Monday, February 8, 2010

Going Gray

My grandmother colored her hair until the day she passed away. A true believer of feminine upkeep, she went every week to the beauty shop to have her hair set. She slept in a hairnet until throughout the week to protect the curls. She wore a rain cap to keep from getting the smallest bit of moisture in her hair - be it rain or the bath water. Monthly she had her beautition put color on her hair, transforming her grays to a warm chocolate brown. In fact, I never saw a gray peek through.

I guess some of this has rubbed off on me as I panic a bit when I see a gray in the mirror. I used to pull them out, but then I realized that I'll be bald before I get them all. I seem to get more every day. So, now I color. Right now I prefer a hint of red in my hair instead of my natural mousy brown.

Every now and then I look at my girls and study their faces, looking for traces of their age. I mean, they're not spring chickens any longer. At 6.5 and 5.5 they are, like me, approaching middle age. In the two short years we've had Roxy she has grayed considerably. Her once dark chocolate face is much lighter and I expect it to get even more so.

2008:

      
2010:

Seka on the other hand, must have really great genes. She has very few grays on her face. Compared to other black dogs her age at greyhound gatherings, Seka could pass for 3 years old! Her muzzle is the same as it was when we brought her home five years ago.

2005:
 

2010:


But I guess we all show our age in our own way. I noticed after the girls' quarterly bath that Seka was getting a hint of salt and pepper to her coat. It just happened to be on her bum. That's right... she has about 8 gray hairs on her back end near the base of her tail. That's not very distinguished. I guess we'll have to get the black magic marker out after all.

13 comments:

Amy said...

I'd be bald with you! I blame mine on my human children...;)

Kim Morris said...

LOL... Tiny is also aging very gracefully (you'd never know she was NINE!). She has started to develop some grey on her eyebrows though. Callie is definitely greying out, but being a white and brindle parti, you wouldn't know unless you compared photos as you've done above. =)

Terri said...

such gorgeous poopers! I noticed the other morning that my Sabrina has really greyed in her face. She's 8 now. Apollo (9) is white/red brindle so I don't notice any grey, but I should compare photos and see if his brindle on his face has lightened in the two years we've had him.

houndstooth said...

Awww! Poor Seka!

Lilac is our old lady at fourteen and a half. She's aged really well, but I love that in the last few years she's got a grey heart shape on her face.

Never Say Never Greyhounds said...

My Teresa was also black and took her sweet time turning grey. She really wasn't very gray at all when she passed away at 12... she some white hairs around her mouth. Travis was the same way too.

KF-in-Georgia said...

Oreo had almost no white hairs when she died at the age of 8. Sam, who was not quite 6 at the time, already had more white in his face than she did. But now there's Jacey, and is she really aging in her face. She's nearly 7 now, but she started gaining white hair before she was 4. She's got the whole heart-shaped thing going, too.

Unknown said...

All of my pups are turning grey, and fast! I must be stressful. Making them lay around all day and only feeding them when they are hungry. lol I look at pics of Dan when I first got him compare to now and he has really greyed and all over too. Set has started greying on his muzzle, but more noticably his eyebrows! So cute. So glad Seka gets to lie about her age a little longer :)

IHateToast said...

grey hairs on the bum? that means she's a smart ass.

no, but srsly, yours will age like Bacall.

genji said...

Jaime went from all black face to a whiter muzzle. But the white above her eyebrows makes her look inquisitive and always makes us giggle. I have 2 or 3 gray hairs myself :)

♥ Sallie said...

LOL! So cute!

pattysea said...

Kevin's fraternal grandmother colored her hair,strawberry blonde, 'til the day she died at age 85.

Sistertex said...

Beauties! The black hounds and the blue seem to show that graying so much earlier than the brindles too. Still beautiful!

thedoghouse said...

Aw, Roxy wears her grey well! My brindle boy, Max, is 8 years old now & has acquired a fair bit of grey since we adopted him 2 years ago. The whole underside of his muzzle is white now & his brows are just starting to turn - he suits the distinguished look though ;-) Jx