A Change Is Gonna Come...

More than one, actually.

Since we committed to purchase the house in Deming, I've been referring to it here as "Mountain House".  More for lack of a better idea than anything else, it was merely a "working title" based on the fact that it was, well, up in the mountains.  Now that we've had some time to give it some thought, we are ready to unveil our Official Name:

This is the basis for a wood front gate sign, that our friend Tavo, (owner of the other dog in the Desert Hare crash) is going to carve for us.  Until last weekend we were unaware of this additional talent (among many) of Mr. Cruz.  We can't wait to see the finished work!

Another name that's going to have to change, is the name of this blog.  We're no longer going to be on "tour".  As mentioned before, we'll be venturing out occasionally to major events when invited.  This one was easy.  Once our travels taper off at the end of May, this missive will forever be known as:  Hare-Brained At Home.  The content won't change much.  We'll still write about whatever seems interesting at the moment, like the dogs, or good places to eat, or politics.

And if we're not traveling from event to event, whatever will we do for money?  We always knew that we'd have to come up with some kind of employment to keep us entertained (and fed) in the manner to which we were accustomed.  On a suggestion last Summer by our friend Steve Garth, Margaret did some researching and came up with our new, local business...   

Margaret thought the name was too "cutesy".. but I think I've beaten her into submission, and she's put together some cool potential business card designs, and logos.  This is just one example.  

The countdown clock on the sidebar, will let everyone know how close we are to moving in.  This is damned exciting!

Right on the Table?!?

I think I'd want a little more protein after.. uh.. you know.

Recipe for Disaster.

And I thought this only happened in lure coursing.  Not the part about the two jacks, though.

The scene:  Dutch Salmon's Desert Hare Classic, somewhere in the southwest US.  Margaret was slipping Sandia, in pink, between Luna, a lurcher/Tazi cross (and the winner of last year's event), and a saluki in blue.  

On a day that started out looking like hares were going to be at a premium, no one expected two to fire out of the tall grass like so many sporting clays.. one to the south, one to the north.  The "Tally Ho!" was called, and it was time to choose your rabbit!

Initially, Sandia and Luna chose two different hares, which got them going in opposite directions,

...which got them into what could have been a very serious situation.  In fact, it turned out to look much worse than it actually was. (And give me points for being professional, and keeping the shutter button pushed when my dog was in the middle of flying ass over teacup in the middle of the desert!).

They found their feet so quickly, that all three dogs got back on the jack, and a good course ensued.  I know it was good, because Sandia won it!

That got him into the second round, where he ended up finishing the day in 4th place.  I'm not unhappy with that, considering he was running against 18 of the best hounds in the southwest.  I am a bit unhappy that he finished behind his sister, Maya.  Again.  But as a friend reminded me, as a boy dog, he's not going to mature as fast, and if he's real good this year, he'll be awesome next year... and Maya will be in season!   ;o)  So that's our rallying cry:  "Wait till Next Year!"

More details on the Pack Hunt and Desert Hare Classic will be found in a future issue of Performance Sighthound Journal.  (We hope.)

"Cute" Weekly Bird of Prey

Burrowing Owl.  Although they are listed as endangered in many states, we see a couple every time we go out to hunt.  This one let me get pretty close before he bolted.

Yard Life.

We had to drive up to the new house today to make sure the manufacturer tags were still on both sections per federal law. (Who knew?).  As we turned off the pavement, there were a couple of trucks parked on the shoulder looking up at the mountains behind the house.  We stopped and asked what they were looking at.    Ibex was the reply.  They're reguler visitors I guess, so now we have to add a spotting scope to the budget.

As we turned into the driveway, much to our surprise, we jumped the young jackrabbit pictured above.  As it turned out, he was a valuable test subject for the fencing around the yard. I chased him, slowly, with the camera as he pretty much tested the entirety of the perimeter fence, finding no way out, until he worked his way back to the open gate.  If he couldn't find a hole, neither will the dogs!

The vacant  lot next door is home to a covey of Gambel's Quail.  Wildlife is abundant.  Can't wait for our first rattler of the Spring.  Yes I can.

He looks a lot like the Mimbres pottery rabbit, doesn't he?

Happy Birthday Chuck D!

200 years! Seems like only yesterday..

Capitol Dome - Redux

It snowed yesterday.  First time since we arrived this Winter.  Put a dusting on the car and the Express, which was gone two hours later.  The sun came out, and the wind, strong to begin with really picked up.

