The Best of Times and Worst of Times

Not sure what it is but this winter-spring has been a roller coaster. Keystone's Red Rage had a good winter in SW Georgia with Jim Tande. The highlight of which was an hour and a half hunt off horseback on purely wild quail in which he had 10 great covey finds and out birded his two pointer bracemates 10 covies to their combined 3. He came back north running and hunting as good as he ever had. Then I have never had as great a spring season working dogs in our upland covers as this one. My reliable covers were full of grouse. Every pine stand or barberry patch was full of tracks, feathers, and droppings. The dogs performed exceptional work pinning very spooky grouse in the sparse spring cover. In a month of weekends they scored about 20 grouse finds and half a dozen woodcock and very few mistakes. The plan was to judge the Ontario Grouse CH in mid March then be in good shape for the Armstrong Classic, Reg 1 Walking CH, and maybe catch one or two more. But things have imploded. Bill Henke lost what was a promising young female, Keystone's Red Rum (not Red Run as listed but an ironic name switch that did not need corrected), that was high on our future plans out of our last Torqe and Lacey litter while running in the Grand National Puppy Classic. Mickey broke his tail somehow while I was judging the Ontario CH. And now Lacey is battling an old recurring shoulder injury. The highs and lows of bird dogs are like the wind. Take each find one at a time and enjoy all you can when it is there. One thing I have learned over the years; no matter how bad it seams at times if you keep going forward the good is always around the next corner.