26th December 2007

We had a white Christmas here. It just waited until 10 o'clock at night. I had roughly an inch of snow but it was just a little slushy on the road. Well, Christmas is over.
There is an argument that perhaps December 25th is not really Jesus's Birthday, that it is actually Nimrods. I can't say if it is or isn't. But this is the day we celebrate it. I don't think he gets upset if we speculate. Consumerism aside, Jesus brought the greatest change to this world.

Saturday was spent Hunting in the fog. We did get to turn the dogs loose on a track, Sally and Bell went right on Squeaky's heals. It was not a big bear, ut we wanted them to run none the less. No sooner than I turned the tracker on Squeaky came around the bend of the road. He ran below the raod sniffing for the scent, but it wasn't there. The same thing happened with a hog track later.

Christmas Eve we killed a Bear. Squeaky ran it. We were leap frogging each other down the road until it treed then we hiked in to kill it. So many young dogs ran that Bear that Squeaky did not make it to the kill. I tracked him most of the way though. One boy asked me if I thought it was the same Bear. It may not have been. It made a sudden change in direction. It was rocky in there and it's claws were worn down from running across the rocks. It nearly killed two dogs. Still it cut a dog bad, with risk of bleeding to death and was on the verge of getting a dogs head in it's mouth before it was shot. I was bit on the leg by a zealous Walker Hound as we were dragging it out. It tore my pants and broke the skin (I have three tooth marks and a bruise) but it did not tare the black silk long johns I was wearing. Hmm. The said dog was on a lead tied to a tree and I was pulling another dog away from the bear when it but me or I would have put a Wellco into it's jaws. Another fellar smacked it with his cap. I'm not crazy about Walkers.

This is an obituary of sorts.
A friend of mine over in Franklin found one of his dogs dead. Her name was Jumper. She was a Kemmer Cur. She was quick and she stayed calm. She'd been on Bear and hogs, but wouldn't run Deer. She once ran across Hannah Mountain in Otto NC and into a ladies yard, where she was fed biscuits until we picked her up. Yet she would run loose shadowing you through the woods if she was let off the lead while not on a race. Sometimes Jumper would balance herself on all four paws on the box iron rig of the dog box. She was an odd looking dog and a funny sight. She wouldn't follow the same trail as other dogs with her nose, she sniffed other ground. She had patience and she'd grab a hog by the ear. Happy Hunting, Jumper.

Now, I took this test twice...

You Are 0% Sociopath

You're empathetic, loyal, and introspective. In other words, there's no way you're a sociopath... but you can spot one pretty easily!

Are You A Sociopath?

Ed has answered me and the Gunners question from the last post. And, well, he is right, the Navy Recruitment Ad is true. Go see what the man has to say.

2007 is almost gone
The Appalachianist