Launch time approaches- excuses for not posting for over a month.

I have been flogging away getting the Airstream ready for another Fall season, building an 'Bob Welch' style dog cap for the F350 (which has been sound-proofed and had new gauges added), and am heading to Baker City to pick up Tommy from trainer Mike McGinnis right after the Dove Opener next week.

I visited my friend Bob Welch in Hailey, Idaho a few weeks ago. We fooled around with a couple of projects, ran some dogs, and I was pleased to be introduced to Nancy Whitehead, the sporting dog photographer and author of a new book, about which I will post later. Bob also hosted me at some outstanding pigeon shooting south of Twin Falls. Thanks, Bob!

Pete, Clair and I will be tasting prairie chickens in northern Nebraska third week of next month. After we finish and Clair flies off for his next adventure, Pete and I will head to eastern Montana for another week of prairie birds. Pete, being gainfully employed as an expert rocket scientist, will then return to the arsenal of democracy, and I will head to Michigan to to meet Dale and hunt grouse and woodcock - never hunted woodcock!

Returning from Michigan to Montana, I will be hunting with a couple of newer friends, and enjoying some dog work, before heading to Saskatchewan where I will meet with Clair and Dave Brown for more fun on the prairies. I hope that it will be a busy couple months.

My club will be hosting the US Complete Shooting Dog Association's NW Region Championship in November at the K-Arrow Ranch near Jamestown, California. I hope Ted is ready and fit from a seven weeks of bird hunting. I also hope that he is still broke enough to place in the trial.