I looked at the Florida Mountains, still resplendent in their white coat, and channeling Tina Fey said, "I want to go to there".  The clouds were spectacular, the sky was deep blue, and every detail of the mountains, and their most noticeable feature- "Capitol Dome"- stood out in deep relief.  In other words, paradise for a landscape photographer!

So after that buildup, I'm going to show you a Photoshopped "black and white graphic pen" image...

The spectacular color images can be found in the sidebar slide show.  Don't miss the new portrait of our new home!

What Does Big Ben Say?

BONG!  BONG!  BONG!.....

Weren't you just outraged and incensed about that picture of All-American Wonder Boy, Michael Phelps huffing away on a bong?

Yeah, me neither.

I'm with Seth...

What's the big surprise?   Where did Phelps do the bulk of his pre-Olympic training?

Ann Arbor.

What happens in Ann Arbor every April 1st since the 60's?   Andrew?  Anybody?

I rest my case.

Peaks In A Blanket.

Did you get the pun?  Awful isn't it?

By the way... just out of the picture to the left is Mountain House.

An Instant Classic?

Margaret's done it again!

Anyone who's received an email from me will recognize the quotation  from my signature line.  Our friend, MaryAnn in Southern California noticed it and had a great suggestion.  We should put it on a shirt.  And so we have, and they're now available at our CafePress storefront.  And not just shirts but hats and coffee mugs as well.

Gace de la Vigne was a French poet who may also be found under "de la Bigne", and lived either in the 14th or 15th century.  In other words, details about his biography are rather sketchy.  What is known, is that he wrote extensively about dogs, as any Google search will turn up.  He was, in fact, the first person to use the word "terrier".

I first heard of of him on Steve Bodio's Querencia blog way back in 2005, when he wrote the following:

By the way, Gace de la Vigne is also author of someting I want engraved on silver:

"De chiens, d'oyseaux, d'armes, d'amours,

Pour une joye, cent doulours.

("In hounds, hawks, arms, and love, for every joy a hundred sorrows") 

Until that point, I was changing the quote on my email signature on a regular basis.  Once I read this short, simple but powerful statement, I was certain I wouldn't change the quote again.  And I haven't.

Currently, we've "stocked" the store with Scottish Deerhound and Galgo Espanol (which could pass for longdog, staghound, and lurcher in a pinch) products.  We're hustling to get Greyhounds, Salukis, and Afghan hounds up.  Other breeds can be added if there is enough demand.

MaryAnn predicts this item will become a "classic".  We hope she's right.

Pack Practice

A shot from this morning.  Bad weather was forecast for overnight, but when I put Sandia and Fanny in the car and headed north, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. 

This is our "Pack" for next week's Pack Hunt.  Haven't decided yet whether we'll include Buffy just for fun. (Although she's pretty good at finding rabbits, so there's that to consider.)  Fanny, going on 9 years old, can still contribute in a big way.. it just takes her a week to recover.

We got up 4 rabbits in about an hour.  It was a good workout, which ended as the winds picked up, the rain started, and the temperatures dropped.

Other packs beware!

Great New Products!

I almost forgot to post this.

Last year, we had a great promotion that was very popular.  Art gallery style posters featuring your dog.  It was so popular, it got us through the New Mexico break without going broke and having to push the motor home back to the March events.

This year's "special" is a creative twist on our popular "I'd Rather Be Coursing" bumper stickers.  Instead  of a generic sighthound breed, you get your very own dog on the sticker.  And!  They're bigger than our regular stickers.. 4" x 12".

Many of you are already aware of this promo, as we "spammed" about 600 emails to our friends, customers, and others in our email address books.  If not, here's some cool samples, and a copy of the email that was sent.  These aren't available through CafePress.com, (but we've got a terrific new item we're adding there soon.  Stay tuned.), and you'll have to contact Margaret directly.

This special was supposed to end to end today, but since I forgot to promote it on the blog, we're going to extend it to the end of next week, February 14!   Remember that we have to have taken a picture of your dog at a trial or race to take part in this promotion!

Happy New Year to all!

 

First of all, we apologize if you have received duplicates of this message or if you prefer not to receive our occasional communications. To remove your name from our list simply reply and put 'Remove' in the subject line.

 

Dan & I are in Deming, New Mexico until the end of February for a little R&R with our dogs.   In the past several months many of you asked if we could personalize our  I'd Rather Be Coursing bumper sticker with your own dogs. Our answer then was that it is cost prohibitive to do so on a one at a time basis. But we thought it was a great idea...  if we could do a large batch at one time.

