and better as the day went on.

Dixie, Sugar, Julie, and Maizey were timid most of the morning. That was probably due to not only Brag and I still being new to them, but now they had to contend with a new pack of both humans and dogs. We turned them out with Cuz’s two dogs, Little Girl and Judy, the Grande Dame of what passes for our pack of dogs and Dusty’s , Lady. They nosed around in the planted pines and began trailing. Judy and the new dogs were silent. Only Lady and Little Girl gave voice. Soon the pace picked up and Lady and Little Girl began to run hot, trailing Judy and pups behind.
Deer!

Not as good as I wanted but not bad as I feared.

For the dog’s it must have been a frightening experience. They had only been hunted by the owner and with the same two partners. Three of the four little ladies, Maizey, Dixie and Julie, were less timid near us as the day wore on. Only Sugar proved difficult to get up at quitting time.

The rabbits were scarce today, so they only ran two races. One thing I didn’t like was how close and silent they hunted till they hit a really hot track. The first race was in a pin oak bottom with patches of honeysuckle vines mixed in with some really nasty briars. The rabbit made two narrow loops on the facing hillside before crossing the narrow bottom to enter the thicket that Brag had kicked him out of. I was setting on the ground about 15 yards from Brag when I saw the rabbit coming down a trail head on toward me. A thin screening of briars only inches from me gave me to camouflage I needed. “There’s the rabbit” I softly said to Brag. “I see him.” At the softly spoken words the rabbit froze in his tracks as he tried to divine where the danger was. Deciding that it was safer to go back the way he came, he turned around and headed back down the trail before turning and going into a two hundred yard long stack of pine logs and debris. Created by the timber company by pushing a acre of pine beetle killed pines into a row, they werean impossible situation. We didn’t shoot because we wanted to see how dogs did.

We decided to stop on our way out at spot that always gave us a race. Today was no different . Brag jumped a rabbit from it’s bed . He whooped for the dogs and they came willingly although silently. Hitting the hot trail, they started bawling up the trail the rabbit took. After only a few minutes, they lost him. I hope it was in the water pit and not because they over ran the track and couldn’t find it again.

Now we wish we had shot so we could guage their reaction. Nothing worse than a gun shy “hunting” dog. Now we'll have to wait till the Gray hunt tomorrow before we find out. If we don't get rained out.

This is a test. It is only a test.

I've gone with Brag to check out the new dogs. We plan to run them in the same bottom that we started in when we lost Kate and Robyn on the great MLK day rabbit hunt. I'll post later but you arre in competion with a fourth rabbit hunt at Gray's. Fourth? You thought it was only two? I haven't posted about the third hunt involving a 18 year old boy from NJ shooting a gun for the first time. Don't worry, I'll get around to it.

Uncle NoPass who was going to ride down with me tomorrow and help pass judgement on Brag and mine's new investment, has decided not to go afterall. Just another troubling thing.

What have Brag and I done?

By the way, did you know that Brag and I, mostly Brag, own four new dogs? Yeah, well I didn't either till he called me last night.
Four little ladies that won't run nothing but a rabbit. Everybody says so. Or at least the man who sold them to Brag said so.

If you've enjoyed my story's in the past just wait. Now that Brag and I seem to own four new dogs, or rather Brag mostly does, he plans to sell the two he doesn't want and I got a funny feeling I know to who that would be. He gets a two week trial and if he's unsatisfied then Brag takes them back. I figure I get the same deal from Brag.

You lost my dogs the first time I let you two go rabbit hunting by yourselves?

The two being referred to were Brag and myself of course. “ I showed ya’ll and showed ya’ll how to handle dogs and ya ain’t learned a thing. How can I quit rabbit hunting? You two won’t never get another rabbit if I quit now.“ Eighty three year old Uncle NoPass continued “Come in here with some story bout my dogs running a deer. Those are the best dogs in these parts won’t run nothing but a rabbit. Everybody says so…………….”

Won’t run nothing but a possum, everybody says so.

Brag, Uncle NoPass’s thirty year old grandson met me at the door and I followed him across the polished wood floors, scratched and scarred by countless pairs of hunting boots. In the rear of the house, Uncle NoPass sat next to a gas floor heater that burned bright orange in the dim light., Once again, he was taking his own sweet time putting on his boots. “I always had dogs” he said bending to tie his boot.. “I couldn’t have but three cause that’s all my daddy would let me keep.” I was surprised that my grandfather let him keep that many considering there were eight surviving children and they made their living farming forty acres near Wedowee, Alabama in the 1930‘s. It was a hard living. “Rabbit dogs, squirrel dogs, possum dogs, coon dogs. I could have any I wanted, but I couldn’t have but three cause that’s all my daddy would let me keep. That’s why most of my dogs ran what I told‘em to.”

Not satisfied with the knot, he untied it and began again.

She enjoyed that more than a dinner this evening, since it's a treat for her to see me during daylight hours on a weekend in February. I told her "See how much I love you that I would sacrifice one of my last few days of rabbit hunting for you?" She said "Give me a break. It's pouring down rain. The dogs would have to swim after the rabbits."

But I could tell that she was deeply moved. Almost as moved as last year when we upgraded our relationship to a "understanding" from our 5 year "permanent date". The exact details of the "understanding" will have to be determined at a later date. That date should be at least a year or so before we upgrade our relationship to "pre-engagement" staus, for a yet to be determined duration.

Speaking of Sea Hares, I saw the term and I thought I had found me a new sport though I wasn't to sure what breed of dog to run (swim?) them. Then I found out it was some type of slug. I suppose that you could use some of those shells loaded with rock salt like Mr. Newsome used to chase coons, possums and twelve year old boys out of his watermelon field. Dang it bur

2, Lu, GF, Uncle NoPass, Brag, Cuz, and all the rest, hope you and yours have a happy and properous new year.
And me to

May God smile on you.