More images; Tazis east of Turkey

If  (as I think) "Tazi" and "Saluki" are linguistic rather than biological distinctions, reflected where Arabic turns to the Turkic and Persian tongues, the title is redundant.

The pics are not, and even clinal change admits some differences. Iranian tazi, stolen weeks ago, returned to its horse archer partner this week, a friend of a friend ("it"  only because I do not know "its" gender).

It is BLACK, not tanpoint, as is this one on the other end of the Salukiverse, in Xinjaing, taken by Sir Terence Clark. You don't see real black in the Arab countries, only east of the tazi line.

Even in the early 19th century some Afghan tazis had BIG coats.

SIlk Road redux

From Dmitry Kosyrev, author of the Silk Road Trilogy, via Kickstarter:

"My dear friends, Americans, a few Russians from Russia, all 111 of you, plus many more who will read my novels after their successful funding:

"What you did in suport of my books, letting them be published in USA, means that somebody needs the lines I write and that I do not spend my God-given days in vain. Thank you for showing it to me so clearly. There is nothing more important in writer's life..."

We did it!

The Russian Life Silk Road Trilogy translation project is funded, in the eleventh hour-- and it couldn't have happened without Q Blog readers, who are at least a third of the 100 or so patrons (many first names only and not all up yet). Special thanks to Sari Mantila in Finland, who was my web mentor in all things tazi more years ago than we like to remember, and who was the first Friend o' Q to sign up I think, and for Federico who put it over the top. Thank you all-- it gives me hope for new evolutionary tracks for publishing.

Off to the Peculiars' in Santa Fe to see Adventure Baby and avoid Old Timers' increasingly irrelevant fiesta-- how can you have a weekend commemorating trail drives with no street dance, no open containers, and an imported rolling paddy wagon? Meanwhile here are some celebratory Silk Road photos...

Last nag & bleg

The Silk Road Trilogy translation, of course. I'll be away with no computer for the last couple of days before the deadline. But all but 600 and a little dollars of the needed $15,000 has been raised, and it would be a shame to miss when we are this close...

Gratuitous Asian hounds again...

We have taigans as well as tazis and Arab salukis in NM. (courtesy of Shiri and the other LB) They still seem exotic.

Taigans and tazis and salukis are relatives; all are Silk Road dogs, and, whether you think they came west or east they followed those tracks. Only 5 days to go, with about $1600 needed to fund the Silk Road project-- see below...

Only six days left...

..to fund the Russian life- Kickstarter Silk Road trilogy translation project, with $4300 to go, or all is in vain. I think Q readers may make up a majority now! Consider digging in a second or even a third time-- we are!