The True Meaning of Christmas

Merry Christmas! May the blessings of the season be granted to you and your family.

Elaine

Presidential Popularity Graph

This image says it all. It is a graph showing how Barack Obama's popularity rating has gone from a high of 69% to it's present day low of only 44%. And, it continues to drop. The more he pushes his Socialist agenda, the faster his popularity dwindles away. Mr. Obama! The citizens of the USA do not want your Socialist agenda. This country has fought Socialism for a very long time. We didn't want it then and we sure as heck don't want it now! Please sir, CEASE and DESIST!

What is it with politicians? Why do they feel that they KNOW better than those they are supposed to represent? We neither need nor want government to be our keeper. We want government to represent us, the people. We are their employer. We do nto answer to them, they are supposed to answer to us.

What is it that they do not understand about 56% of the American populace OPPOSES the proposed government health care plan?

What is it that they do not understand about 70% of American voters BELIEVES that the country is headed in the WRONG direction?

What is it that they do not understand about 66% of Americans favor LESS GOVERNMENT and LOWER TAXES?

Why are they spending, spending & spending even more? Why are they passing TRILLION dollar budgets, especially when the money isn't there? What is it with these people?????

Brrrrr......

Brrrrr..... Yesterday, we had the coldest day on record here at the Summerhill house since we moved here in 1993. Yesterday, for the very first time, temperatures in the early morning, i.e., 6am, were sub zero! Yeppers.... you heard me right.... SUB ZERO! Yesterday at 6:30 am, it was -10 degrees F. Today, if Weatherunderground is correct, it is much warmer at 14 F. Still brrrrr..... I wonder if this is what it's like in the winter in Alaska?

Funny thing about greyhounds....

Greyhounds are supposed to have short hair and no excess body fat. Many, if not all, greyhound owners put their dogs in coats and blankets when the weather turns cold. So, here it is steadily getting colder over the past week to reach yesterday's record low temp of -10 F with 6" of snow on the ground. Being a good owner, I put polar fleece blankets on the dogs and turn them out for the day. All day long, I'm worried over the hounds because it is absolutely bitter cold. I'm worried they'll have frostbite. I'm worried that they'll be frozen and dead. I'm just very worried about them being out in the cold! NOTE: By 5pm it warmed up to 23 F.

Anyway, I get home from work at around 5pm. I hear dogs barking in the yard. **Good! They're alive!** I dash into the house, open the glass slider to the back and, lo & behold, in come three, naked hounds. Naked? Yep, all three had gotten their blankets off and were very happily running around the back yard in low 20 degree temps. So much for trying to keep them toasty warm. So much for them being poor choices for a cold weather climate. Go figure... One would think the way these guys were acting that they were borzoi! I'm just wondering how long these guys were out in the back yard naked?

Obama & Fort Hood

To those who lost friends and family at Fort Hood, please accept my deepest condolances and my prayers for your loss. In addition, please accept my apologies for the man that is supposed to be President, but has proven to be pretty much anything but presidential.

When I heard that Obama was going to speak to the attack at Ft. Hood, I did not change the channel on the TV, but waited for words of comfort. I waited to see how Obama would handle such an attack on our men & women in the military, especially since he has no military background. I wondered if he would offer condolences. I wondered if he would visit them. There were many things I wondered. However, what I did not expect was his total crassness and lack of civility with regard to the killings! Please don't get me wrong, I have never been an Obama supporter, however, even so, this disgraceful exposition was beyond my comprehension!



OK... I understand he was at a conference for Native Americans. That's well & good. However, his comments about Ft. Hood should have been first. They should have taken priority over the conference & over his "shout out". Does he think he's on MTV? Duh!

Also, you would think he'd know & understand that Mr. Crow did not win the Congressional Medal of Honor. First of all, a military person is awarded the Medal, the highest commendation in our country, for valor and actions above & beyond the call of duty. It isn't won like a bowling trophy. Secondly, Obama is the one who presented Mr. Crow with the Presidential Medal of Freedom -an award which isn't even close to the Medal of Honor. Now then, I have to say that Mr. Crow is a Bronze Star recipient.

This display was a total disgrace. It is no wonder we are a laughingstock.

Winter is Officially Here...

