A Lab, Some Land, and a Newborn Baby

I’ve been busier than a Ryan’s Steakhouse bathroom on Chili Mac night.  Coaching two little league teams,swim season, welcoming my fourth baby boy (Finn), picking up a daughter in the form of a cute little yellow lab (we call her Fii, which is short for Fiona or Confit depending on the day), and buying some land near home, leaves me precious little time to write or anything else. 

Adjustments are hard with your first baby boy.  After three it’s easy.  During the fourth trimester,the 3 months after birth when babies are like larva, it’s pretty simple.  I change a ton of diapers, bathe him and daydream about the whatnot we’ll be doing.  Pretty much fall in love with him now that he’s not in mama’s belly. Finn’s already bonded with my oldest son, and is greatly amused if not a bit scared of his two other brothers, who are 6 and 3.  They adore him.  He’s a happy baby now, and has good reason. His every need is met.  For now, we are in a calm as far as babies are concerned, he’s immobile and quiet.  If he’s like my other progeny, that’ll end in about 4-6 months.

Meanwhile, Fii is assimilating into the family as well.  Her background story is romantic.  Her mother is a working girl for the guide service I used in my hunt with Hank Shaw.  Her father is a registered blue blood master hunter owned by a big wig in Ducks Unlimited.  A few furtive glances, and no doubt sniffs, led to an unpaid for roll in the marsh and pregnancy. Unpaid for being the key term.  See, stud fees for dogs like her father typically run about $2000 and the puppies are sold for anywhere from $1200 to $5000.  Nice gig if you can land it. Her owner couldn’t pony up the stud fee, so she’s without papers. But pedigrees don’t mean much to me, I just want a dog to go get what I shoot and let me scratch her ears. So when my professional dog trainer buddy Robert Murray of Murray’s Kennels, told me about her, I went and picked her up for close to nothing.  

Since moving to my rural community, I’ve looked for hunting leases and land with little luck.  But a few weeks ago, a Facebook listing on one of our local Buy Sale Trade groups produced a perfect property only 15 minutes from my doorstep.  It has electricity and a well, two ponds, a ton of pecans and oaks.  I saw three deer my first visit and there are pig wallows all over the place.  Should be able to draw in some teal, wood ducks and Mexican whistlers to the ponds and there’s a small but present dove population.  Squirrels and rabbits abound.

The woods to the north area bout 50-70 acres, which should hold a bunch of game. I plan on planting some grains, greens and more trees to attract even more animals.

The owner is leaving his pig trap and feeder.

Fii checking out one of the wallows and many game trails criss crossing the land

We don’t know if the pond is stocked, but we will soon be making a fishing trip to determine if it is.

I’m really enjoying life right now, with a wonderful baby boy, a dog and some land to play on.  God has been too good to me and I look forward to writing about my exploits.  Stay tuned.