someone for whom gifts or presents were no longer needed. Like Ruby, he too was near his life’s end, yet the joy of giving and receiving was still important.

Reminders

At this point the Beagles are reminders that my grandparents were simple hardworking people. Their children learned these values and taught them to their children as well. At this point my siblings and cousins are the old timers from this family. Time and distance haven’t allowed us to gather as we did when the Beagles were new. We are a generation of successful individuals because of our parents and grandparents. So, this little collection of Beagles has value in reminding us of the past. I have a plan to share the pack and their ability to represent a simple reminder of the past.