Well, winter is here. For the first time since April, we have turned on the furnace. Last night it was cold. (How cold was it?) It was cold enough that the all day rain we had yesterday turned to ice on the cars, the grass, the trees.... We drove into town through the pass and there was snow on the mountain. True it was the 2nd snowfall on the mountain this autumn, but it stayed. The other one, back in September, was gone by the time we were headed home. This snow was still there at sunset. Bleh....

The only good thing about winter is that it is the start of hunting season. Opening day is in two weeks. Hurrah! It's been a long six months. Soon, the hounds & I will be out chasing rabbits for dinner.

Yep... winter is here.

Unabashed Brag!

Warning! Warning! This is your final warning! Unabashed brag ahead....

I thought last weekend was good. You know, the one in Los Lunas? Well, this past weekend ranks right up there with it. This past weekend tho' was lure coursing, not the conformation breed ring. This past weekend, the Albuquerque Whippet Fanciers held their semi-annual lure coursing weekend. I had the three stooges (Banner, Nampa & Glory) entered.

On Saturday, Glory finished her AKC Lure Coursing field championship by winning the Open stakes over 4 other hounds for the major. However, Banner won Best of Breed over her in the run off.

On Sunday, Nampa took a 3 point major and he finished his dual championship (field & breed ring). Nampa also had to run off for Breed over his brother, Banner. Again, Banner emerged the winner.

On Sunday, Banner went on to compete in Best in Field and he took the honors! Pictures when I get them.

Cool....

What a Weekend!

My Lord, what a weekend we just had at the Valencia Valley KC shows! It was a weekend that some only dream about. To start, as of 10/13, I'm released from doctor's care and I can go back to work. So, since I am soon to be released, I attended the dog show in which I had the pups, Nampa, Banner, and Glory entered, as well as their dam, Abbey Lou. We had built a major in greyhound bitches and I would be damned if I was going to break it. (Breaking majors is a pet peeve of mine.)

On Saturday, I arrived in plenty of time and had made arrangements for people to help me with the hounds, as I believed I'd be unable to show them. I went to the super's desk to change Banner & Glory's class, which was only possible because of a recent rule change. I thought I'd change their class and then stay around to hold dogs & watch. However, the super informed me that if I took them out of Bred By, I'd have to physically leave the show grounds. So.... I took them in myself.

To make a long story short, we cleaned up. Banner went WD on both days (no points) but on Saturday, he crossed over for Best of Winners and got three points. Glory went WB both days for two, 3 point majors, and Nampa went Best of Breed both days. In addition, on Sunday, Abbey went Reserve to her daughter! What a weekend!

Stuff

Well, it's official..... my lungs are clear of the pneumonium bacteria which struck me to the ground about 10 days past. It sure is nice to be able to draw a semi-deep breath without gasping for air. However, that being said, at this point in time in my recovery, every action leaves me exhausted. That is most aggravating!


Speaking of disease, for many years now, greyhound breeders would occasionally get a puppy in a litter that just wasn't right. The unknown syndrome (for want of a better word) would strike pups early in their life (8-12 wks) and lead to their premature deaths, usually before 1 year of age. It was believed that the problem was a case here & there, but then it was realized that the problem was more common than thought and the greyhound breed was afflicted with a new, genetic disease - neuropathy. As yet, this disease is not yet described in any scientific literature.

Puppies affected with Greyhound neuropathy present with an abnormal gait, an arched back, muscle atrophy, and rear weakness. They run with a 'bunny hop' gait with turned out knees. They tire easily. There are other symptoms but I'm trying to keep this short. Thankfully, there is no pain.

And, the best news.... recently, Dr. Corde Drogemuller at the University of Bern has discovered the genetic anomaly for the disease and there is now a test to determine if your greyhounds are carriers of the defective gene. For more on greyhound neuropathy, please check out the link below.

http://www.genetics.unibe.ch/content/e2353/e2982/index_eng.html

DCh El-Aur Royal Dragon SC, FCh

DCh El-Aur Royal Dragon FCh, SC aka B.J.

