Grooming Your Brittany
http://www.brittanygrooming.com/ is a super link for dog grooming tips for your Brittany for show or field. Check it out! New post on Project Upland How to Properly Trim Hunting Dog Nails by Joe Spoo DVM, DACVSMR
Navajo Stick Game
https://youtu.be/UdJ8vG-Rl3A A game traditionally played by Navajo women before sunset. The Navajo name for this game is tsìdìł. Navajo legend suggests that Changing Woman gave the game to the first Dine' clans to teach a lesson about ethics, morality, and living in harmony. Players create a circle of forty rocks with a large flat stone in the center. The players then throw wooden sticks into the circle, scoring the game by where the sticks fall relative to the center stone and by which side of the stick was up when it fell. The game is curtailed at nightfall, limiting the duration of the play. In addition to teaching moderation, by stopping the play of the game at nightfall, the game also represents movement through the circle of life: the circle of stones represents the Navajo homeland, Dinetah; the stones that make up the circle are the stars found in Father Sky; the center stone represents Mother Earth; three sticks painted white on one side and black on the other, represent day and night. The four spaces between the stones represent the Colorado, Rio Grande, Little Colorado and San Juan rivers. Today, the game is used in classrooms to teach history, culture, and the Navajo language.
Dutch Blitz
Sometimes the old games are best games. We saw the Amish kids at a horse auction playing it in the stable areas and had to try it. Turns out, it is a great game that 2-8 players can play. It's easily understood by kids, like Uno, but more going on so that even adults can enjoy. It's fast paced. Adapted from Wikipedia: Dutch Blitz is a fast-paced, family oriented, action card game played with a specially printed deck. The game was created by Werner Ernst George Muller, a German immigrant from Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The game is very popular among the Pennsylvania Amish and Dutch community, and among Christian groups in the United States and Canada (primarily in Mennonite communities). Contents 160 cards total:4 decks (one for each player); Pump, Carriage, Plow, and Pail.Each deck includes 10 Red, 10 blue, 10 green, and 10 yellow cards.160 cards available in an expansion deck, for players 5-8. Terminology Blitz Pile This pile of 10 cards is the most important pile of cards to each player since it is the key towards "Blitzing" the other players when all cards from this pile have been cleared. Dutch Piles Stacks of cards in each of the four colors - 1 through 10 an ascending sequence - placed in the center of the table and played upon by all players. Each player accumulates scoring points here. Post Piles Groups of cards placed to the left of both the Blitz and Wood piles in descending sequence For each player, the Post Piles serve as a "trading" or replacement area during the game. There are generally three post piles but in a two person game four or five post piles are often used
Turquoise
NAVAJO JEWELRY MAKING TECHNIQUES - INGOT From Perry Null Trading Company JEWELRY MAKING TECHNIQUES - INGOT In-got /ˈiNGɡət/ (noun) – a block of steel, gold, silver, or other metal, typically oblong in shape. When the Navajo first learned how to make silver jewelry, they had to be very innovated. The luxury of modern tools or a supply store where they could purchase silver was still decades away. Instead they would collect silver coins until they had enough to make a piece of jewelry. How they turned that silver into a piece of jewelry involved a couple of different techniques. One of these techniques was using an ingot. Today’s silversmiths pride themselves on knowing how to use this technique because it is what the first smiths used. Plus, it is a labor-intensive process that requires a number of steps, almost like the artist becomes more invested in the work. I try and imagine the setting in which those early smiths made their jewelry. Maybe they constructed an additional hogan next to their family hogan to work silver, or they just created a space inside the family hogan. The workspace would be a dirt floor with a limited number of tools. Then they would have to figure out a way to heat the silver to over 1700 degrees so it could melt. This heating the silver would happen several times during the course of making the piece. These early pieces would be thick and would have a simple design. Also, they wouldn’t have any turquoise. It was a new craft where the craftsman was proud to have acquired the skill and it would become the mission of Navajo silversmiths to perfect this craft. A number of
Ticks, Bears, Coyotes, Bobcats and Cougars
