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Call from a friend

Winter here in SW Michigan has been tuff, as it has in much of the country. Cold winds blowing across Lake Michigan creates that much storied winter symptom called "Lake effect snow". Here in Bangor, about 10 miles from the lakeshore, we are the dumping ground for lake effect snow. It appears fro the last couple years that Al Gore's group has forcasted the weather just a little "off". Maybe they should get a job with the local TV weather man. Our area has an annual average of about 80 inches of snow, but the last couple have been more than 120 inches. This year we will again be hitting that mark, or more.

Since Christmas we have had two major shutdowns for hunting, the first lasting about 3 weeks. This last one about a week. When I say a shutdown for hunting, I talk of snow too deep to walk without total exhaustion after a half mile walk, or hard ice crust on top that will tear a dog up. All of this combined with temps below 20 degrees will leave me locked in the house at night, and the dogs tucked away bedded down in their house.

Yesterday warmed a little. With about 10 inches of snow on the ground, the sun peaked its face through the clouds. I spent a couple hours outside cleaning the dog areas, replacing bedding, and just generally enjoying the afternoon with mans best friend.

I will admit that with the sun shining and the temperature getting nearly balmy at about 33 degrees, thoughts of turning the dogs out into the night danced in my head as I labored behind the snowblower clearing walk trails in the yard. As I daydreamed of Little Joe working the track of an old boar coon on its annual romp of checking dens for the ladies, my cellphone rang, bringing my thoughts back to reality.

At the other side of this modern monster we all live with now, the cell phone, was my hunting buddy Larry Wilcox. Larry is known probably to many of you. Those that do know him, know that he spends most nights in the woods with some of the best English dogs around. Larry had just one question: "ya feelin stupid enough to hit the swamp tonight?". Well, you would have had to have been with Larry and I on some of the nights we have ventured into the woods and swamps in our area of Michigan to really understand what this question meant. I did understand, though without hesitation, answered "why not?, see ya at dark".

The night comes quick this time of year, and with it a rapidly falling mercury. By 7pm we are loaded in Larry's Ford, heading to our favorite haunts, the Almena Swamp. The main road from the house was dry, but as we neared our destination, the Fords footing became a glasslike sheet of ice as we turned down the tree shrouded lane called a road by that township. Larry pulled up off the ice into the snow and parked his hunting cadillac.

As we stepped into the night, the air was crisp, and a light breeze whispered through the tops of the trees in this winter dead swamp. All was quiet, without even the normal yap of the coyote in the distance.

We unloaded our friends, we had brought three. With me was Little Joe, the "old man" of this hunt, and Rocky a seven month old whom I hold out with high hopes. With Larry is Top Gun, a beautiful hound that epitimizes his bloodline.

The hounds are loosed into the snowy night, and quickly are swallowed by darkness. Minutes pass as humans wait and dogs hunt. A message from Little Joe is sent - an old boar has been prowling this seemingly dead swamp. His buddies soon join the chase, and the night air is alive with the beautiful music of hounds on the track. Deep into the lair of the swamp heads the coon, with dogs following his invisable scent. We follow, over iced water and snow, to the call of our friends.

Then, silence, only a moment or two, followed by a raucous of chop tree barks. The redticks tell us they have locked up the night bandit.

Larry and I begin our long walk into the swamp to the place of our hounds music. The swamp truly is alive, even at this time of year. Mammals roam, as evidenced by the tracks in the snow, deer, possum and squirrel tracks are seen where these animal roamed for a winter meal. The ground is covered in snow and ice, concealing the frogs and snakes hibernating in the warmth of the earth. But even the swamp itself lives, as warmth is generated from under the snow by rotting leaves of yesterdays summer and the work of micro-organisms turn ice to water in areas otherwise frozen solid.

We arrive at our destination. A large den tree has been the chosen refuge of this night prowler. It takes just a short minute and few squalls to reveal a set of eyes from within the den, telling us that Mr. Raccoon beat the dogs to his home, to live another day, and run an even longer race.

The hounds are praised. Rocky has done well in this lesson tonight, running open mouthed with his teachers. He trees with joy, as his instincts has taught him. Joe and Top Gun have done their jobs well, bringing themselves and their masters much pleasure on this cold evening. We leash the dogs, and begin the long walk back to the Ford.

As I return to my home, I wonder what it would be like to not recieve a "Call From a friend"?

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

shucks

heck partner, that's pretty nicely told. you should be writin a book! I was already there with ya just from readin the little bit that you wrote down there. thanks for enjoyable reading!

Good post. Well written. Good enough to be published.

Thanks

thanks for the comments guys.

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

Great story! Thank you for sharing!

good read. would this story be in the non-fiction or fiction area of the library?

__________________
happiness is: being saved by the grace of GOD! i'm happy and hope you are too!

fiction?

This is just a short story I jotted this morning about the hunt last night.