7/5/97 - 2/26/09

BJ was a remarkable dog. He was one of 8 pups born to Ch Arborcrest Danae FCh, SC, UD and Ch El-Aur Remember Royaltan SC and was bred by Laurel Drew, El-Aur Greyhounds. Rob & I had known Laurel for not quite 2 years when the litter was born. Even so, she entrusted us with two pups from this particular litter: BJ & Spoof. In fact, BJ was Spoof's "replacement" for the show ring because Spoof never developed into a show quality dog.

A day or two before we were to pick up BJ at age 14-16 wks, he had an accident at Laurel's which resulted in a distal end fracture of the femur. In other words, he broke his femur at the stifle joint. Laurel called and offered to replace him with any other puppy, including any of the bitch puppies, because it was "doubtful he'll ever finish a breed ring title, let alone a lure coursing title." During his months of restricted exercise he had to have two surgeries. The first one was to fix the fracture using screws and the 2nd was to remove the screws that his body was rejecting. Poor puppy!

The years, 1999 and 2000, were momentous for BJ. He took his first points in the breed ring on Feb 2 and in April, he ran on the lure for the first time. Up until the day that BJ took his first points in the breed ring, Feb 2, 1999, Laurel offered to replace him with another dog. She never believed he would be competitive in the breed ring up until that time. But on Feb 19, 2000, BJ officially became Ch El-Aur Royal Dragon SC. Two months later, on Apr 2, 2000, he finished his AKC lure coursing title and his dual championship. He exceeded all expectations. He did everything which was asked of him and he did it in style!

BJ suffered a career ending injury one day on a ranch somewhere in New Mexico when he took off on a jackrabbit. The jack ducked down into an arroyo and BJ did not have enough running room to either hurdle the arroyo or turn to avoid it. He tried to turn but the laws of physics would not be denied and he went crashing into the arroyo at 35 mph. I thought he was dead. Before I could get to the arroyo, he climbed out of it, but it had cost him. His pelvis was broken in two places and he injured his neck. BJ's running days were over. The vet who pieced him back together, Dr. Frank Coons, commented, "His injury was very much like what we see in dogs that have been hit by a car. (pause) Well, if you think about it, he was running as fast as a car. It makes sense." BJ was retired. His running days were over.

The boy always chafed at retirement. He knew he could do more than I would allow him. He bounded back from two very bad bone fractures and other miscellaneous difficulties. However the coursing injuries would haunt him the remainder of his life until one day, he could not stand. That was the day he continued with his journey and went over the bridge. That was the day my heart was rent in two and today is the first time I could even face writing about my boy. God speed your journey, BJ. You are missed.

Jon & Kate.... Who the Hell Cares?

Don't know about you, but I'm sick & tired of hearing about Jon & Kate Gosselin's dirty laundry. Ya know, it takes two people to make a marriage work and if neither side works hard at it, it will fall apart. Marriage is hard, difficult work. So Jon, Kate & the media ----- in the words of email lists ---- TAKE IT PRIVATE!

And, more importantly, think of your kids before yourselves.

Benefits to Being Sick

There are a few benefits to being sick:

1. Able to watch more football games than I have when I'm not sick. Just finished watching the Notre Dame vs Washington Huskies game. Outstanding! Final score: ND 37 WA 30. Go Irish!
2. Able to spend more time with the hounds, especially since they keep hounding me... mom? What's that noise coming from you, mom? Can I sit on your lap, mom?
3. Able to catch up on a bunch of little projects that aren't too taxing: website update, blogging update, facebook update...
4. Able to sit by helplessly while hubby does the cooking, cleaning & feeding. Hubby is a very good cook. It's nice to not be the primary caregiver for a bit of time.

Later...

Where has the year gone???

Good Lord! Where has the year gone?

It seems like it was only a couple of weeks ago that I last posted here. Oops! Try it's been nearly 8 months!

A lot has happened in that time. Sadly, we had to say good-bye to an old friend, BJ. BJ took a huge piece of my heart with him when he left, and it has taken me forever to recover. In truth, I'm not sure I have recovered from that loss. Even so, the puppies, which are now two years old, have done their best to fill that hugh chasm.

The puppies - Banner, Glory & Nampa.... my 'three stooges'...