We are the world's first indoor species. Humans living in this generation now spend more time indoors than outside. And it's becoming very apparent when talking to children these days. I frequently get asked about spending a lot of time hunting and fishing in the mountains and about ticks, bears, coyotes, bobcats and cougars. The question usually has something to do with getting attacked by one or getting bitten by a tick or mosquito with malaria, West Nile Virus or the plaque. The chances of getting attacked by a bear are 1 in 2.1 million. So I like to tell people, "No, I'm not afraid of any of those things, as I already got my turn at that and survived a bear coming in our tent, so I really doubt that something like that would happen again to me, as the odds would be astronomical." I have also walked into a sleeping moose in thick willows nearly hitting him with the end of my fly fishing rod. Countless matches burned removing ticks, the odd encounter with a running bobcat and cougar, and watching hundreds of coyotes leave the scene with a human arrives. The Chinese are even paying $4000 for a wild bear gallbladder. It's illegal to sell bear parts in the US, but in case you are wondering why this would fetch such a high price in China, it’s been a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. The gallbladder has a high concentration of ursodeoxycholic acid, and even modern scientists can’t deny its medical properties from non-surgical gallstone treatment to preventing tumor growth. Commonly sold as “bear bile,” the gallbladder is dried, ground, placed in capsules, and prescribed to treat
Lance Egan’s Team USA Competitive Angling Flies
Euro nymphing is all the rage among marketing and fly shops these days as they tought their wares of "tactical angling" and "competitive angling." This is nothing really new compared to the methods that Rim Chung has employed for the last 30 years with his light-line nymphing methods here in Colorado, but the European methods seem to have evolved along similar paths. Fly shops have jumped on board, in an effort to sell more rods and a whole new line of leaders and flies, in an industry that has been largely stagnant for the last ten years. I have to admit that the premier guru of this euronymphing method is Lance Egan who has now produced probably the two best fly fishing videos/movies that have ever been produced to date, and the links to these movies are below. So being curious about his flies, I decided to order a few of his flies from his www.flyfishfood.com site. The ones we have found most useful in Colorado and Montana, we have posted tying directions here. Gut Sack Sow Bug Gray - 18 Stonefly Chenille - Coffee/Black Egan's Rainbow Warrior - Red - 18 Egan's Rainbow Warrior - Pearl - 20 Egan's Tungsten Surveyor - 18 Egan's GTI Caddis - Amber - 14 Egan's Frenchie - 18 Egan's Jig Frenchie - 12 Egan's Jig Rainbow Warrior - 16 Transfoamer Pink - 10 Pat's Black and Tan Rubber Leg - 8 The Thread Frenchie, a take on the classic Frenchie a very well-known Euro style fly is a great way to get a super slim bodied Euro style fly. This fly has evolved thanks to Lance Egan of Fly Fish Food and for good reason. Not only is
Colorado Peach Season
14 varieties of organic peaches allow peaches to harvest continuously from late June thru mid-September in Colorado Palisade, Colorado is renowned for its ability to grow some of North America's best fruit. Use this schedule as a guide of when Palisade fruit typically ripens. As nature is unpredictable, and fruit ripens on its own timetable. LEGEND: SC= Semi-cling pit; F= Freestone pit Organic Peach Harvest Schedule PF # 1 – SC – June 28 – July 6. Medium fruit. 90% red over yellow background with excellent flavor.PF 5D Big – SC/F – June 25 – July 5. Large early peach. Exceptional dark red color and excellent fruit quality. Sweet and flavorful golden yellow flesh. Can be cling, freestone or half/half.Early Red Haven – SC – July 15 – 25. Similar to Red Haven in color, size, flavor and texture.Rising Star – SC – July 20 – Aug 5. Bright-orange red. Firm, non-browning flesh.Red Haven – SC – July 20 – Aug 5. Excellent for canning and freezing. Yellow-fleshed, well-colored with brilliant red skin surface.Blazing Star – F – July 25 – Aug 8. Firm fleshed 90% bright red peach that has great quality. Non-browning flesh is yellow.PF 15A - F – Aug 1 – 10. Classy, large ( 2¾”+), high color, excellent flavor, good firmness.Red Globe – F – Aug 10 – 20. Firm, yellow flesh of very good flavor and bright attractive skin color. Excellent for canning and freezing.Angelus – F – Aug 10 – 20. Large, firm peach. Bright red over yellow undercolor. Mild and low acid content. Good for drying.PF 25 – F – Aug 15 – 25. Highly colored fruit with good size and flavor. Very freestone.Contender – F – Aug 20 – 30. High quality, firm, large, with excellent color. PF 19-007 – F – Aug 25 – Sept 5. Beautiful, large (3”) highly colored, firm tasty fruit.PF 28-007 - F – Aug 25 – Sept 5. Good flavor and firmness.O’Henry – F – Sept
Trail Etiquette for Horses, Bikers, and Hikers
https://youtu.be/zzc2ZbyGNqw This is a good reminder from Douglas County Parks.
