Dog #31 Handles on Middle Retired

... The dog pushed back toward the flyer. He is still handling right now. And, he's got the bird.

Bye dog to the line as #31 honors, and see you later tonight, folks :)

Last Dog For the Night On Line...

... That would be #31.

Peter Goodale and Zeus approach the line

Dog #32 will start in the morning.

Same scenario---

6:40 a.m. test dog.

7:00 a.m. first running dog.

Same place, same time folks!

Unless something significant happens on this last dog, I'll be packing things up so I can get back to my cozy little room and start getting all these photos up. :)

Secrets in the Holding Blind...

#29, Mark Edwards and Piper ... do just fine.

Secrets in the holding blind...

Teamwork...

... #27, Birdy and Yvonne Hays, do well.

Okay--I'm ready...

Kind of Splittin' the Difference...

.... #25, Ali, went sort of in between the right and middle retireds before committing to the right-hand bird. Then, he got the flyer and middle bird.

Mark Smith shows Ali, #25, the birds on line

Inca Seeks a Golden Empire...

... and gets three birds clean in nice fashion. This is #24 with Scott Dewey.

Scott Dewey calls for Inca's birds

Dog #23 gets a re-run

... The signaling judge felt that he interfered with the dog's marking and Boo and Paul Sletten come back in six dogs.

Here was the send for the first bird

Angel Marks Her Birds...

... on her rerun, #18 for Jack Vollstedt.

Angel says, "I'm ready..."

Skeeter has a Really Nice Job...

... #15, Robby Bickley, on their re-run.

What a Dog! Skeeter smiles for the camera...

Land of Lincoln...

...Today, as #22 puts one in the clubhouse.

Alan Pleasant gets ready to send for the right-hand bird

Willie Handles on the Middle Retired...

... #21, this is his second handle of the trial.

Willie always "at the ready"

Girl Power...

... Peaches and Tia do well for Jim Gonia and Danny Farmer

Danny Farmer send Tia--she's off and running

Peaches is happy as she and Jim Gonia leave the line

So Much For the Weatherman...

... As we've seen plenty of rain on this day. Currently, it's simply cold and overcast with a blustery wind.

Stopping to Push Cows Again...

... As they move into the test. Bull O'Connell has just completed the test and Jim Gonia and Peaches wait in the wings.

Steve O'Connell listens to Judge Martha Russell on the honor position

Test Four--Wide Open Water Triple

This test begins with an out-of-order flyer, a hen pheasant, way on the left with a land route the entire way; the bird is shot from right to left at 175 yards distant. Second bird down is the middle retired. It is also a hen pheasant and is thrown 150 yards out from right to left. The station retires behind a brushed blind. The line to this bird is through the left of an oblong boomerang shaped pond, and through a significant briar patch out to the bird in sparse broom sage. Last, the right-hand go-bird is a dead duck, again thrown from right to left on land on the far side of the right-hand portion of the pond behind some broom straw. The line to it is through the right-hand side of the pond. There is an honor on this test as well.

Second Dog After Gun Change--No Bird En Route

... This was #16 and Jack Vollstedt with Angel. When she was sent for the right retired, which was a very short throw, the judges no-birded it and Jack recalled Angel. They'll be back in six dogs to try again.

Currently, Bull, #17 with Steve O'Connell is running, has the right hand bird and has been sent for the flyer.

First Dog Up After Gun Change--No Bird

... on the flyer, this for #15, Skeeter and Robby Bickley.

Guns Wait in the Wings...

... and soon are off for the Gun Change...

They're always ready...

Cutter, Bart and Duce

... all have the birds.

Currently both the right-hand retired and the middle retired are hard to get by, courtesy of the wind.

Bill Eckett shows supreme concentration

Ty Rorem sends Cutter, #11

Alan Pleasant and Bart leave the line

Betsey and Pink

... Do quite all right.

Tha's #7, Betsey and Paul Sletten and #9, Pink with Al Arthur.

Al Arthur and Pink

Paul Sletten and Betsey on the honor

Merlyn is a Wizard...

... as he nicely does this test, #6, for handler Jerry Patopea.

Merlyn is up for the task

A Wide Sashay...

.... Dog #3 was sent for the go-bird (right retired) and then put it in gear for the middle bird, instead. However, when he got out near the back side of the holding blind he hooked a major right-hand turn down into the right bird, after all. He then got the flyer, and went sent for the middle bird went inside and deep of the bird for a few zigs and came back to it.

