Tree cutting is hard work.

The hard-working tree cutters kept at their task today until the rains came and ended their work early.  By day's end, all of the trees that could conceivably have caused harm were down to a manageable size.  The guys managed to drop the huge logs in a reasonable space in the yard.  Although the grass and plantings have taken punishment, the damage is reasonable relative to the task of felling those big, dangerous tees.

This loblolly was 60+ feet and 30 inches in diameter and would have inflicted a fair amount of damages whichever way it fell.

The poplar was dead and hollow at the top and waiting for a brisk wind to send the crown crashing onto a yard, house, or backyard pool.

The guys had to cut the branches into small pieces to get them through the back-yard gate, which they viewed as an eye of a needle.

The big loblolly was the last to go.

At day's end, the loblolly looks more like a totem pole.

Timber!

We're having four good-sized trees taken down in the back yard.  Two are enormous loblolly pines and two are good-sized poplars (or cottonwood).   These are nuisance trees with shallow roots that are just waiting for a tropical storm to tip them over and onto the house.  They should have been removed when the house was built 12 or so years ago and by now we'd have some credible hardwoods in the back yard.  Our plan is to get those new trees going for the next homeowners.

 Larsen inspects the smaller of the two poplars.

Bibi, MH (Ryder, SH)

Word in from Mazomanie is that Bibi finished her Master Hunter, and in style.

The back story is that Bibi should not have been in the field at all.  About two years ago, she was near death as a result of a bacterial infection.  Frank and Deb nursed her back to some life, but she was house and crate bound for fear of re-infection.  At some point, a year or so in, Frank thought that a little field work might do her some good, and that the risk of re-infection was simply something that they would have to gamble on.

Happily, the cocker picked up where she left off with a biddable joy in the field.  She earned her fifth leg on Saturday at the Mazomanie Cocker Fancier's Club test and became one on a very short list of American bench bred cockers to accomplish this feat.

Bibi is in the middle of the photo below.  Her daughter, Ryder (on the right) earned his Senior Hunter title in the same event.

A family of hunting-titled cockers: CH.Murphy,SH; Bibi,MH and their daughter CH.Ryder,SH

Tatum & pups

All is right in a world with six more Welsh Springer Spaniels.  Tatum appears happy, proud, and maybe relieved with her role in ushering in six healthy puppies.

Photo courtesy of Susan Willingham at Smugmug.

The getaway

How many times has Cathy, Tim, and everyone for that matter, told me to stay on top of that little dog?  I slipped just a bit and that darn spaniel was off and running on a hot July evening at Keswick Park.

I'd taken him to the ball field for some multiple retrieves.  Larsen went out to the first and pretended not to find it.  He trotted around back and forth and with each pass got further into the weeds until he darted through the brambles and toward the junkyard at the top of the bluff overlooking the park.

It seems he flushed something, although I'm not sure what it was.  He didn't return for a solid 10 minutes and I was upset and probably as hot as he was.  I corrected him harshly and tossed him into his crate in the back of the car and watered him.  After a short while, I let him out and we went under a tree to cool some more.  I wet him down and watched his tongue.

When finally he cooled - - I really had not - - I led him to the ball field and made him fetch the dummies that had laid there for the past half hour.  He trudged out to each and brought them to hand.

Then we left.  

Lakota Red

The world is a better place today as Tatum safely delivered her litter of six pups, 3 male and 3 female.

Announcement from the Royal Stufield Kennels.

The Clumber boys

Cathy sends this greeting from Birmingham with Humphrey and Bing palling around on a summer evening.

Stufield outing

Aki and I meet with Susan to walk the family property at Stufield in Clark's Hill, SC.  Our goal was to find some fields suitable for the November Welsh Springer Spaniel Hunt Test.  The Stufield house sits on the cusp of a small hill that overlooks the Strom Thurmond lake (nee Clark's Hill Lake).  The property is about 15 miles north of Augusta.

We found some pleasant fields that held great promise for a test.  The fields were wonderfully long, but a bit narrow.  In some instances, the shots would have to be almost immediate to catch the bird before it found shelter in the wooded areas.  The grounds would be a wonderful challenge and the house a welcome area for the group to gather in the evening.

We toured Lake Mary, a small pond, to determine how to set up the water.  Unhappily, the pond had sprung a leak and was dreadfully low despite the summer's rain.  Susan later called Allen to report the pond's demise, and we will see if we can find the cause of the breach and repair it.

The outing was made complete by running Larsen on some dummies.  Susan tossed three at a time,and I sent Larsen here and there to gather them up.  The smart little dog showed that the weeks at Tim's were well spent and he delivered the dummies front and center right at my feet.

Susan, Aki, and little Rosey explore the land around Lake Mary.

A leak in the overflow plumbing was draining the pond.  

