Winter Tracking

Winter time tracking can be very rewarding. Especially if the weather cooperates after a big snow storm. I was lucky this past snow. We got over two feet of the frozen stuff and nothing was moving around in it. Then we got a couple of days of 40° days and a day of rain that brought the snow pack down to something easier to walk through. For both human and animal. Yesterday evening and today, the dogs and I took a hike up behind my house and into the National Forest. I have flock of wild turkeys that wander around my little hollow, but I haven’t seen them in a long time, so I wasn’t sure if there any left in that flock. Yesterday evening I got my answer, they are still around and have been closer to the house then I realized.

The other animal that I’ve got an over abundance of is deer. At one point this past summer I had over 20 does grazing in my pasture! So the hunters in the area have been thinning the herd down to a number that the land can realistically provide for. However, those does had other ideas. The man I gave permission to hunt on my property asked me more than once if I’d seen any of the deer that had been so abundant during the summer. They’d taken to hiding during hunting season and only moving around after dark. We may not be able to see them during the day, but they’ve developed their own deer highways not more than 100 yards from my back door so they can move around easily.

Today, I ventured further and went into the National Forest that my property backs up to. I am glad that I did. I was able to follow the trail of a solitary fox as he made his rounds on the ridge I was hiking along. Marking the trail as he went.

A little further down the trail, I came across a family of racoons as they were scavenging. I was tempted to follow their trail a little further, since it was obvious. But I was starting to lose the light and wasn't equipped to be out after dark.

What I was really looking for was evidence of the bear that had taken up residency in the hollow, but there was none to be seen. So I guess he was hibernating. I am actually kind of glad of that. One of my dogs, Cora, has a penchant for finding bear at the wrong times! Several times, while on a cadaver search with her, we’ve come upon a bear in its den. I am not sure I’d want to disturb a bear while he was hibernating!

Country Folk

I love where I live. It is everything I've ever wanted, secluded, on a hill, up against the National Forest with enough land for two horses. With the absolute best neighbors ever! Starting Friday night and lasting until Saturday night we got the biggest dump of snow this decade. Four of us live on a private drive so we don't get our road plowed. But that is no problem, because out here where I live, are good country folk that take care of their neighbors.

Two of the guys that live up here subscribe to the notion that the difference between men and boys is the size of their toys. They started plowing last night, with their 4 wheel drive tractors loaded with dump buckets and scrapers.

One of them, though, lives at the very top of a tall ridge, and thought he could do more than was physical possible with the 4-wheel drive tractor. Over the bank and down the hill it went. Oops!! This morning I wake to the sound of a huge piece of machinery creaking its way up the drive. I get down to the drive, and a massive lunk of an excavator is lumbering up the road to my neighbors house. In short order the tractors are out and they are back to plowing the rest of us out. In less then 10 minutes my part of the drive is clear. I love my neighbors, or as we say "they are good country folk"!

Country Mouse, City Mouse

I decided to believe the hype about the storm of the season and headed into town to get a new set of rear tires and brakes (something that shouldn't have taken more than an hour, hour and half but ended up taking the entire day-something about not having the right size tire, ugh!). So I loaded up my boy Deacon, and headed in so he could get some town time.

My house is up on a hill, in the trees and backed up against the National Forest. The dogs could go days before they ever saw another person. Now, since they are search dogs, they need to see more than one person every two to three day, so I try to bring them into town to socialize them.

I got the truck keys to the right repairman and headed out with Deacon. And as soon as he found the first up right structure, he marked it. I have a theory about why my boy dogs mark so much and it has to do with their search work. It has to do with them not trusting me being able to find my way back home. At least if they mark the path they took out they can follow their own scent to get back home.

In typical Lab style, Deacon had no problem with the cars whizzing past or stopping at the curbs before crossing the streets. His favorite thing was passing by all the restaurants that line Court Square. He kept trying to persuade me that he really should be allowed to go through those doors and follow those most interesting scents to their source.

I needed to drop off something in one of the offices in downtown, so I made sure he had his search vest on and Deacon took his first elevator ride.

He got to meet all the top brass on the city's fire department.

So my sweet country mouse had his great adventure in the city and felt like he's lived there all his life.

Winter Solstice

Winter solstice, an ancient day of celebration. This year it happens at 12:47 PM on December 21^st. That’s when winter starts, but it is also the longest night of the year and then the daylight gets longer. Winter is a time for rest, renewal and all that crap, and training dogs in the dark. I shouldn’t mind doing that, training in the dark, since a lot of our searches end up being at night.

But there is something slowing and inertia-like about coming home after dark and then trying to pack the dogs up to go out and train. Let alone trying to stay warm.

The good thing is that the dogs don’t care if it light or dark, just as long as they get to work or, in their mind, get to play.

Can't Train

For the past six weeks, I've been dealing with horrible muscle injuries due to to my inability to remember that I am not 25 any more! And it is driving me crazy.

I've been a SAR dog handler for the past thirteen years and usually train every day. This forced inactivity has been a real eye opener for me. I am fortunate that my dogs have been very patient with me and are content with the once daily jaunt to the barn to feed Lady and Ben. The one who has suffered the most is my younger dog, Darcy.

She is, by far the most ball driven dog I've ever trained. And talented to boot. Most times I don't feel like I am a good enough trainer for her. But, through the various health issues, hers and mine, she's about 6 months behind on her training. She was unlucky enough to develop the brain form of toxoplasmosis when she was 10 months old, and was very close to death. That knocked her back 3 months. Then I've been out for 3 months with my own orthopedic problems.

So it looks like Finn won't be able to retire when he is 10 years old like I'd planned. However, if he continues the way he's going, it looks like he'll be ready to go until he's 12! Not that I'd mind that.

A River Runs Through It

Gledair, means valley of the oak. Well, my little valley got flooded yesterday! We had six inches of snow that melted when the rain came. And we had bunches of the unfrozen AND frozen stuff. Luckily there are some high spots the horses could kind of keep their feet dry.

Tonight, we are supposed to have wind chills in the teens or lower. I want to be nice to my guys and put some blankets on them. Lady was having none of it took off running when she saw me drag her blanket out of the barn. A little sweet feed and some coaxing, and she got her blanket.