Banner has finished two field championships during the past 8 months. He finished his AKC field championship in April and just this past September, he finished his ASFA field championship with a 2nd place finish in the Open stakes on Saturday at the Grand National. That boy is a talented runner. I cannot wait until he sees Mr. Jack this winter. I'm hoping & praying that he continues to course all in one piece. That is my biggest fear... that he breaks. In addition to his running titles, Banner has picked up his 2nd major in the breed ring. Now, he only needs 5 single points. They may take the longest, altho' we have dogshows on 10/10 & 10/11 sporting a 3 point major both days. With luck, maybe he'll cross over for the points to finish his dual championship.

Glory hasn't done much in the breed ring, but not for lack of try. Many judges just do not find her their cup of tea for any number of reasons: too moderate, popping elbow, too muscled... However, she picked up a 1st placement at the Grand Nat'l to add 40 ASFA points to her quest for that field championship. And, she picked up a major in AKC lure coursing in April. Only time will tell with her. Regardless of whether or not she gets any titles, she is a sweet, loving pup. She is very much her momma's daughter in attitude and temper.

Nampa is another talented boy. He has to have close to a 20' stride on him! He finished 4th both days of the Grand Nat'l to finish his ASFA field championship, pending confirmation. I think I've counted all his placements & points correctly, but, one never knows for sure until that confirmation is received. He may still need a placement. Argh!!! Nampa most recently had his coming out party as a "special" at the Elk City, OK shows. On Saturday, he put on such a show in the ring that the judge was laughing 2 hours later. Yep, he's special! However, on Sunday, he kept 4 on the floor to take best of breed over a nationally ranked special, Ch Gaia Woodland Waltz. In the group ring, he made the judge's cut. I'm proud of the boy. He's a keeper.

*** Pictures of the Grand National can be found at Big Paw Prints.

Other than that, I'm very proud to say that my loving hubby, Rob, took on a new job in March with a company called CompRay. To date, they seem to be a very good company and good to their employees. Hurrah!

Other excitement around here has been some interesting weather. Now NM is known for its rainbows and we see many, quite a few of which are double rainbows. However, NM is not known for nasty weather. Back in late August, early September, we spotted this just over the hill from us. Thankfully, other than a couple of fences coming down, there were no injuries or severe damage to dwellings. These things are scary.

Oh, and after 5 days of feeling sick, I finally went to the doctor. I have pneumonia. Joy - NOT! At least, they did not admit me to the hospital but sent me home with medication and orders to take it easy. Go figure...

Yours in hounds.....

We're Gonna Have Puppies... at some point in time

Plans are in the works for the first ever, co-breeding between Windrock Greyhounds and DM Greyhounds! Woo hoo!

The dam of the pups will be DC DM Summer Squall of Scatpak FCh aka Javelin and the sire has yet to be determined, but there are several candidates. Javelin is a multiple Best in Field winning greyhound with Field Championships in both AKC and ASFA lure coursing. She is also a breed ring champion and within 5 points of her ASFA LCM (lure courser of merit).

I am the breeder and a co-owner of Jav. It was very, very tough to make the decision as to which bitch puppy to sell, way back in 2002. Do I sell Javelin? Do I sell Jib? Javelin? Jib? In truth, if circumstances had been different, I'd have kept both of them! One thing is certain, even tho' Javelin no longer lives with me, she has a great home and she gets many more opportunities to do stuff than if she stayed here. At least, I get to see her.

Javelin is a very intelligent greyhound. She's quite clever and, when here, was always into something. Her intelligence lends itself to talent in the coursing field. I had the opportunity to take her open field coursing, once, and she did OK. However, free coursing is more her style. Take her out on the mesa and she's off and hunting. She is quite the accomplished huntress when free coursing. BTW, Javelin took her first "game animal", a field mouse, when she was 6 weeks old. I love this little bitch! I am really looking forward to raising a daughter or two here at Dyno-Mutt! Javelin truly represents the hounds that Dyno-Mutt breeds and raises.

Jav has been health screened and DNA'd. Her health screening results can be found here on the OFA website. In addition, you can follow links on OFA to see the health testing results of her relatives, including a littermate or two.