 

So the Personalized Bumper Sticker is our Winter Special. We'll take orders through Friday, February 6th. That gives you just over 2 weeks to pick your favorite photo. The attachment shows the choices for background color and text. The personalized stickers are 12" X 4" (larger than our generic stickers!). Here's the scoop on cost and choices:

 

         $19 for the 1st bumper sticker

$3.50 for duplicates

$3.00 for postage

 

We will invoice you through PayPal which can be paid online or by mailing us a check.

 

Info we need from you:

• Photo choice (check the photo # on our website) Please give me the event and date. A stretched or streamlined tuck will work best for the space available.
• Background color choice (yellow, blue, green, red, pink).
• Text choice (I'd Rather be Coursing/Love at First Sighthound/The Happiness of Pursuit).
• Dog's name (if you want it printed on the sticker).
• Rabbit preference (stretched, tucked or moving away).

You can also order our generic stickers for $5 - we have most breeds available.

 

Let us know if you have questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Dan Gauss & Margaret Fairman

Shot On Site Photography

Empty Echoes in the Senate.

Sen. John McCain spent the last couple of days on his Senate soapbox, reminding us exactly what he is:

Loser.

And that's why you're still in the Senate, John.

Google "Chrome"

Seemingly rolled out with little fanfare- I happened to see a little blurb on a Google page- there's a new web browser in town. And it's excellent! Google Chrome.

I installed it yesterday, and so far it's performed flawlessly.  Every control is simple and intuitive.  I think there's a "help" button somewhere, but I haven't needed it.  There's very little garbage on the toolbar, which gives you a bigger screen area for content.  (See the screenshot of this blog page, above.)

And speaking of content, the web pages open at broadband speeds.. and I'm using EDGE/GPRS, which is only about twice as fast as dialup.  

It has a nice memory feature, that keeps track of the number of times I go to a website, and all the most - visited are shown on the front page when you open the browser..  so I better keep some variety in the porn surfing!

I tried Firefox some time ago.  It was OK, but there were some issues that irritated me.  I think it was a problem that had to do with .pdf files.  Haven't opened any .pdf's with Chrome yet, so I probably shouldn't speak too soon.

Give it a try.  It's free.   From download to your monitor only takes about 5-7 minutes; which is amazing in itself.

And now tonight's entertainment, which is in no way relevant to the subject, other than it has the word "chrome" in the title.  Take it, Melissa....

Mr. Happy Tooth No More.

I brush every day; use one of those Oral B spinning, vibrating brushes. Floss nearly as often, and use an anti plaque pre- rinse, and a Listerine clone after. I don't drink sugared soft drinks, and I avoid fruit juices. I visit my dentist every... uh. Hmm. Yeah, I visit a dentist every
20 years or so....?

Okay, so I have a scheduling problem. It's associated with a recurring financial problem.. I can't afford to go t0 the dentist. No big, I thought, having only one emergency since my last root canal, sometime in the early Nineties.

Well... last month, while parked in Texas, watching TV and eating popcorn, I noticed.. my tongue noticed.. a big hole in the middle of a molar that wasn't there before the second handful of popcorn. This was a cause for concern. But not enough for emergency concern. There was some pain, but not the kind you associate with exposed angry nerve endings... more just uncomfortable. I figured I could just chew on the left side until we got to our Wintering spot in New Mexico. Which just happens to be 30 miles north of La Paloma, Mexico. Home to several English-speaking dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, etc.

I made the appointment with Dr. Oscar Daniel Perez at American Dental Care, located just a block and a half from the border, behind the famous Pink Store, (where we would have an excellent lunch afterwards, and use our free Margaritas coupons).

Border crossing from New Mexico into Paloma is, we'll say, informal. Park the car at the Duty Free shop in the US, and just walk on in to Mexico. (Returning would take only slightly longer).

For reasons I still don't quite understand, Margaret requires a dose of antibiotics prior to dental work, so we went first to one of the many pharmacies on the main drag. It may be of some interest to dog owners, that we picked up a 50-count package of Cephalexin, 500mg, for all of $4 and change, US. Just about any drug that's not a narcotic is available over the counter at great prices. The prices in Mexico would continue to amaze us, after our visit to the dentist.

When we arrived at the office, there were only a handful of people in the waiting room; all Yanquis like us, and either full time RVers like us, or dwellers of the borderlands region. It's easy to see what Dr. Perez's target demographic is.

