was my first thought when I climbed into the pathfinder for our first pre-season exercise of 08.
The "Girls" look real thrilled about the day's trip, don't they?



I could tell you about all the rabbits Saturday.
I could tell you about how Sally at only 13 weeks ran with her Aunties the first time out.
I could tell you about how surprised I was to have the first day that the “girls” have had out of the pen in two months go so well.
Well, I could tell you all that since I’ve never let the truth stand in the way of a good tale before, but I don’t even have that going for me today.
We were on our way to our third spot after a dismal and disappointing first two tries when a rabbit dashed into the firebreak, flipped around, and dashed back into the thick underbrush in the thinned pines.
At last a hot trail.
Hover and Brag pulled up behind me as I jumped out and ran around to the rear hatch to let the girls out.

Hover met me out at Rabbit Run at five thirty a.m., so I could take him by the hand and lead him to Seale. One thing about Hover, he has more trouble following directions than anybody I’ve ever met. He’s been known to go twenty miles out of his way, just because he knows the route.
Now some of you might be thinking that maybe the trouble wasn’t so much Hover as it was the one who was giving the directions. I’ll ignore your subtle dig that as a reader that you know that I’m a master of obfuscation. Though you may think that because that I'm known to wear a compass on my vest so that I stay lost in only one direction.

I had already loaded The Rabbit Journal pack consisting of Lucy, Katie, Penny and the oldest pup, 13 week old Sally, leaving behind a pair of squalling pups, Sissy and Sammie.

This was my first trip to Seale from Rabbit Run and it took ten minutes less than I thought, so Hover and I were waiting at the gate for Brag and Cuz’s grandson and senior teat, Dustin to show up with his pup, who’s name escapes me at the moment.
Tiny came by, pulling his boat. He was heading for the lakes he manages in Pittsview. He offered that we should start out running the Cabin Rabbit. I’m not sure if he really thought it would be better to start there or he wanted to get back at two of his buddies who were sleeping it off er I mean sleeping in, rather than go fishing with him. He still remembers the time that we turned the dogs out at the cabin when a bunch of them were “under the weather” and the rabbit ran underneath the cabin with the dogs in hot pursuit.

Brag showed, but Dustin didn’t and we decided to start at one of the Florida Boy’s stands. It always gave us a race or two. Not today though and to make matters worse, Lucy and the pup, Sally disappeared. We made a circuit back to the truck with no rabbit…and no Lucy and Sally. We found them in a nearby bottom. Lucy wanted to know what the problem was, she was doing what we wanted her to, show the ropes to the pup while looking for rabbits.

The second hot spot from last year was equally devoid of rabbits. It was only as we were moving to the third that I saw the rabbit dart out into the firebreak.

I stopped and let the dogs out. Brag trailing behind in his little city truck saw me, so he and Hover let Hover’s dogs Coco and Dixie out. Hover didn’t bring Elmer this trip. Penny was in her first heat and we didn’t want any trouble.
The girls soon had the rabbit in full flight. Sally declined to go, probably because she was so tired from her and Lucy’s long walk at the first stop.
Puppy power, my butt.



Hover saw the rabbit and walked Sally over to the trail. Sally didn’t get to enthused since this was her first time out and she wasn’t to sure what the game was. But she did put her nose down and follow the trail for a few yards.
She’ll learn.

The race lasted a good hour and we decided to close out the morning on a winning note.


There won’t be a race next weekend. GF and I will be in Apalachicola, Brag will be in Albertoville, Hover will be at a field trial, something I’ll have to go see….one of these days. Dustin, well, he’ll be doing what ever senior teats do.