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

Chris

sent you a PM hope yopu can help

__________________
Skip Hartline
219-325-0914- H
CELL 219-898-5725


gone but will never be forgotten

PR Van Dusen's Hanna o/h
NTCH PR Buck Brush Little Maggie o/h
NTCH PR Buck Brush Little Mickey o/h
PR Buck Brush Copper o/h
D NTCH PR Crooked Oak Boss o/h
D NtCH PR Alford's Alibi h
NTCH PR Alford's Hatchet h
NT CH PR Mill's Dotty h

I actually felt like I was hunting with ya.Good story thanks for sharing

Thanks

Skip, I sent your reply to pm.

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

WOW

Holy cow brother, didnt know you could write like that.
Brings back memories of old Barney in that cold swamp.
Nice story, tell Larry I said hi.
Todd

__________________
Back to michigan again. Giving it anouther go

Nice

Storie, i went to Larry's bout 8 years ago with some friends when i lived in Illinois to check out Blue.Both of my friends hunted english an were considering breedin.Long storie short,Blue wouldnt hunt first 2 dumps an Larry was gettin p.o. Next dump wow!!!! Cut him 4 times in the same timber(public land) Got deep all 4 and skinned 4 i was impressed,very nice hound!!!

__________________
A small vein of treeinblues

Thanks

Todd, I can write quite well, though I normally don't "put it out there". Carrie is the one who talked me into posting that short story. I have more. Take Care.

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

Printed

What do you all think about this story? I have thought of sending it, and ones like it to some of the mags to see if they think its fit for printing? Your opinions?
Thanks

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

Chris,

Cooner (several years ago) welcomed stories like this. I have written several short stories that have published in Cooner, Pro~Hound and Bloodlines. Writing was an addiction for me several years ago, now it seems to have left me....My stories were similar to yours, life experiences.
I have now gotten back into the hounds that I so dearly love, so I am hoping that my imagination will once again take over and make me write!

Very nice. You really need to move further south, tho, so we can enjoy these stories more often! Bring Larry with you to insure your phone will indeed ring

Be blessed!

__________________
BROKEN ROAD KENNEL
Breeding for the future of the Treeing Walker
"God bless the Broken Road"
~A man is only as good as his word~

Proud home to;

'PR' Kentucky River Fly Again (Kentucky River Rowdy frozen semen)
ACHA CHT x3 Broken Roads Little Texas (Kentucky River Rowdy x Houses Lipper's Hope)
CH Broken Roads Southern Stylish Boom (Kentucky River Rowdy x Houses Lipper's Hope)
Broken Road's Rowdy Lil Miss (Kentucky River Rowdy x Houses Lipper's Hope)
Broken Road's Meabie I will (Lipper's Rooster x Missy)
Broken Roads IMA Boomer2 (UKC NATL GRCH GRNTCH Honest Abe x Broken Roads Southern Stylish Boom
~~~~~Watch out!~~~~~
They just might make an IMPACT!

and the girls...Punkin and Tater!

Gone by never forgotten ~ Fly high my beautiful angels
~ GRCH GNTCH PKC SC Toucan Sam
~CH Toucan's Ugly Betty
~ CCH CH Southforks September Rain
~ Martin's Daisy JJ (what a beautiful litter you left behind)
~ Luke, the lab who brought us so many doves and ducks over the years
~ UKC GRCH,ACHA CH 2014 LWCH 2014 2 x's ACHA YOUTH WCH AKC CH AKC CH 'PR' Kentucky River Mundar ~ (Kentucky River Rowdy frozen semen) DNA Profiled ~ Fly high, old friend.

"The WILL of God will never take you where the GRACE of God can not protect you!"

Thanks

Cleo - maybe I will send it to them to see if they like it? Never know.

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

that was an awesome story, made me feel like i was out huntin. that could definetely be published. way better than most stuff thats out there. good job!

Mr. Baker, you certainly have a gift for putting word to print. I, like the others on this post, could imagine myself being right along side you guys on your nightly adventure.

I wish you would consider persuing this gift a little further, and write short stories or a book or something, as you have a way of putting the reader right in the scene with you.

There may be a day when our youth only have the ability to experience a wild coonhunt such as you just described by reading the print of someone else's adventures. (Though I pray that never happens)

I know I would sure pay money to read stories such as what you have described. And the way this winter has been I believe your writings may be worth their weight in gold. I'm about to go stir crazy sitting home night after night watching the snow pile up, thats why I'm on this computer so danged much.

Please let Larry know I have a 2yr old female off Night Thunder and my Hooper Ridge breeding that I LIKE VERY WELL. Please thank him for his dedication to improve the English breed.

Davey Mayles

Davey,

Thanks for the kind words. I do in fact have quite a few short stories I have written. Many of them written during these frigid months when I can't get out much.
I have thought of compiling them - but as of now, thats all it has been is thoughts.

__________________
CHRIS BAKER
TIMBER RIDGE KENNEL
Bangor Michigan

good story hope You plan on posting more.