Javelin's close relations include:

DC DM Flying Jib FCh: Group Placed (Group 4, Judge George Heitzman) breed ring champion, Multiple BIF winner in ASFA & AKC lure coursing, open field breed winner

Ch DM Dots N' Dashes: Multiple group placements (17 or 18), open field pointed

Ch DM Ocean Meets T'Sky: Finished his championship with back to back majors by going WD at the GCA's Eastern Specialty (judge Lena Tamboer) and WD at Morris and Essex KC (judge Gayle Bontecou).

Reservations are being currently accepted on pups from this highly anticipated breeding. Feel free to contact me for more information.

Black Ribbon - George Heitzman

Back in November, the news that AKC Judge George Heitzman had suffered a stroke on his way to dogshows being held in Chicago, made the rounds on the internet chat lists. Recently, it was learned that he crossed over on February 3, 2009. The dogshow world has lost another good one - a man who knew and rewarded good dogs.

God Bless George Heitzman and our condolences to his family.

It's NOT a Train!

I recently have learned that I have a fantastic team of attorneys! I am now thinking it isn't a train coming at me in this long, dark tunnel.

I am a firm believer in the fact that everything happens for a reason, even if we do not know it at the time of occurrance. For instance, a couple of years ago, I was supposed to be driving home from Wisconsin. It didn't happen and I wound up flying. Good thing too as the night I would have been staying in a hotel in Greensburg, KS, was the night that the town was pretty much wiped off the face of the earth by an F5 tornado. Hmmm.... See what I mean?

Anyway, I'm starting to think like Forrest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get."

Boat Cat Extraordinaire - Salem

In 1982, I purchased the good boat, Tyche. I purchased her not knowing anything about sailing, but plenty about boating. I figured she had an engine and, if nothing else, I could putt putt about with that. Even so, I was determined to learn how to sail.

Tyche was my home. I lived aboard her for five years, most of that time at the Baltimore Yacht Basin, on the south arm of the Patapsco River right next to the Hanover Street Bridge in Baltimore, MD. The BYB was cheap as far as slip rental went and the marina had a large liveaboard population. Everybody pretty much watched out for everybody. It was a big family.

While at BYB, I had a little black cat, Salem. He weighed all of about 5 lbs, soaking wet, but he thought he was a lion on the plains of the Serengheti. He was a feisty little critter and a pretty good boat cat. He had a "cat door" on Tyche and he'd come & go as he pleased. At BYB, he'd go hunting rats with the feral cats under the Locke Insulator plant.

One summer night, my cousin Marty came over. She & I were sitting in the cockpit, drinking a couple of beers when she saw Salem and a large, orange tabby on the shoreline. The two cats had a rather large rat cornered and were slowly closing the distance between themselves and the rat. The rat had its back to the water and two cats were coming in to shorten that rat's life. Mary was watching the drama unfold on land. She was concerned that the rat would swim out to the boat and get aboard. I told her that there was little chance of that happening. Of course, as soon as I said that, the rat took to the water and swam past the stern of Tyche, which was 5 slips out from the shore. Oops! Marty left. I think that's the last time she was ever aboard.

Salem was my watch cat. One night, I was sound asleep on Tyche, when one of the drunken neighbors decided he could not live without me. When he came aboard, Salem launched himself out the cat door and attacked the trespassing neighbor. The ruckus woke me up and I joined in, chasing the man off Tyche with a broom in my nightie. What a sight that must have been. Funny thing is no one ever came aboard after that without knocking and checking to see where Salem was.

Salem was also a pretty good bilge pump failure alarm. The bilge pump on Tyche was notorious for not coming on when needed, especially at the most inopportune moment - when I was asleep. Many times I was very happy that I had the old, manual, hand pump that always worked.

Salem came home to the boat one night. He curled up on the aft port berth with me and snuggled up and went to sleep. At some point in time, he started mrowing. "Salem. Knock it off. Go to sleep." Nuh uh.... His mrowing became more insistent and louder. "Salem. Knock it off!" Nuh uh.... Frustrated at his repeatedly ignored attempts to awaken me from my slumbers, the damn cat finally bit me on the chin! That worked. As I swung my feet over the berth to go get that annoying cat which had the temerity to bite me, my feet landed in water, not on dry wood. Damned pump!