Margaret was just getting her teeth cleaned. I was getting my teeth cleaned and, I thought, getting my filling repaired. That's when everything started to go south... figuratively speaking.

Dr. Perez looked at the tooth and what remained of the filling, and found evidence of decay around the gum line. He advised that it would be better to get a crown, than repair the filling, because I would just be paying for work on the same tooth twice. That made sense to me.

Then Dr. Perez's partner (and wife), Dr. Karla Marmolejo, commenced to cleaning my teeth. She promptly hit a nerve in the wrong side of my mouth, swabbed on some topical pain killer and went to work again, then stopped. She had a long conversation with Oscar in Spanish and he then took over.

This is where the real bad news starts. He told me there was a line of brown material over most of the gum line, top and bottom. He thought at first it was tarter, except it wouldn't come off. It's tooth decay. He's not sure why it's so prevalent, hazarding a guess about minerals in water, but whatever the reason, it's there. It will need extensive filling.

The good news is... or part of the good news is, it's not an emergency situation, (except for the original crown thing). I can get it done in stages, and since we'll be living here it won't cause a scheduling issue. I'm getting the crown done in two weeks, before we pull out of Deming for the last big road trip with the Express. The rest will be done over the next year, after we've moved into the Mountain House.

He wrote out an estimate. That's the second part of the good news. To see what all this would cost in the US, click on the amounts:

Bridge. 4 teeth... $600

Extractions. 2 $50 each

Porcelain Crown. 1 $150

Fillings. 12 (yeah, TWELVE) $50 each

So there you have a brief report on my very first visit to Mexico. I'll be saving a lot of money, and tequila is unbelievably cheap at the Duty Free.

And speaking of Duty Free.. this one came as quite a shock to someone who's used to the Duty Free shops on the way to Canada. Here, you park your car in the lot, go into Duty Free, buy your $12 Cabo Wabo, walk into Mexico, cross the street, walk back into the US, get in your car and go home. Get drunk.

We're going to like living here.

MMmmm..... Aaaccc-c-c-kkk.. THUD!

HT to Frank Vigneri, who really really needs to avoid this place like the plague.


Watch CBS Videos Online

FREE is Good!

We're familiar with the local Denny's, because that's where the draw for local hunts is always held. Other than those events, we're not likely to breakfast at Denny's, or any other similar chain restaurant, preferring locally owned diners and restaurants.

But when breakfast is free, we're always there, dude. The above ad was one of the best of the Super Bowl, as well.

And so, we found ourselves in a very crowded lobby this morning, waiting for a table. The list was long, but the efficiency of the cooks, the waitstaff, and the table cleaners (which looked suspiciously like management), was impressive to observe, and soon we were seated, with coffee (no, the coffee price was not $5.99), and were placing our order with our waiter, Robert who, despite the frantic pace, remained cheerful. Or gay. Possibly both. Our free Grand Slams were in front of us in about 2 minutes.

That's livin'. Yum.

Weekly Bird of Prey.

Out on the ranchlands for our Sunday running of the hounds with Dutch, we popped this fellow up out of the tall grass. We see a lot of Burrowing Owls when we're hunting, but this is the second time in a couple of weeks we've seen this larger, Long Eared Owl.

We have our new friend, Zac, to thank for the identification. He'd seen them in a nearby field the previous day, and did the research to confirm the i.d. I admit, I did a lot of Googling last night, and initially was beginning to question that it really was a Long Eared Owl, because the habitat described on the various websites just didn't square with where we saw this bird. In the end, I decided it couldn't be anything else, and the "X" of white feathers on the face, just barely visible on the image below, did the trick.

We should have apologized for disturbing its sleep, as this bird is a nocturnal hunter. Sorry.

UPDATE 2/3/09: Heard from Steve Bodio, a man with much knOWLedge on the subject. He says, with about as much certainty as possible, that the above pictured bird is a SHORT Eared Owl. So there you have it. Good thing I hadn't checked anything off on my Life List yet.

Hyundai.

OK, I've been meaning to write something about this since I first saw these dumbass Hyundai commercials. You've seen them... they were a sober interlude in all the great, and funny Super Bowl commercials... They come off sounding so noble... "hey, if you lose your income we'll let you return your Hyundai". This is new?

I don't think so...


Yeah. It's called repossession.

Wrap Up.

The advantage of not being emotionally involved in the outcome of today's Super Bowl is that I can say, "wow... what an entertaining game".

That is all.





