Pacific Northwest Gardening: Following Phoenix......., 1 by Rarejem

Rarejem wrote:
I feel like I have dropped off of the face of the earth for the last month, but life is (hopefully) settling back down again. One of the big time stealers was getting my yard/trailer/self/husband/dog ready to go camping in E-WA last weekend.

Phoenix got to go on her very first hunting/camping trip!

Last weekend was the opening of pheasant hunting season, and it is a family tradition to spend opening weekend camping in the ORV park (which is also one of our favorite areas to hunt) in Beverly. Although hunting has it's critics, I have been bird hunting ever since I can remember, and I would never willingly give it up. (FYI, I was taken along on my first hunting/camping trip when I was less than a month old!) It is wonderful to spend a crisp fall day wandering in a wilderness that you don't often spend time in and watching the dogs work. It is also an excuse to spend an entire weekend doing nothing but playing with my dog!

Phoenix is a German Shorthair/Lab mix...perfect pointer/retriever combo, and I was thrilled to have my very own dog hunting with me for the first time (have usually hunted with Dad's dogs or a friend's dogs). She had an absolutely fabulous time.... she flushed me a bunny, some quail, and a mule deer... not bad for a first timer! She made me a very proud Mommy the entire weekend!

Here are some of the highlights....

Checking out the brush before we plow in.......