I turned on an overhead lamp and discovered about 6" of water atop the floorboards. Grabbing the manual pump handle, I started pumping out the bilges. Salem, in the mean time, sat on top of my counter, grooming. He'd saved my boat from sinking at the dock. He was s smart cat, he didn't want his home flooded.

I have a ton of Salem stories, but that's enough for now.

Pax River and Points South...

When I left off my cruising stories, Tyche & I were in the Pax River boat basin, dragging anchor in a storm. The next morning, I packed up Tyche and headed south, hoping to reach Deltaville, VA. It wasn't to be as the day turned into a Chesapeake broiler... hot, sunny, no wind. Days like that make for slow going, even with the smudge pot engine putzing along.

After some coffee and a quick breakfast of fried fish & scrambled eggs, the good boat Tyche and her occupants started heading towards the Chesapeake. The Patuxent River is a very large, deep river. Here are some facts...

• River Length - 115 miles but only navigable for 52 miles
• Widest part - 2.3 miles
• Deepest point - 130 ft below sea level
• Named in 1608 by Jamestown settler, John Smith of Pocahontas fame

Anyway, putzing along with the sails up to catch any whisper of breeze, the going was slow. Many hours later, towards dusk, we were off Point Lookout. Ahead of us was the mouth of the Potomac River, a place where you can encounter open ocean conditions on the Bay, if the winds & tide are right. Of course, now the winds were up and blowing against the tide making for a lumpy ride. There isn't any place to anchor, so... "Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's cross the river we go...." Here are some Potomac River facts...

• The river's mouth is 11 miles wide and it is the 21st largest river in the USA.
• Drainage area - 14,679 sq mi.
• Length - 383 miles
• Avg flow (in Wash D.C.) - 7 billion gallons/day

While Jim was on the helm, I went below and made dinner. After eating, I was off watch and went below to sleep for 6 hrs. About 3 hours into my nap, the motion of the boat awakened me. Going topside, I asked, "What's wrong?" The mainsail had about an 18" rip in it and he was dumping wind to keep it intact. Sigh...

I had mentioned that my friend was suffering from pancreatic cancer. By this time, he really wasn't feeling well. After reefing the main, I suggested he cut short his watch and go below to sleep. He made me promise to wake him when his watch rolled around again. "Sure Jim... I promise."

The night was interesting. We had a lovely full moon and the sails were full. It was a beautiful night for a sail. Around 3am, I noticed that the running lights were getting dim, so I swapped batteries. Hmm... no improvement. Wonderful. Expecting that the batteries to die during the night, I broke out a large flashlight and extra batteries to keep next to me in the cockpit. Throughout the night, whenever I'd see or hear a large vessel (think tugboat, tankers, cargo ships), I'd shine the lamp on the mainsail, illuminating us for them. Fiberglass doesn't show up well on radar.

Sometime after sunrise, Jim poked his head up and chastised me for not waking him. And, we pulled into Reedville, VA on Cockrell Creek off the Great Wicomico River. Next job? Get the mainsail fixed!

Rambling On....

Cass Sunstein, chosen by President Obama to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, could jeopardize your ability to hunt, eat meat or have pets. According to this article, Sunstein "has a secret aim to push a radical animal-rights agenda in the White House. Sunstein supports outlawing sport hunting, giving animals the legal right to file lawsuits, and using government regulations to phase out meat consumption."

I don't know about you, but to me, the title, "Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs" sounds like something out of Hitler's Germany! No... wait... that was the "Ministry of Public Enlightenment". If I remember correctly, that particular minister also pursued radical agendae, gun confiscation, etc. Socialists by any other name, are still socialists. I seem to remember in my 1960's History classes that Socialism and Communism were not desireable politics. How times change... And, to think, my grandparents left Eastern Europe for the USA because of Socialists & Communists like Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, etc. And, now, the people of the USA have elected a Socialist to the office of President.

Yes... Barack Obama is a Socialist. Remember one of his campaign promises was to "redistribute wealth". Well, guess what Einstein, Socialist systems want to redistribute wealth from those of greater means to those of lesser means. Lesser means... ya... those who don't want to amount to anything and those who do not want to work for anything... those who live on the public dole.