Because... if I was to ramble on, I'd probably whine about the only Buckeye on either roster ending up as the MVP.. Grrrrr. Defensively, ex-Wolverine, Lamar Woodley made some great plays.

That's really all. Seriously.

Super Bowl Pick.

Having no emotional connection with either team, I was in a quandary about who to pull for in tomorrow's Super Bowl. Everybody needs to pick somebody.

Using empirical research techniques, and scientific method, I.... oh hell... I just checked the rosters for former University of Michigan players. No contest, as it turns out. The Phoenix Cardinals have 5 former Wolverines, while the Steelers have only two, and considering the Cardinals are already the prohibitive underdog, the choice is easy. Go Cards! As a bonus, Alan Branch is from New Mexico.

And Go Blue! I'm sure no other University has, or maybe ever had, that many alums playing in a single Super Bowl!

"The Lincoln Bedroom."

Due to unprecedented requests for access to the future residents of Mountain House, we've decided to call the little guest cabin "The Lincoln Bedroom". The Clinton years weren't totally wasted on us! I don't have to explain how it works. When the DUTCH T-Shirt button is removed tomorrow, it will become self-explanatory. Nice little place. Small fridge and microwave, shower, sink and toilet. What else could the weary traveller ask for?

Of course, a "donation" does not have to be in the form of money. Food, alcoholic beverages, etc. are welcome as well. We're easy. ;o)

A Grand Old Man.

That's my boy, last weekend. The walk turned out to be a little longer than anticipated due to the lack of hares. About 3 miles, in fact, and he was pretty fagged when we got to the car, and the next day, he never got out of bed, except for the daily "walk". Three days later, he was as frisky as ever. What a freak of nature, to be traipsing in the desert, climbing the Express's stairs, and jumping into the bed at an age when... well, he doesn't have a lot of company.

I hope he survives until we move into the Mountain House, so he'll always be with us.

No Lawn Mower... No Way!

Mountain House. (Working title). New Slide Show available on the sidebar.

Best. Month. Ever!

By 1.

1365 to 1364. And climbing.

Thanks, visitors!

Putting Those Donations to Good Use.

No.

Not the donations sent here to help out Dutch Salmon's family. I'm talking about the money donated to PETA. (Not by anyone who reads this blog, of course, but those other people.) They're not going to be able to help out all those widdle cuddewy-wuddewy furry critters... you know, the ones they end up euthanizing... if they're blowing 3 million bucks on a pornographic Super Bowl commercial.

Alas, we won't get to see the cute lady do herself with a broccoli. NBC decided the ad was too racy. It's OK though... PETA was just going to lie to us.

Like always.

What Was It?

Even when you're underneath it, the T.A.R.S. Aerostat doesn't look twice the size of the Goodyear blimp. That's because this "weapon" in the so called "War on Drugs", is on a 25,000 foot tether.

The one in my picture is one eleven that the Air Force operates from the Carribean to Arizona. It is located, as you might guess, outside of Deming, New Mexico. It's purpose is not to catch "il-ee-gals" (sorry Todd), but "radar interdiction" of planeloads of illicit drugs coming from the south. So, while Rick correctly identified what it is, Cindy was the only one who got the hint.

There is no prize... you all should be proud of a job well done.

Fundraising Update.

Thanks to all who have ponied up and ordered the DUTCH T-shirts to help out with the Salmon family expenses in the wake of Buddy's illness. Thanks, especially, to those who also got quilt raffle tickets, and ordered items from Dutch's bookstore.

We got orders from local New Mexico residents, and also from as far away as Florida and Massachusetts, Eastern and Western Canada, including the Maritimes, and Great Britain! Dutch has a lot of friends, but also there are strangers out there who just wanted to help.

The T-Shirt orders have dropped to a trickle as of today, so we'll pull the plug on them on February 1st. I'll remove the "Donate" button then. That will give us time to order up the blank shirts and other paraphernalia Margaret will need to produce the final product, and get it to all who donated in a timely fashion.

We'll add our check to the one the quilt raffle folks will be giving Dutch at his Pack Hunt in mid-February.

Thanks again!

Shot On Site. Going...going... ??

The other day I posted a picture of a beat up 2-story barn in the middle of some very spacious ranch land. We had our listing guide in hand and used up more than a half tank of gas looking at various levels of abode.

Today, we got more serious, and called a realtor, so we could look at one place in particular that captured our fancy. She told us about another place that was just coming on the market, and not listed yet. It was, she said, "in the mountains". The price she gave got our attention.

