06-09-2024 Capital Style - Flipbook - Page 63
Norfolk, right,
offers a treat to
Coco, a Havanese,
as her owner Lynn
Stack leans in.
This is one of
the stickers she
gives to subjects,
left.“Dogs of
Annapolis”was
created in 2016.
Gradually over
the past eight
years, the blog
has picked up
more than 8,000
followers on
Instagram.
“That didn’t stop me,” she said. “But after that,
my parents had Yorkies [Yorkshire terriers] in the
house instead.”
She lives now in Crofton with her husband,
Dan, a postal service worker, their 14-year-old
rescue Pekingese, Leo (“He’s kind of grumpy,”
Norfolk said) and two cats, including an orange
tom who, according to the photographer, “looks
a lot like Ron Swanson.”
Norfolk loves all animals. In addition to her own
pets, she feeds and has paid to spay and release two
feral kitties who showed up at her doorstep. She is
incapable of killing spiders, instead escorting them
from inside her home to the great outdoors, and
she occasionally lends a helping hand to a good
friend who rescues domesticated rats.
During the past eight years, she has developed a
community of canine and human “regulars” whom
she looks forward to meeting on her walks. There’s
Coco, a 13-year-old Havanese, Quincy, a pit bull
terrier, chow and husky mix, Rainey, a gray and
white pit bull and perhaps a dozen others.
A favorite stop is the Sea Dog Boutique, where
Norfolk visits with owner Karen Komisa and
manager Maria Aguirre. Twice a year, Norfolk and
her camera stop by the store and photograph the
pets “visiting” Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
The event and Norfolk’s photos are free, but the
store advertises that it is accepting donations for
charity. The most recent event raised $321 in a
few hours for the Montgomery County-based
Warrior Canine Connection, where recovering
veterans train service dogs.
“There are people I’ve met through this whole
experience that I wouldn’t have this personal
connection with if it wasn’t for me starting this
blog,” Norfolk said.
But of all the friends she’s made, Norfolk has
become closest to the man she describes as “my
cool uncle.”
James Silwick is a sanitation worker who is
responsible for keeping Annapolis’ streets clean.
He and Norwalk crossed paths all the time, and
one day, they got to talking.
“We had so much in common,” Norfolk said.
“We both like dogs, and classic rock and old
monster movies. We can talk forever about
anything. He’s always saying, ‘I don’t know why
we’re friends. People like us wouldn’t normally
talk to one another.’ ”
Silwick described himself as Norfolk’s
biggest fan and said he came to appreciate her
character during the early days of the COVID-19
pandemic. It was at a time when mask-wearing
was recommended, but the few facial coverings
in existence were reserved for hospital workers.
Norfolk taught herself to sew and began handing
out fabric masks on Annapolis streets, asking to
be reimbursed just for the cost of her materials.
“That’s just the kind of person Ashley is,” Silwick
said. “We’re very close. Seeing her every day makes
it worth walking up Main Street.”
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