Schedule & Travel Updates.

The MGA trial "up North" was a mixed success. It was on the small side, but was actually bigger than we expected. 7 Ibizans?? Better sales on our end would have certainly been a plus. Most of the dogs here we've shot many times before, but with the overhead perspective from the snow-maker tower, they've never been seen like this before! Talk after the trials was to move the date to October next year, during that northern season known as "Fall Color". It should be gorgeous. And when word gets out how beautiful the location is, there should be more folks showing up.

So.. the travel schedule:

This coming weekend we'll be at the Midwest Coursing Club trials at the Racine, WI kennel club field. We'll apparently be sharing southeast Wisconsin real estate with thousands and thousands of Harley H.O.G. members. Motels are booked 50 miles out, and more, and the rates are doubled! If you don't have a place booked already, forget it.

Next week, the Express, in it's seemingly never-ending need for repair, will have to be left at Done Right Auto & RV Repair to have a cracked exhaust manifold replaced. So, we're letting Enterprise "pick us up", we're packing up the dogs, and we're all going to New Mexico to pick up the Galgo puppy. We think we know which one we're getting, but that could change when we get to see all our choices. So forget everything we've written before. ;) This, of course, means we will not be at the LARC LGRA as previously posted.

Labor Day weekend we will be at the OKIGO ASFA trials and fun runs at Twin Towers Park near Dayton, OH.

September 8-9 is the event we never miss! Wind Chasers Lure Coursing Club ASFA trials at Deep River Park, Hobart, Indiana. Pig Roast on Saturday night! MMMMmmmmm!

Monday through Friday, we may be at the Escapees big Fall "Escapade" in Goshen, IN.

I'm not sure what the rest of the month looks like... we will catch a LARC LGRA and fun trial in Oberlin, OH, and the LCLC trials in Romulus, NY. Other dates to be filled in as we know them. And don't forget the LGRA/NOTRA OB Nationals in Carthage, IN the first weekend of October. (Which means we miss the Loomis (NE) Dog Races.... again!)

Cwazy Wabbit!

This one's getting heavy traffic, but maybe some of you haven't seen it yet. HT to Frank Vignieri in New Mexico.

Or: Don't Cross Wanda!

View from the tower.

A Better Perspective

Here's a more telling angle of the field. The course was only 556 yards, but with elevation change of nearly 70 feet in that distance, it would probably equal a 900 yard soccer field course. Today I shot from the snow-maker tower you see on the right hand side. What a perspective, as the dogs ran directly below! Best crash of the year... coming soon!

Up North

To a native Michigander, that means anywhere above the tri-cities of Saginaw-Bay City-Midland. I've extolled the virtues of Northern Michigan previously on these pages, so you know we're happy to be back here. And this time we're here to work!

A few people from the Michigan Gazehound Association thought it would be fun to host a trial way beyond the ordinary latitudes...in fact we're just 2 or 3 miles south of the 45th Parallel. The location for this weekend's trial is a premier golf and ski resort known as Shanty Creek, and the dogs will run from the very top of the place. This is the view from the top floor of the Summit Resort lodge.

This is also the view of the lure coursing field! Dogs better be in shape! Maybe later this week I'll post a shot or two of the action.

Nature Shots of the Weekend

From Scattergun Reserve. Conneautville, PA....
Plant life. Any botanists (amateur or professional) out there know what this is? It was deep in the woods, next to a small pool, and it had no relatives nearby that I could see. A hermit. It sure is red.

Plants and animals... I know this image is kind of cliche'd, but I don't use my macro lens nearly enough. So here it is.

If you like them, I'd look for these and others like them at our Nature and landscape image website .

EDIT: Well, well, well... thanks to reader "Anonymous", we now know that that beautiful red flower above is known as the "Cardinal Flower". You can look, but don't eat it!

It's Good to be Back in Civilization!

Hanging out at Cabela's parking lot in Wheeling, with a good, strong signal for phone and internet. Been out of sight and out of mind in rural Pennsylvania since last Thursday. Shooting dogs at the 2nd "Ridgeback Rodeo". Got some interesting hound action, but the best part about this is that it's held on a private hunting preserve, Scattergun Reserve, and last night I took the opportunity to cruise the fields and woods in one of the off-road golf carts and got some really cool nature stuff, which I'll try to post.

Nothing much else to write; I just wanted to see if I remembered how to do it!

Schedule Note: Lewisville, Indiana this weekend, LGRA race meet. (Rally's oh-so-close to being ready to rock and roll again), and then MGA's first try at a trial in waaaay northern Michigan at a very classy golf and ski resort.. that's the following weekend. And finally we'll be at Racine Kennel Club for the MWCC trials. After that, I may leave Margaret and the Express parked in Franklin, WI, while I drive out to New Mexico to get Kiko. (That's the pup's name if you didn't get around to watching the video.)