We met the agent at a nearby crossroads, and followed her, as promised into the mountains. The North Florida Mountains to be precise. Which means one of the views from the porches is...

...The South Florida Mountains. Look behind, or to the North and the North mountains are practically in the yard. This little, (about a thousand sq ft) house sits between Rock Hound State Park, and Spring Canyon State Park. The view straight west from the front porch is of the Deming Plain, far below.

For people who would want to come visit, there's a bonus:

This little guest cabin sits behind the main house, on the 1 1/2 acre fenced lot. It has a kitchenette, bed, and 3/4 bath. The main house comes with a washer and dryer, side by side fridge with ice maker, dishwasher, 2 full baths, a perfect room for an office, and one bedroom. Yes just one, which is probably why the price for all of this on a nicely cactus-landscaped lot is.. wait for it.... $60,000. Margaret loves this place. So do I.

But we still wanted to see the house we originally called the agent about..

...an adobe "work-in-progress", 16 miles south of Deming. Also 1000 sq ft, with 18" thick walls, the owner/builder began this project in 2004. There's a detached workshop/garage as well. I really like this place, but it's priced considerably higher than the mountain house. But not out of reach. And there are miles and miles of jackrabbit habitat right out the back door!

Interior is still under construction, and is only two rooms. The bedroom is to the right of the bed, which had been moved to install the bedroom floor tiles. Next, this large main room will get tile on the right, which is the kitchen side, and the left will get hardwood. Love the exposed beam ceiling!
As if that weren't cool enough... he's put in Sherita's shower!

...and added a cedar plank ceiling. On 4 acres, this one goes for $79,000, has views of the Florida Mountains as well as the Tres Hermanas mountains near the border, which is only about 20 miles south.

We've probably never been closer to getting off the road, and settling down than we are right now, right here.

But don't worry. Shot On Site Photography is not going away... at least not completely. If we do this thing, we'll still have the Hare-Brained Express, and will continue to shoot the high profile sighthound events like the ASFA II, and breed specialty trials, and we'll probably continue to travel East to Georgia at year end. Margaret would insist. It's that grandchildren homing device implanted in her brain.

We'll be starting a new business in this neck of the woods, too, doing photo and video home inventories for insurance and estate purposes. In fact, Margaret ordered the software today.

And a photographer could make a career out of just recording the various faces of the Florida Mountains. Plus, there's so much more of New Mexico to explore and discover.

Just a heads-up. What a day.

Panic Much?

A few of my blogger friends have recently posted gloom and doom pieces about an animal rights whacko President Obama has placed in charge of something called the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Oh NO!! There goes our pure bred dogs. It'll be Tofu for lunch every- single- freakin'- day!

No?

Fortunately, we have people like "Terrierman" Pat Burns, to actually do the work to uncover the real story behind the viral email panic. Patrick is kind of a DC insider, and he's not panicking.

You should probably read the whole thing. I did and learned a new term: "Chain pull".

Home On the Range.

The other day we took a long drive around the Deming area, looking at land and homes for sale. This wasn't one of the places, and while the "house" is probably in our price range, the land most certainly isn't.

Search on...

What Is It? (With Hint)

Just a fun diversion from all the seriousness here lately. This is a little game that Patrick play over at Terrierman blog. Just post your answers to the comments section, and all will be revealed in a couple of days.

Playing isn't a requirement, and you don't need to whine about it. You can just say "no".

You People Are Great!

When asked to step up, you respond with vigor.

While we're not exactly swamped with DUTCH T-Shirt orders, we've gotten more, in a short time, than I would have expected. Some people have even donated the $28 and decided to fore go the shirt so the whole amount goes to Dutch, which is cool. Other people are sending cash, with no strings (or T-Shirt orders) attached.

Thanks to bloggers Steve Bodio and Todd Birchfield our original post went nearly viral. On the first day we broke all visit records, logging 247 visitors!
We received donations from Great Britain, as someone had cross posted Steve's post- which linked our post- to the British website, The Hunting Life. We're still getting several visitors a day from that site.. and a lot of them are off to the bookstore, as many of the comments were about Dutch's landmark book, Gazehounds & Coursing. I think he may be moving a few copies this month.

I've heard from the quilt raffle organizers, and they've raised over.. well, a lot of money, and that was before you all read about it here, so a lot of money may turn into a shitlo boatload of money.

And if you follow the live traffic feed over there on the sidebar, you'll see that a goodly number of blog visitors have left via Dutch's bookstore . Dutch has confirmed one book sale... a very expensive book, in fact.. as a direct result of our post.

