LET THERE BE LIGHT!

Summertime "dogging activities" are often "up early" and "out late"in order to get the cool of the day.  When I occasionally start out before dawn or return to the truck in the dark of evening, there exists a certain amount of frustration with checking the dog, and putting stuff away because (in my opinion) even a headlamp--though good for trail walking--lacks when working at the tailgate.

Initially, I thought LED lights would to be the ticket, but I wasn't able to adequately secure them onto the interior of the truck cap.  (They weren't that bright either.)  Recently, two things "converged" to solve my problem:   lighted, wireless light switches and INDUSTRIAL strength Velcro.  What a find!

Double light "switches" came out first, but then someone must have had the wonderful idea that if two were "pretty good", four ought to be "great".  They are!

As an experiment, I used industrial-strength Velcro to install a four-light switch on one side of the cap, and on the other side I installed the older-version two-light switch.  So far, so good. The lights have stayed where I put them on the inside of the fiberglass cap.  They haven't moved even with intense summer heat or vibration from traveling over dirt roads. 



I like this idea.  It is "up there" with the remote outside thermometer ($9.95) mounted on the cage in the back so --from the cab--I can tell the temperature
where K-Lee is riding.  (Believe me, after a day of moose muck and swamp grime, no one wants her "up front" in the cab!)


The only thing I'm going to do with my little experiment is to replace the two-light with another "four" and place another four-light directly overhead.  

If you want me, just look for the glow.

SUMMERTIME FUN

Independence Day has come and gone.  Here at home, the young birds at the front door have fledged.  They're gone too and I'm allowed to enter and exit through that portal again. (See 4/24/18 post "Banned From Front Door Use")   The lake is warm enough to enjoy a swim or two, and walks with dogs need to be done well before breakfast.  I'm good with that.

Last week, we went "up north" to our camp.  I mowed the lawn, put things  in order and installed a flagpole.  The high point of our stay was K-Lee on-point at the wood's edge.  As I "walked in" on her point, about four young woodcock exploded to wing.  Nearly the size of a baseball, they erupted from beneath the spruces and flew through the woods like Harry Potter's "snitch" during a "Quidditch" tournament.  It was a pleasant rush to say the least!   

K-Lee and I didn't follow up.  This is their time.  

Now, when I think of our camp which is near Quebec Province, the name "Becasse" pleasantly comes to mind.

 

I WAS "HOOKED" AFTER THE FIRST LINE

The day finally came.  My dear friend, Amy,  held a "book signing" event at a New London book store this past Saturday to herald her newly published book "The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair".  The  little shop was mobbed with folks lined up for the "book signing", and the copies were flying off the shelf.

The novel is written for kids 8-12.  It is fun summer reading.  I'm well over 65 and I'm enjoying it!  Maybe it's reaching out to the "inner kid" in me.  I was "hooked" after the first line!  We bought our several copies at the book signing and another from Amazon.  (Great gifts for my grand-daughters!)

Her blog is Maisymak.com where she is "writing, with a wiley flock of  children".  

Did I also mention that it was "Simon & Schuster" that made the successful offer?
Awesome! 

BANNED FROM FRONT DOOR USE!

A sign of spring is nesting birds.  I noted to my bride of 48 years that songbirds were coming to our wreath that was hung near the front door. They were pecking at the Styrofoam "berries".  The half "eaten" red berries are now white.  I can only assume that they are using the stuff for nest insulation.   

I was sternly instructed to leave the wreath up for the birds' use.  

   

I studied the wreath more closely and discovered a house finch's nest.   So, I mixed what I thought was "knowledge" with an air of "logic" and walked into the kitchen.  I told the person "to whom I am related by marriage" that I was going to take the nest down so that  the hen would re-nest in another location.  (There was plenty of time for that, and birds do it all the time.)  Bad move.

Four blue eggs

Suddenly, there were new guidelines. All foot traffic was redirected.  The dog and I are now banned from using the front door so that the little finch will not be scared off and lose her babies (eggs).  

The dog and I now have to go out through the garage.  

The bird gets the front door and we get the servants' entrance.

Mama bird bailing out

Especially after dark, it's like a theatrical opening.  The door goes up, the lights are on and 'voila!', there's K-Lee and me giving another 'show' for the neighbors.  

Please contact me for seat reservations.

'Mama' lecturing me on "violating" her space

SCIENCE IS ALWAYS LEARNING (AS IT SHOULD)

When I started out with dogs (I'm confining these remarks to my bird dogs) I thought I was doing the right thing by neutering or spaying a pup around 6 months or more to prevent uterine cancer, testicular cancer, unwanted births, bad behavior, etc.  I bought into the whole "if you aren't going to breed them, then you should spay them at about six months or more" thing.

Looking back, I can see that those were more like "talking points" for a general dog-owner population from well-intended folks who ran clinics, adoption shelters and rescues.  Less pregnancies means less puppies.  I get that.   However, the mantra seems to have been carried too far.  It became sort of a "broad-brush" approach for most of "puppydom" and shelter over-population.  It simply doesn't apply to those of us who keep a  fairly athletic association with our hunting dogs.

There is a growing field of data concerning the practice of "de-sexing" our canine cohorts.  Learning its effects--especially "early de-sexing"-- I've come to the conclusion that I've done a huge dis-service to my dogs.  Looking at the medical history of Taylor, my first GSP (German Shorthaired Pointer), provides good anecdotal evidence.  Taylor had terrible soft tissue problems.  He seemed to be lame more often than not. He also suffered dementia around twelve years age.  Lots of drive, but the chassis was weak.

Kid, my Brittany, was spayed at 3yrs old.  She didn't have "soft tissue" problems, but the impact of the surgery threw her for a post-surgical loop.  Her metabolism was knocked out of whack for several weeks.  After the operation, she remained  "urinary incontinent" and required special meds.   And of course, there's K-Lee:  She has needed two TPLOs (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomies).  Anecdotal yes, but it matches up with others' experiences. 

One of my friends recently told me, "Life is one long learning curve."  He believes that spaying and neutering will be looked back at as a tragic mistake.  There are  alternatives to removing the sex organs that will prevent unwanted puppies.  

Slow to come along with this theme, I'm now convinced that spaying/neutering a pup at an adolescent age is not "good practice".  I realize that this puts me at odds with those who think the ailments such as "fear issues", poor joint structure, weak "soft tissue" such as ligaments, tendons, etc, and "anxiety" are entirely genetic in nature.  So be it.

It's to each person to formulate his or her own decision.  Having finally found the side of the fence that I want to be on, and if there's ever another dog in my life, I'll do things differently.

Perhaps at that time, there will be even more options than ripping out body parts from the abdominal area.


Here are links to articles that summarize somewhat what is my (current) belief:
  https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2016/07/27/neutering-spaying-effects.aspx

 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/hal-herzog/the-ethics-of-neutering_b_2790315.html

As new information comes in, I retain the right to adjust my thinking.