Grouse Season

TODAY, is the first day of Grouse Season in Vermont. That marks a traditional event in the McEnaney household, which is between a boy, a dog, and a friend. The boy woke up this morning before the alarm clock, about 5:40am. I think it was mostly because I was shifting around too much and that made him wake and realize what happens today. In any case, Scott and Mark Tibbetts (the friend) were going to meet at 7:30am to start their grouse hunting adventure. Seeing as the weather was not looking promising, Scott figured an earlier start would beat a potentially threatening band of rain that he spotted on his Doppler radar. You know the Doppler radar that he can pull up on his phone at 5:45am. Don't you want a blackberry too? Now to the important stuff...

Today marks a bitter sweet day. Scott's first day hunting with Diesel-dog! For a few months now Diesel and Scott have formed a bond that is quite strong. Diesel has slowly realized that working with daddy is pretty darned cool and mommy is for fun, cuddles and primping. As opening day grew closer and my belly grew bigger, I got a little more nervous. This little black dog of mine was going to be hunting birds and charging through prickers. My experience with running dogs has been tainted by the mishaps that have happened (you all can recall Tucker's chest injury and the cyst that eventually popped after having surgery..he was with me for the causes of both of those injuries).

So...opening day of grouse season and my little, precious Diesel dog is out wiggling through the woods and sniffing birds. I'm so worried. I'm trying not to think about it. Luckily, Ghillie is here to distract me as he attempts to chew on the wood floor and then, like a smart dog, finds his Nyla bone and rolls around the floor like a child sucking on a bottle.
Just before Scott left this morning, he let the dogs charge up stairs. He came to my bedside and there in his hands was the decorative tin in which Tucker's remains are kept. He had some tears in his eyes...and then mine did too. After Tuck passed and we got his remains back, he promised to spread some of them in locations that were special to the two of them. So today, Scott is in good company...Diesel, Tucker, and Ollie (Mark's two year old Lab). These three dogs wrestled and played together like CRAZY and to this day, Ollie greets our car (with or without dogs) expecting to find his friends.

Dogs to this point have been our training for children. And I often argue that our dogs are so active and intense that they are just like a child. They don't exactly lay around much and if they do, they are either exhausted from a weekend day or on your lap. Either way, it is a rare occasion that they lay down and not be in their crates.

Ghillie is sitting here with me now. I always appreciate one on one time with either dog. They are just a tad more calm than usual and they focus more on your every move. He is sitting in the chair next to the desk. He is still a little clumsy, but a loving dog. Scott and I see a lot of similarities between Ghillie and Tucker, but we've proclaimed that he is his own dog. Ghillie has already showed signs of being birdie and I know before the season is out, the family (all four of us) will head to the woods together. Diesel will be charging through thickets and branches and Ghillie will be right in his steps. Just like last fall when Tucker was teaching Diesel the ropes.

I'm not sure what this has to do with Baby McEnaney, but I do know that the dogs are a big part of this little baby's life, already. I'm sure it can hear me yelling at them when they have gotten into something or each other. What is pretty amazing and scary is that this time next year, we'll have a baby during grouse season. I know that at that point I'll be wondering where the previous 9 months had gone. While the one month of Turkey season is an intense time for the house, I know at heart Scott enjoys grouse season much more. For three months, Scott heads to the woods with a four legged pal and has man time. I can't, although I try, compete with that. As he said the other day, Grouse season got a whole lot shorter when he realized that when the season is done in December, he'll be a dad in a few short weeks. So here is to the Tradition of grouse season. I hope to have an update as to the success of the day, or even more fun Scott can share a tale about how it went.