I Can See France!

April 8, 2012

Huntington Beach, SC

We made it!

Unfortunately, there was a leash law (she was only off leash for the photo op) so she only got to swim as much as the check cord would let her, which actually may have been a good thing, given the rip currents there, although I would have kept her close.

Catch Of The Day

April 8, 2012

Pawleys Island, SC

Ocean Bound

April 8, 2012

Manning, SC

Day two of our South Carolina trip, we left Columbia and headed for the coast via Paxville, Manning, Greelyville and Andrews. Tessa wanted to go to Maui, but it wasn't an option.

The Parking Attendant

April 7, 2012

Columbia, SC

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April 7, 2012

Columbia, SC

Tunnelvision

April 7, 2012

Columbia, SC

Busted Plug

April 7, 2012

Columbia, SC

Tessa poses in front of what is said to be the biggest fire hydrant in the world. It stands four stories tall and weighs 675,000 lbs. It is said to be a fountain as well, but it wasn't on so I am not sure. For safety reasons,  the giant hydrant was designed to be tornado-proof.

 The street art project is called "Busted Plug" and was installed by the group Blue Sky in 2001.

Finlay Park, Columbia, SC

April 7, 2012

Columbia, SC

April is road trip season, and this year we treated ourselves to a 5-day, 992-mile tour through South Carolina. On day one, we headed towards Columbia, SC, via Denmark, Norway, North and Swansea. Upon our arrival in the city, we headed straight for the beautiful Finlay Park to stretch our legs and enjoy the view of the Columbia skyline.

April Fools

April 1, 2012

Sandy Creek Park, GA

Road Trip Lite

March 26, 2012

Oconee County, GA

It was a really nice day today, so we went on a little road trip to practice our road trip skills. Road trip season just around the corner!

It's A New Day, A New Dawn, A New Season

March 17, 2012

Jersey, GA

Back to the plantation for the first NAVHDA training day of the season. Tessa fell apart. It baffles me that she hunts well, but as soon as she is in a training setting, she falls back to her old bad habits as if a switch has turned. Not sure where to go from here, or if we should go there at all.

I had not planned on putting her in the field at all except for some backing, but Snoopy, during his very first outing in a bird field, got spooked by something - not a bird and not gun fire - so we brought in Tessa to put him at ease. The trick worked. Tessa showed up and Snoopy immediately was his old self again and continued hunting with Tessa - who found the three birds quickly but was not steady to wing this time. After her great performance just a week ago, this was disappointing to see.

We did some backing later that morning, on the check cord, then went for a swim. Overall, still a good outing, but I need to re-evaluate how to proceed.

The Trouble With The Curve

March 14, 2012

Athens, GA

This week, Athens went to Hollywood when The Trouble With The Curve was filmed downtown and locals were hoping to catch a glimpse of actors Clint Eastwood, John Goodman, Justin Timberlake and Amy Adams. Tessa and I joined the crowds in front of The Globe to watch for a few hours. Clint Eastwood had already left for the day, but there were a couple of sightings of Justin Timberlake. Tessa couldn't care less though.

I am happy to report that we got a lot of compliments in regards to how calm a dog she is. It looks like the 3-week Pacesetter program is paying off. The highlight came when one girl petted Tessa for a while and then commented on how calm a GSP I have, unlike hers, which at 11 years old still jumps on people. Well, we were there just a few weeks ago!

Pointer On A Hay Stack

March 11, 2012

Jersey, GA

Welcome Back Hunt

March 11, 2012

Jersey, GA

Brag! After I returned from Germany and picked up Tessa from the boarding/training kennel, we embarked on the last hunt of the season and Tessa did great - steady to wing and shot, every time, still flagging but holding her points nicely, and quite cooperative. Her range tightened just a tad, probably because she pays more attention to what I'm doing, which is a good thing, as she didn't get lost this time. Looks like the obedience crackdown spilled over into the field.

Lots of birds today...including several pheasants, sadly they flew off before the dogs got a chance to work them, except for one, and that one escaped the gun.

16-year old Shane had a malfunction - he collapsed, possibly a seizure, but thankfully came right around, got up on his own and spent the remainder of the hunt resting comfortably in the truck.

15-month old Rhys is looking good.

After all the hard work the dogs put in today, we humans rewarded ourselves with lunch at Longhorn's. OMG that was a good burger!

Campus Watch

March 10, 2012

Athens, GA

Dog On A Log

March 4, 2012

Sandy Creek Park, GA

While You Were Out ...

March 4, 2012

Athens, GA

... I learned to hold a bumper and not drop it. Unless told to do so.