Bill Barstow gets ready to take a bird from Teak

Numero Uno is in the Clubhouse...

... with three birds for handler Tim Milligan.

Tupper Delivers the Wares...

... #97, for Handler All Arthur

Here, Tupper and Al leave the line

Good Job for #96...

... That would be Chip and Jim Gonia

Jim Gonia sends Chip

Currently, #95 Handling on Middle Retired... Now a PICK UP

... He went into the wide patch of briars en route to the bird, exited it and pushed left.

The dog got into the flyer.

Dog #92 Picks Up One Bird...

... As he was sent for the flyer, the cows moved in through the field from the left. The dog was sent for the right retired and went two-thirds of the way to the water's edge and turned to come back. When he returned he was sent for the flyer, retrieved it, and then moved over to the honor mat. Dog #95 is running now.

Yoda and Patti Kiernan

Cattle Round-Up In Progress

... Just deep of the marks...

Two Handles in the First Four Dogs...

...#87, Ty Rorem with Jazz, handled on the right-hand retired bird, and then #88, Al Arthur with Pow, and #89, Willie with Jim Pickering, both did the test, while #90, Zoom and Bill Eckett, handled on the middle retired.

Test Dogs Brave the Elements

They ran in pouring rain.

Bobby Smith handled on the flyer and Mark Medford had a quick handle on the middle bird. More to come...

Big Rain Delay--Tough on Equipment

Huge deluge of rains-- during final setup and during test dogs.

Not good for computers, cameras, electronics!

CALLBACKS to the FOURTH SERIES

1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62, 64, 66, 68, 69, 72, 75, 77, 78, 82, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 95, 96, 97

Last Dog for the Third...

... #62 going to line at 11:12 a.m. See you at the next test--

Two Dogs Remain--Including the Dog on Line #61

... and the sun continues to illuminate our World :)

Let there be Light...

... After a morning of haze, mist and plenty of intermittent rain, the sun is out! Suddenly and for the moment, completely! Dog #60 is on line.

We're nearing the end of this test...

Dog #59 had considerable difficulty on the blind.

NEW CONNECTION--THANK YOU JANE & JERRY PATOPEA!

As I get back into the saddle here, allow me the grace of another update. Verizon connection has been nonexistent this morning for the most part.

Jane and Jerry have offered the use of their computer and their ATT air card, and I'm back on as of now. Their computer becomes a necessity because I cannot get on the internet to download software to use just their air card.

The first thing I'll attempt is to catch up posts behind this one. They've been saved as drafts when I had a split second on, otherwise they're all handwritten as notes.

Photos are another story. Every 60 photos or so, I download them into my Mac, so any new photos can possibly be worked through software on this borrowed computer, but all the others will have to be put on tonight from the hotel, or later today if Verizon ever starts working. I'm told that Verizon connection at the new site is again very spotty, at best.

So, I'll work on some posting first. Then photos if possible. I promise I won't sleep tonight--I'll pull an all-niter, so that all the other photos can be uploaded as well.

Thus, you are brought up to date.

Thanks again so much to Jerry (computer) and Jane (air card)...  :)

Juice in the Morning...

... is a good combination for #32 and handler Dave Smith. Here, Dave gets the bird and leaves the running area.

Dave Smith takes the bird ftom Juice as they leave the running area

Peter Goodale Has Cow Company...

... #31, But Zeus gets the job done...

Surveying the Situation...

... is #30, Nick Elam, just before he runs. Eventually, he and Hanna got the bird.

...Piper Plays a Tune...

... #29, to the bird, good job.

Shorty Insisted on Some Action...

... #28, on that far right bank, but then became a team with Handler Bill Totten once more and then got the birtd.

Double Posts From Time to Time...

...Internet connectivity is extremely slow this morning. As a result, with me hitting "publish post" we're getting some double posting, so please bear with me. Picture uploading is at dinosaur speed so hopefully that will improve soon, as well.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm...

... #27, Birdy and Yvonne Hays, have just done a nice job on the blind.

First Dog is Running a Few Minutes Early...

... at 6:53 a.m. Unfortunately, after some difficulty in the scent on the freshly redone point, #26 picked up beyond it from the right up on the hill.

And the test dog cometh...

... to the line at 6:40 a.m.

Keeping Fingers Crossed...

... Since we still have a chance of rain for this day. It's a relatively warm morning but the temperature won't rise much through the day. With 33 dogs left to run in the third series, we've got a lot yet to do before moving on to the fourth series of water marks. Good luck to all.