We hit 60 here Thursday and 50's Friday.  Winter has taken a temporary break.  Lots of water and mud and mud and mud.  Here is Onwasa and Annaka looking for the line:

I received the following story from Ernie Fenner, from NY.  Thought I would share.

Hi Chris,

I was sitting here reminising about days gone by and was thinking of a large pack trial Frank Reese from North Carolina attended at my home club at Sandy Creek Large Pack Beagle Club.This was in the late 80s when 70 big males would be entered was not uncommon at Sandy Creeks Lic Trials. Not knowing Frank or what type hounds he owned and him being from the South I figured I would warn him of some of the fast hounds he was going to have to run with, particularly my Chip dog. I gave him my opinion of sometimes a fast dog may ruin a slower dog.( Iam thinking this guy has cottontail dogs what chance has he got) Well they turned the dogs loose and the chase was on. About an hour into the run the marshals came out with my Chip dog and one of Franks dogs. I went over to Frank and congratulated him on having one fine hound.


That Chip dog was a natural. I could put that dog down anywhere and you would think he brought a rabbit with him also I trained him to be trash free. I could write a book about that dog. I ran him no less than 2  times a week year round when it was cool enough on hare and cottontail. I think that dog trained me also.  I entered Chip in a AKC Licenced . LPH Trial at Sandy Creek Beagle Club, I think there were 63 big males in that trial, Chip started the first hare and all hell broke loose from there, he was so fast no dog could stay with him, he had dogs chasing dogs hare chasing dogs, there were dogs running heltre skelter all over the club grounds. When the hare returned to the gallery Mike Cunningham said " I saw the hare and that dog had the line right between his legs". Needles to say Chip did'nt last long before the judges threw him out for not co operating with the pack. I knew that was going to happen when I entered him. Believe it or not he never caught a rabbit or hare as far as I know, if a rabbit would not move off a squat and he saw it he would stare at it then start barking until it ran.. When there was a cripple hare he would shy away from it, strange dog.

ERNIE