When it Rains, it Pours!

[Badlands Walker]

Doesn't it?

[Capt. Hamp Cox]

Yep, an' that's when ya just gotta let a smile be yore umbrella .

[Badlands Walker]

OK! 

[Book Miser]

T'aint exactly pouring here, but we are gettin' a nice, steady, warm rain, probably about 1/3 inch per hour.

The dawg (Bailey, the young'un) pestered to go out for his constitutional, so out we went. Too warm to wear a duster, so I just got wet, everywhere my cowpoke hat didn't shade me. Bailey did me proud: left a "message" for this nasty old fart living next to the park, who blew dirt all over me last week with his sidewalk-blower. He had a nice runaround in the park, found a rabbit hole and pointed on several doves. Thank heavens he's not as nutty about doves as he is ducks. 

[Badlands Walker]

    EXCELLENT PARD!

[The Arapaho Kid]

OH GAWD!  THAT'S HILARIOUS!  BOOK ON A SCOOTER BEING PULLED BY A DOG!  PRACTICING UP FOR SOME WINTER MUSHING ARE WE?

[Book Miser]

This is how we keep Bailey out of trouble when camping.

Here at home I walk him in the park, twice a day. (It is as inevitable as death.) Now that he's a bit more steady off-lead, I can let him run circles around me, or throw a boomerang for him as we walk around.

In campgrounds, it's more difficult, and because of all the trouble he caused himself last winter in MS, I bought the scooter. This pic was taken in Ocean City, MD, but Mrs. Book clocked him in Georgia, pulling me at better than 20 mph. This dawg loves to run.


Buddy, the springer we lost to Lyme disease year before last, was not such a runner, but took great pleasure in barking. Ya can't win--they are just hairy kids who never grow up!

[The Arapaho Kid]

Y'know...sometimes I prefer dogs to people!  Ya treat them right and they'll never turn on ya.  People ain't like that!

[Book Miser]

Yup. This old gal (below) is the Queen of the pack. She's now going on twelve years old.

[Marshal'ette Halloway]

Ohhh she is absolutely gorgeous! I just want to wrap my arms around her and snuggle in next to her..

I had a cocker when I was growing up and for the past 30 years have had Brittany's..
I have raised 4 litters out of the original old dog Rusty.. and kept 2 out of each litter to hunt and raise another batch from.
They become your family right along side your kids..

The Brittany's ..Spaniels group of dogs are great hunters.. ( they stay in real close and don't range out too far) but they are also the best pets too in my opinion.. Hearts of gold.
Thanks for sharing her picture..
((Oh yeah.. and the other ones too..))
**ya' ever crash on that hot rod that you are riding??**

~Marshal'ette

[The Arapaho Kid]

Ah!  Hunting Dogs!  I gotta tell a funny story about this. 

A friend, Dave, and I raised and trained a Retriever for Duck Hunting.  We spent many hours training this dog to be a good retriever.  This dog showed good signs to become just that.  Well...Duck season came up, so we loaded up the boat on the trailer, got our shotguns and ammo and headed out to Skagit Flats to bag us a few Ducks.  We launched the boat, found a good spot and began waiting for the Ducks to come in.  Finally a small flight of about 4 came sailing in.  Dave raised his shotgun and fired.  He hit one.  It went down like a rock....25 feet from the boat.  Trace, the dog, got all excited and Dave gave him the command to go fetch the Duck.  The dog leaped out of the boat and swam over to where the Duck was lying in the water...but couldn't find it!  We hand signaled the dog to go this way and that way, but he failed to find the Duck.  In desperation, Dave, tossed the training dummy out to where the Duck was.  It landed within two feet of the Duck.  Trace swam over and...you guessed it....grabbed the training dummy and brought it to the boat!  So much for a well trained Duck retriever!

[Book Miser]

Arapaho, you're ALWAYS training a dog, even when ya don't think so. So you'd trained yourself one dang good cork-dummy retrievin' dawg.

Bailey got in more trouble last winter, chasing the ducks in the campground where we stayed two months. He'd run around camp and herd all of 'em into the pond, then jump in and swim after them. Came strutting back to the campsite once with a duck in his mouth. He had hold of her at the base of the neck, and she (smart duck) was not struggling. He drops her at my feet, and Molly (the springer spaniel) takes a jump towards her. Before a dog fight breaks out, I get the two of them inside. The duck is sitting pretty still, and I figure she's a goner. About ten minutes pass, after which she stands up, shakes her feathers back into place and walks away. I swear, I saw that duck nodding her head and muttering to herself. 

Marshalette, I have had a couple of little wrecks with the scooter, but I've learned quite a bit about how to change directions in a great big hurry. First time I tried this nonsense with Bailey I was using a mountain bike, and I came away with a pretty severe case of road rash. It's easy to step off the scooter, providin' you remember that you have to hit the ground running, else you'll fall on your butt. But if you look close in that photo, you'll see I have both hands poised on the brake levers. (In case you hadn't realized it, that scooter has pretty good mountain-bike type brakes.)

He's fussin' now for his evening stroll, so I gotta put my shoes on...

[Badlands Walker]

Y'know...sometimes I prefer dogs to people!  Ya treat them right and they'll never turn on ya.  People ain't like that!

True, I agree 100% but, people don't go potty on the carpet either!

[Book Miser]

True, I agree 100% but, people don't go potty on the carpet either!

Or down the hall heat register, which dufus did this morning. It's outside drying in the sun.