Report from Northern Minnesota

[Double Lab]

Thanks for sharing Garry. I'm very sorry to hear of Peat's passing. That trip to the vet's office is never easy. Seems like Peat went out on his own terms. We all could use some of that courage in our lives.

[mobirdhunter]

Twenty-two degrees this morning; snow flurries. We are the only people at the cabins except for a group of duck hunters. I was hearing duck guns boom every morning on the Big Fork River which runs nearby, but nothing lately. This has been a banner year for seeing swans. This year was also marked by more water...everywhere. For the first time ever, I did not bring high rubber boots -- go figure! Today we'll ride to Bemidji and pick up Peat's ashes for the trip home. He loved riding in the hunting truck.

Some more pictures from our stay so far:

1. A nice retrieve by Aspen. He's a natural retriever, the only Gordon we've had that would retrieve to hand without force breaking.
2. My 1904 Parker 16 that is now my new go-to grouse gun...at least until...
3. A relatively new cut, a bit too young to hold birds. Notice the mezza luna in that clear blue Minnesota sky. I love all days afield, but weather days like this are extra special.
4. A screen shot of Alder's track working a trail. She averages between 8 and 10 mph and generally goes nearly 4 times the mileage we walk. If there are grouse along a trail, she will find them, and when she points them, it's quite spectacular. It's hard to keep her close, though.
5. Cedar is taking her plight better than I expected. She has had to go back two times to correct the original surgery. She has completed her human DNA vaccine and will go in for another check-up after we return to Missouri next week. We have no idea if she will be with us on next year's Minnesota trip, but are glad to have her happy and with us now. I guess, for that matter, none of us knows what the next season will bring.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

Thanks for sharing Garry. I'm very sorry to hear of Peat's passing. That trip to the vet's office is never easy. Seems like Peat went out on his own terms. We all could use some of that courage in our lives.

Thanks, Daryl. Peat lost his foot in a freak accident (his mother bit it off while cleaning him at birth). Even so, he never missed a beat and one season, after another of our dogs died unexpectedly, he was my only working hunting dog (we had a very young pup at the time that was too young to hunt). He went hard all that season, and I had to pull him out of ditches sometimes because he could not make it on his own. He faced everything the same way, with a wagging tail and a brave spirit. He was the smartest dog we've ever been owned by, and taught me many things for which I will be eternally grateful.