The moving, inspiring story of Al, the ungainly, unruly, irresistible Newfoundland puppy who grows up to become a daring rescue dog and super athlete—part of Italy's elite, highly specialized corps of water rescue dogs who swoop out of helicopters and save lives.Lynne Cox—acclaimed best-selling author of Swimming to Antarctica—is internationally famous for swimming the world’s most difficult waterways without a wet suit, and able to endure water temperatures so cold that they would kill anyone else, recognizes and celebrates all forms of athleticism in others, human or otherwise. And when she saw a video of a Newfoundland dog leaping from an airborne helicopter into Italian waters to save someone from drowning, Cox was transfixed by the rescue, and captivated by the magnificence, physicality, and daring of the dog. Tales of Al is the moving, inspiring story of Cox’s adventures on Italy’s picturesque Lake Idroscalo, as witness to the rigorous training of one of these spectacular dogs at SICS, the famed school that has taught hundreds of dog owners how to train their dogs—Newfoundlands, German shepherds, and golden retrievers—for this rescue operation. Cox writes about coming to know the dog at the book’s center, Al herself, from puppyhood, an adorable but untrainable chocolate Newfoundland—about the dreams, expectations, disappointments, and vision of her trainer and about realizing the dog’s full potential; striving with all of her canine might to become an expertly trained, highly specialized water rescue dog. Biografía del autor LYNNE COX was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and grew up in Los Alamitos, California. She set open-water swimming records all over the world, swimming without a wet suit. She was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Her articles have appeared in many publications, among them The New Yorker, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine. Cox lives in Long Beach, California. Extracto. © Reimpreso con autorización. Reservados todos los derechos. 1Hot Chocolate and BethThe hot summer sun set, the humidity was high, and the mosquitoes and black flies were humming as the moon rose above the slowly swaying pine trees along the edge of Snow Pond in Maine. It was time to escape from the heat and weight of the world and go swimming.I jogged from the family camp across the soft lawn in my swimsuit with sweat sliding down the backs of my knees, hair sticking to my head, swatting mosquitoes, and breathing in black flies. I dove off the wooden dock into the water.A cool breeze as soft as a whisper flowed over my body and suddenly my hands cracked the surface of the inky black pond. Water exploded around me and I felt myself gliding deeper and deeper into the blackness. My body was absorbed by the darkness and sounds above the water were extinguished. It was so peaceful. I only heard my heart beating and my breath rising in a slow stream of silvery bubbles. My body was suddenly light. I felt like I was floating in a dream. I was seven years old and in a state of awe.There was something magical and thrilling about being in the pond at night when the colors of the world disap-peared and the water and land became shades of black, white, gray, and sparkling silver. Shapes, lines, textures, and light became more abstract; it was like stepping into a black and white photograph. In the darkness I could merge with the water and the world and feel a deeper connection to both.My arms were outstretched, giving me balance, and my feet were dangling below. I sensed something moving around my feet, fanning the water and moving close. Suddenly I felt it nibbling on my little toe. I jumped, screamed, and kicked my feet as whatever it was started sucking harder, and I tried to pull my toe from its mouth. And then I felt a swarm of creatures nibbling all of my toes. Fraught with fear, I frantically pulled to the surface, sprinted to the dock, curled my le
- Libro Impreso
- Edición:
- Editorial: Vintage
- Autor: Cox, Lynne
