Preparations

A wise man once bestowed upon me the rule of Six P's. The rule is designed to keep one from looking like an ass at anything they endeavour to accomplish. It's a simple rule; Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. For the last week or two I've been following the rule of six P's down two different paths, both of which will ( or should ) lead right back to the same place; my kitchen table.

If you've even looked at this web-site even once you'll have noticed I've got an affinity for bird hunting, and bird dogs. If you're a regular reader you know I lost my English Setter, Austin, to bone cancer in February. Losing Austin was painful for all the obvious reasons, but it also left me without a dog for the first time in 18 years. Well, that's about to come to an end, as I'll be picking up my next pup this week-end. Not having brought a pup home in over ten years, I've found myself making lots of preparations in advance of the little lady's arrival.

My first thought, has been to puppy proof the house. Many things an adult dog wouldn't give a second thought look quite tasty, and stimulating to a pup. Having made considerable effort to fill my house with nice furnishings, I've also bought a bag of full of various chew toys. And while I usually tow the practicality line when it comes to what I buy for my dogs, I did find myself agreeing with my wife when she suggested we buy a "cute" collar/leash combo. Don't worry; while cute, it's rather conservative too. While these preparations might seem rather domestic and lacking in excitement, they are very important. Puppy training and socialization are the cornerstone of the field work the pup will be expected to learn when she gets older. And if I expect her to turn into a top notch bird dog, which I do, putting birds before the gun, and ultimately on the kitchen table, then I'll gladly do the prep work.


On a divergent path; I've prepped and begun planting my vegetable patch. While my patch isn't very big I genuinely enjoy it's humble yield throughout the growing season. This year we'll be growing Daikon radish, Spinach, Peppers, and Eggplant in the garden, and Cucumbers and Scallions in planters. Hopefully, this combo of gundog, and veggies will provide me with meals worthy of writing about here, and sharing with all of you.