Sniksoh Equipage Worthy Expense Jr. “Deuce”
Dam - AFC Sniksoh Evolution ( Eve) Sire NFC Sniksoh Worthy Expense (Spenser) Dawn Droel bought Spencer’s half brother Sniksoh Slippery Slope ( Slick) who is doing well as a show Brittany.Whelped 06/12/2019 I have to learn to spell Deuce all over again, as I continually type Duece. Sire: Sniksoh Worthy Expense ( Spencer ) - Spencer won the ABC Central All Age Futurity. Excellent hunting dog with lots of point, nose, style, and desire to please. Dam: AFC Sniksoh Evolution (Eve ) - Eve has been easy to train. Excellent nose with lots of point. View complete pedigree FC AFC SNIKSOH LITTLE RASCAL GFC FC AFC SNIKSOH SPANKS HANK AFC DECANS BLAZIN BYE Sniksoh Worthy Expense FC AFC SNIKOSH FREE BOY FC AFC MKS MY LIL AMMO FC AFC CHIEFS NUBBINS MY LIL LADY FC AFC SNIKSOH LITTLE RASCAL GFC FC AFC SNIKSOH SPANKS HANK AFC DECANS BLAZIN BYE AFC Sniksoh Evolution FC AFC SNIKSOH FREE BOY FC SNIKSOH SUPER SNOOPER FC AFC SNIKSOH SWEET HERSHEY Duece's Dad Spencer, (far left) A note about field trials and field trial type training of pups with Jeff This is a living memoir and journal of reminders largely for my daughter, who enjoys the bird dog training with me, and she especially the pups which I hope she will continue later in life. We have spent quite a few days afield with Jeff and we enjoy his methods which are very similar to our dog trainer's of 20 years, Gary Ruppel. But they are uniquely his own, which is not surprising as we all pick up things here and
Turck’s Tarantula
It's funny how time flies and how over time, some flies disappear while others just get repackaged with easier to tie foams, etc. One day, the Madam X is a popular pattern, and then you wake up and it's two decades of Turck's Tarantulas, and now there are dozens of knock-offs including the The Chubby Chernobyl, the Rubber Legged Stimulator, or the Stoneflopper. Thirty years has gone by since the Madam X. Sounds like a country song doesn't it? But, so is life, time passes, things change, some get easier, some just get uglier. And the flies are in essence the same, but have gotten easier to tie with foam replacing spun hair, etc., which not only makes the flies uglier, but much easier to tie. I have to say I am glad I stocked up, back when flies were good looking. One of my favoite flies is Guy Turck's Tarantula. I was one of the first to order it from him from his site back in 1995. In 1990, Guy began guiding float fishermen for Jim Jones’ High Country Flies in Jackson. In August of 1990, while searching for a pattern that improved the durability and visibility of the increasingly popular Madam X fly, Guy developed his clipped deer hair head, rubber leg hopper/stonefly imitation. During a slow afternoon Guy handed his creation to a client, World Bank head Jim Wolfensohn. Noting the fly’s bulky, leggy appearance, Wolfensohn quipped, “What is this thing, a tarantula?” This wonderfully creative fly name stuck like head cement. By September when the Snake’s hefty Classenia Sabulousa stoneflies become active, another guide pal, Shannon McCormick, introduced Guy to master fishing entrepreneur George Anderson of Livingston. Turck gave the “Montana