Training on the 14th

Our chukar have seen better days.  Maybe one of the bunch actually took flight, even though we were rolling them in rather than planting them, and even though in some instances the bird was bobbing around.  The molting, past-their-prime birds simply had no get-up-and-go and the dogs trapped them easily.

Still, we got some good work in with each of Cathy's dogs, Shoni's Sunny, and with Larsen.

This was the first time I'd had Larsen out since retrieving him from Tim's the day before, and I could see the difference in the dog.  He was attentive, sat to the whistle, and returned when called.

My own handling was very rusty.  I let him range too far, I overguided him, and I sat him when he was well beyond the halo and a break would have been tempting indeed.  He was good, and I was lucky.

On one difficult fly-off (me, Larsen, bird), Larsen's rear end came up from a sit and Cathy yelled "no!" before I pipped my whistle.  In this instance, I could see that (1) I was a fraction late; and (2) in a training situation that yell was far more effective than a mere pip could ever be.

My goal now is to work bumpers in the park and get him to retrieve crisply.  Tonight might be a nice outing.

Puppies

There's always time for puppies, and Aki and I took it while we talked to Tim about training Larsen.

Tim and Aki inspect a fat little puppy while Larsen watches.

One is cuter than the next.

This one's a keeper!

On the hunt.  

Scenes from Saturday

After six weeks on the farm, Larsen was as happy to see us as we were to see him.

Tim demonstrates some yard exercises while Larsen watches, and Frank does some body language on the toss.

Some subtle footwork can tell the dog what side you want the delivery on.

Footwork should be second nature and invisible to anyone.

Larsen comes home

After six weeks on Tim's farm, we finally got Larsen back.  The training improvements were obvious from our short workout and from a subsequent outing with Cathy and Shoni at Circle W.  Larsen was more attentive to the whistle and to commands.  What's very important now is:

• Ensure that there is no room for error.  Tim explained that Larsen would take a mile for any inch given and that at the Master level, there is no room for any sloppiness.  Demand perfection
• One command, one action.  Corrections are forthcoming absent the right response.
• Keep quiet with commands and whistle.  
• In practice, stay on top of Larsen.  Make sure that each outing/drill is set up in a thoughtful way that maximizes the chances of success.  
• No simpering good doggie while out on the field.  The field is a place for work, not play.  A soft stroke along the cheek is the only attaboy he needs.  Dogs want your touch more than a treat, so dole out your pats and touches wisely.  
• Know the wind.  Think about the position of you, dog, bird in relation to the wind.  How will you cast the dog if you know that a bird is to your left and downwind?  
• Know the bird (if you can).  Think about the position of dog, bird, you when the bird is flushed.  Ideally, the bird flushes over your head with the dog looking straight at you as you whistle him to a hup.  This ideal might not often occur, but can you enhance your chances for success by moving?  Think about where you are on the field relative to the bird and the dog when the bird goes up.  Make it easy for the dog if you can.  
• Keep Larsen in the crate until it is his turn.  Don't let him get wound up and agitated before it's his turn.  About one or two dogs before his turn, you should be with him and start to think hard about the field.  Don't delay the test, and be ready to move up, but no need to be out too early.  

Our envisioning

Goodbye, Dukie

Duke provided a wonderful respite to the dogless interlude at our house.  With Larsen at the farm, we were in withdrawl, and along came this lanky, sweet Welsh Springer Spaniel for the 4th of July week.  Duke and I  hiked Lake Alatoona maybe 3 times, maybe 4.  We hiked one time with Cindy and her labradoodle mixes and had a wonderful time while Aki ran her 10-K race in downtown Atlanta.  Duke even left the trail and tracked deer and field mice.  He waded into the lake up to his bib, and barked at the twigs as they floated beyond his reach.

Aki and I will miss this dear little dog as he moves with owners Margaret and Peter to the South Carolina coast.

After a day at the lake, Duke is ready for some R&R.

This red & white pancake is a sweet spaniel.

"What's everyone doing on the floor?"

4th of July Tradition

Aki's run some 26 or 27 Peachtree Road races counting the one she ran today.  Duke and I headed off to Lake Alatoona where we ran into Cindy and her two draughthair mixes.  The dogs got along well, and we had a nice walk along the carriage path to the docks and back.  Meanwhile, Aki finished her 6 1/2 mile run and returned with her prized t-shirt.

Ribs, corn on the cob, and coffee ice cream are in her future.

Before & after.  Aki gets set to run the 10-K on a wet 4th of July.

After.  Aki is all smiles as she models her new Peachtree Road Race t-shirt.

Welshie sprawl

The Welshie sprawl is an uncomfortable-looking position with the rear legs spread out in a most unflattering way.  It's pretty funny to see.  Larsen might go for the one-legged version on occasion, but Duke happily demonstrates the full Monty.