Good Spring and Summer / Sad time in August .

[R.J.]

Spring was good … had fun in the turkey season > Got lucky , one of my two birds was taken with an old model 1985 Excalibur Relayer .



Got to do some canoeing with my daughter when she was home from the Yukon and before she started school again . She is enrolled in a Fish and Wild Life program at Fleming College in Lindsay and is having lots of fun with the “hands on “ part of the courses . ( That is her in the middle of the group )




I tracked the growth of some wild turkey hens with poults thru July and August as they made their rounds between my property and my neighbor’s .





In July I picked up a trailer so I could move my tractor to some of the properties we hunt ... for bushog work .



Right across the road from me ( approx. 1 min North ) my neighbor has dredged out / expanded a pond into a small spring fed lake … I have access to it so I trade some bush hog trail trimming for fishing and swimming !





Needless to say , I don’t get very far from home lately > I enjoy the swimming and the catch and release with a "micro light" set up .. These small bass feel like 10 lb Steelhead on that rig !

Here is a cool ” strike “ picture I got with my pocket camera ( looking down from the dock ) .



Another cool pocket camera picture of, one in the "shallows" ( I catch all on a 32nd oz Panther Martin Sonic Spinner with Blaze Orange Blade ) .



Here is a cool "release" picture … man the water is beautiful temperature and clear !



Now for the bad / sad news in August … Our Old Gentle Giant Lab“ Jade “ had respiratory complications due to a tumor and had to be put down … she was a beautiful dog and a dear member of our family . We cried for days … I could barely hold it together as I buried her at the back of our property with nice stone memorial ( Added some wild flowers and three walnuts amongst the base rocks ) ( She loved to play fetch with the walnuts that fall from the trees surrounding our house ) !



Here are some of our favorite pictures of " Jade " ... she was a special girl and we will miss her , the same way we miss all of our past pet friend/family members !






Hug your dogs ! .... They are never here long enough and it never gets any easier over the years saying good bye !

[xcaliber]

Lost my 14 year old buddy in may, and feel your pain. I hope Jade is hunting every day in heaven, and waits for her master to arrive one day. They are part of the family in so many ways.

Sorry to hear of your loss.

[vixenmaster]

I am so sorry that yer Furbaby has past on. Great pic's all

[LongCarbine]

So sorry for your loss. Mine passed 2 weeks ago today , and I get choked up just typing that. You are so very right they are never with us long enough. Cherish the memories .

[FireFly]

Sorry to hear about Jade and all the other dogs. I've been there too and it isn't any fun. The thing that helps me a lot is I'm absolutely sure that all my dogs will be there to greet me when I get to heaven just like they are/were when I get home after a day of work.
I wasn't going to get another dog after I lost my first one but I now have two and I have no regrets. Their unconditional love just can't be passed up.

[Shotnbeer]

My wife always say's we'll never live long enough to have all the dogs we want. Each one is special. As I type this my buddy is sitting here 16 years 5 days old. I'm dreading the day. An old joke if you put your wife and dog in a trunk and drive around for 5 hours and open it up who do you think will be glad to see you.

[wabi]

Rick,
I'm sorry to hear about Jade.

I know the pain & guilt that goes along with having a companion put down.
We lost Frisco on Dec 26 last year and I still tear up when I hear a story like yours.

No idea of his age, he was a "rescue" but we had him for 14 years. He got tetanus a few years ago and went downhill from there. He finally ripped loose all the tendons in his hind leg and the vet said at his age and condition he probably wouldn't recover from surgery, so we had to make that decision.

Now we have Skeeter (another rescue) and he's finally starting to calm down and grow out of the puppy stage. We just started letting him sleep outside his cage this week and so far no mess or property destruction during the night. This morning he did crowd me out of the bed, though.

[Starvin' Hillbilly]

Sorry for your loss, i had to put my collie down last year and i wasn't right for a week. Jus somethin bout pets that are close to us hurt us the most when they go to that "bigger hunting ground". its going to hurt, hang in there, it does get better.

-ken

[grouse]

The only problem with dogs is they break your heart every 10-15 years. I have to have them though. If I had to give up hunting with either people or dogs, the choice would be easy (and I have some good hunting buddies).

I hope your Kubota tractor has worked out as well for you as mine has for me. I looked at comparable green and orange tractors and the orange one was so much less expensive that the decision was easy and I have no regrets.

[rayman]

Great pics and thanks for sharing.

Hope your daughter likes her wildlife program and does well with it. My wife majored in wildlife ecology and worked as a biologist a few years before making a career adjustment.

Looks like a sweet dog. Sucks to loose them. I think maybe it gets worse each time. We have three dogs at my house, but the leopard cur is 15.5 and a big pain in the arse but she has been very close to me since she was 5 weeks old and I'm sure I won't be fit to be around for a while when she leaves.

[R.J.]

Thanks all ...

Yep , pets have individual character traits > they all are funny in their own ways !

Cool to see the dog pictures and dog notes ... Thanks again !

[R.J.]

Thanks again all for the kind words in PM's re: the passing of our lab " Jade " .

Yes she is not the 1st and won't be the last pet that passes before we do some day ...

One forum member sent this ( see quote below ) ...

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.
For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.
No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.
They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.
For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.
The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

[R.J.]

And keep the pet pictures coming !
There are some canine characters out there fore sure !

Ever noticed that no one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as much as your dog does !

[Sandman]

Hey RJ,

So sorry to hear about Jade.

This is my pet dog or at least she thinks she is~! I would love to have a dog but with my living alone, work and travel its not feasible. The "dog" is a big part of my life - she's litter trained and a great companion.



Again sorry to hear about your loss RJ~!

Cheers
Robin

[tman74]

Terribly sorry for your loss RJ, she looked like a really sweet girl. Lost my sweet little terrier girl this past feb and I still can't believe she's gone.