So, other than redistributing wealth, what are some other common symptoms of Socialism? How about:

• The government owning industries and businesses
• Higher taxes
• People working for the state, rather than private industry

Right now, the government is investing tons of money into banks, businesses, etc. They are calling them "loans". However, if one defaults on the loan, doesn't ownership usually go to the lien holder? In this case, the lien holder is the federal government.

Taxes going up is a given. How else are the feds going to pay for all their social programs and "redistribute wealth"? Duh. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. Look out small business owners...

Help Out a True Sportsman...

Recently, I learned that a true sportsman, a dogman, had troubles. His young son had been airlifted to UNM, sometime between Christmas and New Years, with a sinus infection gone bad. The good news is that just this morning, we learned that his boy will soon be going home. However, he & his wife are left with some pretty hefty medical bills and people in the dog community are banding together to help them out.

There are several fund raisers being held. One fundraiser is raffling off a lovely, handmade quilt done in shades of blue & grey. In the corners are patches with saluki on them. This would be a fantastic item for any saluki enthusiast! Another fundraiser is being held by Shot On Site photography. You can read more about that one on the Hare Brained Express Tour blog. Another way to help would be to visit High-Lonesome Books, which is owned by the sportsman, Dutch Salmon. There are some pretty interesting books there, a couple of which I intend to purchase!

Here are the details on the quilt raffle. I'm sorry, I do not have a picture of the the quilt, but I have seen it, and it's very nice, and, as previously stated, perfect for a Saluki owner.

"Cindy Brown has donated a 52 inch quilt in shades of blue and gray with Saluki heads in the corners, to be raffled off and all the proceeds will go to Dutch and his family. Cindy will bring the quilt and tickets to the hunt on January 17th . The tickets will be $10 each or 3 for $25.00. SWCC will offer tickets via the USPS. Send your check, made payable to SWCC to the treasurer Bill Brown, PO Drawer 29, Mesquite, NM88048. Sorry no paypal. The tickets will be returned to you and the drawing will take place at the Dutch’s Pack Hunt on February 14th .Checks will be taken up until the day of the drawing and tickets given out. If you are sending a check by mail, it must be postmarked by February 5th, so we have time to get the tickets back to you. If you are not present at the drawing, the quilt will be mailed to you. Watch for the announcement on the lists, where we have posted information."

A Hunting We Will Go...

When I was a kid, I had a lot of respect for Elmer Fudd. Yep... Elmer Fudd is my hero.

Elmer was an incredibly determined man. No matter how many times he lost to that "wascully wabbit", he never gave up. That determination... that never give up attitude is to be admired.

This past weekend, like Elmer, we went hunting wabbits. Off to southern New Mexico we drove - Banner, Nampa and I. We had a great weekend up until Sunday when Nampa & Banner took off on a jackrabbit that broke cover right under Nampa's nose. The boys were off like a shot.

The rabbit took off, jinking and jerking through a series of turns, trying to shake the boys off his tail. When that didn't work well, the hare made a beeline toward the only fence on the property. That fence just happened to be a 5-strand, barbed wire one. The rabbit went under the bottom strand, with two very large greyhound males right after him. First under was banner... Second under was Nampa... I lost thme shortly after that.

Soon the boys were back at the fence line. Banner shinnied under and headed towards me. I saw Nampa casting back & forth.... back & forth.... I hurried towards the fence as fast as I could but I was too late. Nampa tried to jump the fence. When the boy got to me, he was bleeding from three, gaping wounds to his underside. After a quick field triage, I packed the boys into the car and beat feet towards ABQ.
The boy was stitched up and he's OK. The stitches come out in two weeks and we'll be off hunting again and, I hope, we'll avoid those nasty 5-wire fences.

Happy New Year!

Here's hoping that all my loved ones, friends and acquaintences have a blessed and happy 2009. This past year has taken me from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. 2008 was a roller coaster ride, but it wasn't necessarily a fun one. However, it is done & we have nothing but the future to look forward to. The new job seems to be working out and my first paycheck should be showing up in our checking account next week. Woo hoo!!!

Now then.... if anyone knows of a place seeking an AS400 programmer, let me know so I can pass on the information to good friends of mine in Michigan.

Again.... Happy New Year all!



Happy New Year Glitter Pictures