Over There ---------->

One blog added and a bunch removed. Check out Sandra's blog; she can tell quite a story!!!

The simplest solution...

Is usually the correct one. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so fixing stuff comes pretty naturally. My problem sometimes is that I can over-think things. Take the lawnmower. We have a rear drive Honda walk behind mower that is awesome. Discovered last season that the drive wasn't working very well, but still pulled. This season, the drive hasn't worked at all. The first thing I decided to do was to try to take the cover off the drive box and check the gears and shafts to make sure something wasn't broken. I wanted to do this without removing the entire rear axle assembly, but this proved more difficult than expected thanks to the design of the box. While I was fiddling with the box, I tested the action of the levers to see if the wheels engaged at all. I noticed that if I let the engaging lever on the box slack just a little bit, the wheels would rotate freely and the drive would not pull. Hmmm, maybe if I pull this cable from the operators position a little tighter.... Whoooops! That's it!

Of course! The simplest answer!!!!

Sighthounds, Gazehounds

Just a little update about what I've been up to. In case you haven't seen it, I started a new email list focusing on the performance sighthound recently. The list is, in fact, called Sighthound Performance, you can follow the link to the group home. If you'd like to join, shoot me an email and I'll be glad to add you. So far there's been some really good discussion on type and function among other things.

This sort of leads me to what I'm reading. Gazehounds & Coursing by Dutch Salmon is an excellent read for anyone interested in performance sighthounds, purebred and otherwise. You can get the book here if you're interested. Thanks to Dan for talking this book up so much over the years.

Nicely said...

This entry, in a blog I've recently begun reading, says 'Leave me the hell alone' so well... Heh...

Just got back

From Seattle a few minutes ago. Spent a very enjoyable weekend with my good friend Phil, judging for WWWA on their field in Roy, WA. What a beautiful place! Super people and nice dogs made it a wonderful weekend. I'm pretty tired and jet lagged, but it was worth it. Saw a few really nice runs, one super Ibizan Hound that could have won BIF on Saturday and did win BIF on Sunday. All in all it was a really good time. It was nice to see (and talk to) Jenny, an ex-pat from Mississippi now living in WA. Nice to hear a bit of home in a voice in the PNW! Met a lot of really nice folks and got to renew quite a few good friendships. Thanks again for having me out!

A blog about blogs

Not mine, but others that I read.

I found myself making a big circle in the blogs that I read today. One of the first that I picked up a little over a year ago was Tam's. Not sure how I found it, but I think I was looking for information on concealed carry or some such. Anyway, I really enjoyed her writing since she occasionally wrote about my hometown, Atlanta and environs, I felt a bit of familiarization even though I've never met her. Not too long ago, Tam removed herself from Knoxville, TN and headed to somewhere in Indiana (why someone would move north, I have no idea!). She is now rooming with Roberta X whose blog I now read as well.

One of my good friends that I've made through coursing, Dan Gauss of Shot on Site Photography, is lucky enough to be able to chase his passion. He and Margaret travel the country in their motorhome with their hounds, photographing events and coursing and hunting when it's season. Dan meets many interesting people in his travels, including Stephen Bodio. The Querencia is a wonderful place with tales of hunting, archeology, falconry, and a million other subjects. One of the contributors to the Querencia is Matt Mullenix, a gentleman that I've had the pleasure of getting to know through email conversations. Matt has a Whippet out of a litter that I've coveted for a long time, from one of my favorite people in Whippets, Deb Baum. I've also been fortunate to have met Matt's parents on the coursing field after they acquired a Borzoi from another longtime friend of mine.

So, through Dan, I read the Querencia and other linked blogs. One that is linked today is to Southern Rockies Nature Blog. From this blog, there is a link to an entry at Roberta X's blog...

This isn't the first connection I've made, just the first time I've actually spent time connecting the dots. Is the blogosphere small enough that we keep running into the same people, or do our diverse interests all have some kind of common bond?

I call this LOL - Turner

Just can't help but laugh at ol' Ted.