So.. why not keep up with the good news:

Buddy came home from the hospital on Saturday, and in Dutch's own words, "is on the mend". The snowball effect of which is that Dutch was able to bring out his hounds yesterday.. hounds who hadn't run in nearly a month.. to put the fear of god your deity of choice into a few jackrabbits. We took this opportunity to give Dutch his own shirt. He likes it, and thinks everybody should get one! ;o)

Other than the fact we had to walk 2 hours before jumping the first one, a good time was had by all. We'll be doing it again tomorrow.

Step Up to the Plate.

Many of the readers of this blog know Dutch Salmon, or know who he is. In addition to being one of the best outdoor writers in America, he's one of the true gentlemen of the sport of hounds and open field hunting.

We've known Dutch, and his wife, Cherie and son, Buddy for almost 10 years. Just before New Years, Buddy was air-lifted to the University of New Mexico Hospital with a sinus infection that got out of control, first with paralysis, then seizures. He's had at least one brain surgery, and is still hospitalized.

This has caused financial hardship, and untold wear and tear on vehicles, as there's no easy way to get from Silver City to Albuquerque.. just check a map.. not to mention the cost of lodging in a city hundreds of miles from home.

The coursing community of the southwest has stepped up to try and help defray some of these costs the Salmon family are facing. There is a raffle going on for a "Saluki quilt" for which I'll try and post the details of.

We'd like to expand the effort beyond New Mexico. One way you can help is to check out Dutch's bookstore. There are thousands of titles available, on subjects ranging from open field coursing and fly fishing, to biographies of the heroes and villains of the Old West, and more. If you've never checked it out, now would be the time. Books make great gifts!

Not content to sit and let others carry the load, we've come up with a unique fund raiser: The "Dutch" T-Shirt!

Yes, it's the same great style as the official poster for your favorite new President, and the image posted here recently of an eminent blogger/photographer.

The large (6.7" x 9.7") image will be displayed prominently on your choice of White or Natural cotton T-Shirts, in S-M-L-XL for $28 including shipping. All proceeds, less our raw materials and shipping costs, will be turned over to the Salmon family. Please email me: dan@shotonsite.us , or Margaret: margaretfairman@gmail.com with your order, and with questions about orders and sizes other than those listed. We'll accept payment by PayPal, or personal check. I've placed a tool at the top of the sidebar for PayPal orders directly on this site. If you use this method to order and pay, make sure you tell us the color and size of the shirt you want in the message box.

I heard from Dutch by email this morning. He says Buddy is improving, and may be able to come home soon. He also told me he hasn't chased a hare in more than a month.... possibly a personal record. All the more reason to hope for Buddy's return to health.

We hope you all can help. And pass this information on to those who aren't savvy and hip enough to read this blog!

UPDATE: Here are the details on the quilt raffle. I'm sorry, I couldn't add the pictures of the the quilt, but I've seen it, and it's pretty cool, especially if you have Salukis, or are close to someone who is:

"Cindy Brown has donated a 52 inch quilt in shades of blue and gray withSaluki heads in the corners (see photos), to be raffled off and all theproceeds will go to Dutch and his family. Cindy will bring the quilt andtickets to the hunt on January 17^th . The tickets will be $10 each or 3for $25.00. SWCC will offer tickets via the USPS. Send your check, madepayable to SWCC to the treasurer Bill Brown, PO Drawer 29, Mesquite, NM88048, sorry no paypal. The tickets will be returned to you and thedrawing will take place at the Dutch’s Pack Hunt on February 14^th .Checks will be taken up until the day of the drawing and tickets givenout if you are sending a check by mail it must be postmarked by February5^th so we have time to get the tickets back to you. If you are notpresent at the drawing the quilt will be mailed to you and watch for theannouncement on the lists we have posted information to."

Coming Right Up!

As I write this, we're sitting at 19,999 visitors to this blog. The next one will be nearly famous... ;o)

UPDATE: 4:19PM MST... Welcome, visitor number 20,000, from Tijeras, New Mexico. I'm pretty sure I know who you are, (L.O.), but please contact me to confirm!

17 Miles of Bad Road.

This past weekend, Sandia took part in the TCC* Derby in an area near Socorro, New Mexico. The event consisted of breed hunts on Saturday, with the winners and other placers moving on to run for the Conejo Cup on Sunday.

To get to the hunt area, it was required to navigate the above pictured county "road"; dust, washboard ripples, and soft powder ruled the day. We had to do this twice a day.

