this trail pic taken with a CuddleBack Digital Scouting Camera to me with the note, “he thinks its from Mississippi.”
If it ain’t photoshopped, this is a big one

She got her annual exam, DHLP/P puppy series 2 and a worm check---negative.

Abbie is due back on the 19 of September for DHLP/P series 2 and rabies.

Doc Caldwell in Phenix City, Alabama is the Rabbit Journal’s veterinarian of choice with good care and reasonable prices that won’t bankrupt you. I've seen vets that will push you into care that you wouldn't pay for yourself. The doc is not like that.
So if you're one of the new-comers around here from the Fort Benning expansion, the general overload of developing going on or just searching for a good, reasonable veterinarian to take care of your pets

Caldwell Animal Hospital
2405 Sportsman Drive
Phenix City, Alabama 36867

334-297-5000

of Tiny’s nightlight through the window of his cabin greeted me as I passed in the early morning darkness. The sky was a mishmash of alternating weather conditions from overcast to a clear starlit to a light fog on my way to the pine plantation in Seale, Alabama to exercise the “Girls” this morning

Tiny was long gone, of course, to spend his usual Saturday morning fishing the lakes in Pittsview. Between his big truck, the modified bass boat he pulled back and forth and the recent rains, I had to put the pathfinder in four wheel drive a little earlier than normal, but there was no real difficulty. The pathfinder is one of the best vehicles I’ve drove in the mud with street tires. Even better than the old cj5.

Abbie's first night in her new home was a quite one. She's the first puppy that I've had that stayed quite in the pen the first night. We'll see how it goes tonight. I suspect that the reason had to do with a couple of bedtime tales I told her that were reinforced by Lucy.

Right before dark, about two hours after I had fed and cleaned the pen, Abbie started up, howling and barking continuously. I went down to the pen and let her out for a few minutes, feeding her a little more before putting her back in the pen. I squatted next to the gate with her as the shadows lengthened, the light fading into night. I could see GF looking out the window, no doubt wondering what was taking me so long to do whatever I was doing. I just continued on, telling Abbie about the monster that lurked in the shadows, listening for noisy puppies to eat. Lucy chimed in a time or two, mostly about the huge size of the rolled up newspaper that it attacked with. Abbie listened attentively, the occasional gasp of a whine escaping. I finally eased toward the outer gate and around the corner where she couldn't see me because I was hidden by a thick growth of morning glory and other weeds.

She started up the barking and ran down the fence. Just as she got to the corner where I was hid. I slammed the fence with my arm while growling loudly. With a little yelp, she disappeared under one of the houses.
It was quite the rest of the night.
Heck, must have scared the other dogs because I didn't hear any of them all night, not even the 11 o'clock cat call

Gone to exercise the dogs down in Seale

Abigail Good Hope Myguts, the newest member of The Rabbit Journal pack.



Or Abbie, for a short two syllable name ending with a vowel, making it easy to reach those high notes when calling.

Ten weeks old and for what it’s worth, akc. She has a brown face, tan/red feet, blue tick tail and narrow shoulder collar on a black body. Not enough white on her for my taste, especially the tail, but for the price.....
So far, like all to be rabbit dogs, she seems to live and die by her nose. Sounds like she is going to have a good mouth on her.

I introduced her to her new Aunties this morning and she is getting settled in to her new home. Lucy, the former baby of the pack, doesn’t seem to know quite what to make of her yet, while Dixie, Julie and Kate have been running over to her at every whimper to see what’s wrong.

Tomorrow is our usual pre-season race and Abbie will be tagging along. She may as well get used to the routine.

I hope that Cuz comes through. I really could enjoy another puppy.

and a tip on breaking your dog from running deer.

Relatively cool weather greeted me this morning and it was a pleasant ride with the windows down to exercise the “girls” on the pine plantation that Cuz holds the hunting lease on. I was running a little late since I had stopped for gas after spraying the “Girls” pen this morning, when I met Tiny and Cuz’s Boy on the pavement just before turning into the gate. They were heading to fish the lakes in Pittsview this morning which is what Tiny does most Saturdays when hunting season is out.

I had decided to start at the Sand Pit because I hadn’t really run it since the Saturday that Miss Ruby visited us. I was taking my own sweet time putting on the snake chaps after liberally spraying the bug repellent on while the “girls“ danced at my feet. The recent rains guaranteed a bumper crop of bugs including the chiggars, or chiggers, as some spell it.

When I finished pouring up a cup of coffee to take with me, the little ladies were still under my feet in the pre-dawn darkness. I was wondering why they were still there instead of trying to find a rabbit. As I walked down the power line on the opposite side from the sand pit they still stayed under my feet despite my urgings to go find me a rabbit. From the way Dixie and Julie were acting, I began to suspect that there were deer around.

Those two little short legged beagles had been broke off of deer using a fresh deer leg in the back yard.

for all the "girls" today.
Or at least, Dixie, Julie, Lucy and Kate who make up The Rabbit Journal pack

“Because Lucy, I want to check out an area I want a bow stand in during deer season”.
“Why do you get to chase deer, Boss, but you get mad if I do?”

Lucy was right on both points. There were a lot of rabbits where we started this morning. And I do get mad if she chases deer.

Top dog today was Dixie

I don’t listen to the radio much on the way to our hunting lease on a pine plantation in Seale, Alabama. Instead, I prefer to be alone with my thoughts on the ride down the back roads to Seale. It’s a time of reflection and remembrance for me. I’ve been riding these roads, off and on, for over thirty years, so there’s a lot of remembrance going on. Since I haven’t had much company this summer, it’s a good thing I don’t mind being alone.

“Come on, Lucy. It’s almost 10:30 and it’s getting hot.”

“Wait Boss. There’s a rabbit here. I know there is. I can smell him.”

Julie and Dixie ran over to Lucy’s barking and stopped. They looked longingly back at the Pathfinder before half heartedly putting their nose to the ground. I could tell they smelled the rabbit, but the scent wasn’t strong enough and they ran back to me.
“Nope, no rabbit, Boss. Lets go."

Lucy, if I can keep her off of deer, is going to be phenomenal.
Ever since she trailed her first bunny at the age of 12 weeks, Lucy’s nose has done nothing but impress me. I keep the collar on her, hoping she won’t run a deer but hoping she does.
What the heck does that mean?
If she’s going to run one I want to catch her red-handed and break her once and for all. So far, she’s had the benefit of the doubt.

Four o’clock in the morning comes early….about four o’clock.

on moving the Salem Shotwell Covered Bridge with a plea for donations

Pictures of the Bridge intact at it's original spot

Pictures of the Bridge down.

Most you you know the Salem-Shotwell Covered Bridge from the previous Rabbit Journals and Uncle Nopass

Maybe. Maybe not.

The investigators say no and the neighbors say yes.
I have to say neighbors can be a pain if they don't understand hunting dogs. Especially when you live in the country and city people move in next door.