Best of Breed
If immortality is nothing more, or less, than the condition of being remembered, the dogs profiled here will always remain vibrantly and brilliantly alive. These canines are, by any reckoning, the Best of Breed. Not long ago, I had occasion to write to a man I’d never...
I Call It Rabbit Netting!
What follows is a true story and not a tall hunting tale! The other day while Mike was fly fishing on a river near our home, I continued doing what I do best — sniffing about. Every bush and object within 100 yards of a river or lake must be sniffed out, that’s my...
Sweltering Summer Days
I must say, I frequently take a dip into the water to cool off. Those splashes are what summer is all about. This summer is going great, in case you wondering how I am. I have been on several new rivers, and have made some drift boat trips on well-known Blue Ribbon...
The Era of Belle
Perhaps there truly are angels among us. The journey to the mailbox should have been exciting. There was a flawless, expectant stillness to the air, as if the world held its breath in waiting. Dense, leaden clouds layered the bottom of an ashen sky, leaving the fields...
Take a Hike
Hiking is full of adventures and sights. Just the other day I noticed Mike was filling a daypack and lacing up his Irish Setter hiking boots. Great, we were going hiking! Hope he packed a gun because the mountains around here are now full of grizzlies, wolves and...
Happy 4th of July
Happy 4th! But mind your hunting dogs — they may mistake those sky booms for downed birds! While you hoomans are celebrating the 4th of July, you kinda miss the meaning of freedom. You have jobs, payments and so many daily and life obligations. Ugh. For dogs, however,...
Get a Job
Due to the cost of dog food — Mike has informed me I must get a job. Well, the other day Mike was grumbling — again. When I walked by, he pressed a receipt for a bag of dog food in my face. Seems that the price of dog food that was only $60/bag a couple of years back...
History from A Duck Blind
Nash Buckingham (1880-1971) was, in his day and still now, one of the most renowned and best-loved outdoor writers to ever ply the trade. The Limb Dodger was overdue. Concern mounted, and talk had already turned to possible causes of why the train had not bumped and...
Ruby
Ruby was the original Terminator. As a puppy she proved to be too much for inside the house, and almost too much for the outside. I have never seen a dog so fast, or so muscled or so hard; indeed, I believe you could have hit her anywhere on her body with a broom...
They Smell Like Fish
When the house starts smelling like fish, I know summer has begun. Well, I can tell summer has arrived because Mike’s friends are arriving with frequency at my house — and they all smell like fish, har har! Of course, each of them has enough gear to open their own fly...