By virtue of winning the "Sprint Stake" on Saturday, defeating several of his litter mates, and his mother, along with a shag-coat longdog and a whippet, Sandia got to join the Cup hunters on Sunday.

When the dust cleared, and the scores were tabulated, Sandia wound up in 3rd Place... along with three other hounds.

He's pictured here with Margaret, and judge, Paul Sagar from Great Britain. I thought he might end up 2nd or 3rd... I just didn't expect all the company.
And we'd like to congratulate the winner, Frank Cassano's nice Saluki, Haba.

It was a beautiful weekend of spectacular coursing, with lots of sunshine, cool temps, (mostly) good sportsmanship,
and most importantly of all....

...nobody blew up!

*The Coursing Conservancy. Sorry, no link- website not available to the public.

Best Little Wh.. Bath House in Texas.

One of the reasons we like to park at our friend, Sherita's place is this awesome shower. It's not a stall... nosireebob! This... room.. replaced a common stall. Walk in, sit... or stand... and let the two shower heads drench you.

OK, maybe it's not the coolest shower in Texas, but I'll bet it's the coolest in Coleman County, because Sherita did all of the construction herself. And not just the shower, but the whole damn bathroom!

See, not only does Sherita breed Borzois that kick ass in just about any kind of running competition you can enter a hound in, but she's also an independent contractor, who can be found up on somebody's roof one day, and under a house in a, uh "world of shit" as it were, the next.

She writes about her home repair and construction adventures in her blog, which I've had on my blog list for quite some time. It's mostly to write up her dogs, but I get the most entertainment from the stories like the one linked above, and her observations on the human carnival.

Sherita's hospitality has been appreciated by us gypsies for a couple of years now. I mean, how do you thanks someone who's generosity extends so far as to install a 30 amp outlet on her house for us to plug in to?

I guess this is a start. :o)

I'm Flattered, but...

... they really need to work their spellchecker.

Gauss Gause, Texas.

Answer: "Holy Crap!!!"

Question: What's the only appropriate response, when you drive around a curve and are confronted by a shovel the size of a city block?!?

..And you're not in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, or West Virginia. Didn't expect this in Texas.

Dan's Inauguration Poster.

Make your own "Obama-style" poster here.

These Kinds of Tragedies Hit Us Right Where We Live.

Survivors Of Gas Station Explosion Mourn Tragic Loss Of Gasoline

It's bad enough the price per gallon is on the rise again without these senseless losses......... :o)

Air Show.

This weekend's lure coursing trial was held at the Triple Crown Dog Academy in Hutto, TX, and while there was plenty of speed, grace and agility on the ground, (Sandia picked up another 2nd place finish in Singles.... and he now runs a complete course without stopping in the middle!), the real show was in the air!

There were birds of prey aplenty, and they made the most of their photo ops, by flying directly overhead several times a day.

Of course, there will always be Red Tailed Hawks...

...and this was one of a pair that were doing quite the aerial ballet most of the weekend. I think they may be up to something.

As I was shooting the second runs of the day, I heard a commotion in the thicket next to where I was sitting. I glanced over in time to see all the small birds diving into the brush. I knew immediately what I was going to see overhead...

...this Sharp-shinned Hawk, on the prowl for lunch.

Finally, there was this large fellow; a Red Shouldered Hawk. My Peterson Guide says the red on the shoulders is not always visible from below, but it shows up just fine here. But just in case it didn't, there is the "window" at the base of the primary feathers to confirm the identification, which shows up plainly here as well.

On the Road Again.

That's us. And just in time, too. With all the rain of the past couple of days we were turning mildewy. We've been parked too long in high humidity and precipitation, and are longing for the land of single-digit dew points.

So today, we bid farewell to 2008 and hit the road for the first time in '09, and are heading for Texas, and then (oh yeah) New Mexico.

But first! We needed to stop off in Acworth, GA and get the new rear window graphic installed. It was past time to get the old one off..

...The dark parts were turning white, and the whole thing was dried out and brittle. Besides, few people knew what the hell they were looking at. When they finally figured out the jackrabbit, they missed the dog completely, which gave Buffy an inferiority complex.

With Margaret's new design, the ambiguity is right out the window, (no pun intended). It's right in your face..

Almost like a Greyound Bus, huh?

Thanks to a quick install by Les and his employees, we were on the road (again) in no time, beat the Atlanta rush hour, and got 2/3 of the way across Alabama before stopping for the evening.