J&A's Bird Camp Recap

John relaxing at bird camp with Charlie and Holly Beth.

We're back from a fall getaway up to the 'County'.  Our vacation was originally planned for the first two weeks in October which has been the best time for us to go with all the dogs.  Unbeknown to John however I had accepted a judging assignment for Penobscot Kennel Club for their fall match show thus we left later in the middle of the month. I did enjoy my judging assignment tremendously but especially loved having a couple of days with Julie as she'd invited me stay with her.  It was the first time we'd seen each other since our girl's untimely passing last month. This blogpost wasn't intended to be about that but as it appears to be on my mind I'll share.

It is always difficult to see someone the first time following a deep, deep loss.  You want to be strong for them and do your best but in this case, I have also been grieving Thistle's death.  Seeing Julie was what I needed along with spending time with her remaining three Brittanys; Sassy, Bullet, and Quincy.  Like Thistle, I was there when they each took their first breath and in fact it is Sassy who indirectly brought Jim and Julie into our lives over 12 years ago.  And, as far as friendship goes, as they say the rest is history. Thistle was named to honor the special bond that Julie and I share as sisters of the heart. Needless to say many tears were shed as we hugged each other close. Once I unpacked and got Revere settled Julie asked me if I 'wanted to see Thistle'.  My mind was screaming no! no! no! I do not want to see her because I knew exactly what that meant.  But my heart was begging yes! yes! yes! I do want to 'see' Thistle because I knew that I had not yet accepted her death. Julie brought me into her living room and pointed to a beautiful, cozy corner with a rocking chair, a portrait of her Rosie, and a shelf.  Resting on Julie's shelf was a beautiful wooden box and I could see that Thistle's name was inscribed on the top of it.  Next to this box was an empty collar. I looked away towards Julie and then I looked back to the corner and walked towards the shelf, reaching for the box.  With tears flowing and sobs overtaking me I tightly held that little box with Thistle's cremains close to my heart with a sense of acceptance mixed with complete denial.  It seemed like I held her forever but within a few moments I gently set the little box back on the shelf.  There were three other Brittanys there who were curiously watching me and without hesitation I reassured them how much I love them and how happy I was to see them!  It was a great weekend, I enjoyed the match and especially the time with Julie. There's never enough time for that. Revere was very happy to meet and play with his own extended Brittany family who were very gracious and welcoming to him.

John drove up to Julies and picked Revere and me up.  The truck was loaded and the dog topper full as the entire ATB crew was on board.  Julie has an awesome play yard for the dogs so they all had a chance to get out and stretch their legs.  Our special needs girl, Rosie still has issues as she goes on 14.  And then there is Treasure who at 12 and a half her canine cognitive dysfunction continues to progress.  Everyone else is doing well although I lovingly refer to them as our geriatric ward of Brittanys because of their ages with the exception of Hemi, Holly, and of course Revere.

Once we arrived at our little home away from home at Higgins Brook Cabins in Oakfield, Maine we let all of the dogs out to run.  The proprietors there are just wonderful folks who allow us to stay at the close of the season. There's just three cabins there, off of the road and very private. At first Revere was a little overwhelmed but soon he was running with all the big dogs.  We have our dog topper for some of the dogs who are used to sleeping there. We brought groceries from home to stock the shelves and refrigerator with. The cabin is fully furnished, we only have to bring our own linens etc.

John is an early riser and I am not. We worked into a schedule of a leisurely breakfast and then headed out by mid morning. The foliage was just at peak when we arrived and was breathtaking as only autumn in Maine can be.  Each day more leaves fell and by the time we left to come back home the colors were a muted, rust color although still pretty when the sun hit them just right.

The ruffed grouse really were plentiful but we did not run into one woodcock.  Evidently the flight birds were not in.  But the dogs had a blast hunting as each one hit the ground running!  Revere actually pointed his first grouse (with a little help from his friends).  We did not shoot over him although he was exposed to the sound of John's shotgun.  No reaction as he was sitting in the truck being offered a treat at the same time of the gunfire.  At the end of the week when everything was said and done the final score is GROUSE - 7,  J&A's - 1.

I didn't get a lot of great pictures.  For one, I used my cell phone for most of them just because it ended up being more convenient. And another reason is that my Canon camera was set to record the date and time.  A pet peeve for me is seeing that date stamp on an otherwise nice photo.  Unless puppies are involved. Then I like it. So now you know. I did have my camera at the ready though on the day we took off looking for moose.  We never spotted one! The photos that I have could never reflect the mutual joy shared between the dogs, John, and me.  The are happy when we are happy and it shows.  I took pictures of Revere and True (his father) running happily up a hill together but they look like ants in the photograph!  There's pictures of Rosie on her

many long walks on the check cord with either John or me.  Like Treasure, Rosie can no longer be off leash in situations where they once loved to simply follow wherever the scent would take them. I do think they feel more secure though, accepting a gentle pull of resistance to guide them back in the opposite direction.

I think of the years we have spent bird hunting with our canine crew.  With those thoughts are the memories of being with beloved Brittanys no longer with us. How quickly time passes until one day all you have are photographs and memories.  Indeed, we never know what life will bring us from one day to the next. It can change in the blink of an eye as we listen for the whisper on the wind that at times leads us to believe they are still near. As they age so are we made aware of our own physical shortcomings. We work to accommodate them as they navigate through their own changes.  But perhaps they are actually the ones who accommodate us! (I only have to think about showing Hemi

to his AKC championship bench title when my knees were at my worse. That little bugger adjusted his perfect gait and movement to match my gimping around the ring. He pulled it off and I proudly handled him to the finish.)

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Uh oh.... those of you who are faithful readers know what just happened! I just glanced at the time, it's almost 11:30 and almost a full month to the day since I last wrote.  The World Series is on but I'm so tired from our trip north I can't fight it anymore. Red Sox lookin' goodsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss  oh no there it happened again and you can't make this stuff up.  It's a wrap.  Take care and God bless and as always, thank you for your interest in All Things Brittany!

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