Louise

It’s been over 5 weeks since Louise went to the Rainbow Bridge. I still can’t believe she’s really gone.

Everyone that knows me – even if only in passing acquaintance – knows how much that little black cat meant to me. And you know how my heart is broken so I don’t need to tell you how hard this past month has been. But the wonderful memories I have of Louise come bubbling to the surface with each tear cleansing away the grief.

In celebration of Louise’s life I’d like to share some of the stories that make me laugh and smile as I remember them. I hope they bring a smile to you too – or maybe just to shake of your head at how crazy in love I was with that cat!

Louise was just a few weeks old when she came into Preston’s and my lives. She became my “To Go” kitty as I simply packed her up and she went everywhere with me. Camping, business trips, shopping, horse shows, family vacations, dinner at friend’s houses, the grocery store…….

We like to think maybe we started the trend of “pocket pups” where people pack their Chihuahuas and other tiny dogs wherever they go. Years before that trend became popular with the Hollywood set Louise was going everywhere with me.

We earned astonished looks wherever we went – especially at the horse shows where I walked Louise on a leash around the show grounds. I became known as the woman with “that black cat” and Louise had a legion of fans who were amazed at how she’d sit on my shoulder and watch the horse show.

Preston would haul horses to Southern California with Louise as his travel companion, looking out the drive side window smirking at the funny looks people gave. Like they’d never seen a guy driving a 1 ton crew-cab dually hauling a 30 foot horse trailer with a cat on his lap?

Every day brings another memory of Travels With Louise.

A visit to my mom’s in New Jersey found Louise attending church with us on Sunday. A week-long trip to a resort in the mountains of NY State and Louise joined in every activity. Business trips to Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Seattle – I was probably the only business person on the plane with a spare travel-size litter box in my computer bag. Visiting friends in Maine, Virginia and all over California. Las Vegas to visit the big kitties at the Mirage. Several trips to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah along with side-trips to Bryce Canyon and Zion Parks where Louise experienced her first snow storm (she wasn’t amused at that photo opp). Boating trips all over California found Louise joining in at all the parties but she drew the line at going out in the boat. Even Louise had her limit of what adventures she would take part in. And, countless horse shows, horse camping adventures and, in recent years, nearly every weekend at Red Rock in Nevada during fox-hunting season.

Just for Louise, I designed Louiseware. She had a wardrobe of those colorful scarves to rival any teenager’s closet. I started creating them to share with 4-footed friends of all sizes. Then when we started FieldHaven Louiseware became a fundraiser for the shelter and volunteers took over creating the wide variety of designs sized for anything from kitten to large dog. We haven’t done much with Louiseware for the past few years; maybe it’s time to revive the label.

Louise always enjoyed her scarves and wore them proudly. We would tease her about being undressed if she slipped out of one.

She also wore her harness with grace. This was standard wardrobe for extra safety whenever we traveled.

But, like boating, Louise let me know that she drew the line at wearing a kitty size horse blanket. One time at a horse show I spent a ridiculous amount of money on a tiny Baker Blanket sized just perfectly for Louise. I was so excited about putting it on her and showed it off to all my friends. I ran back to the barn area and dressed Louise in it. My enthusiasm was abruptly squelched when Louise looked at me with fire in her eyes, flopped on her side, started whipping her tail around in anger and refused to move until I removed the utterly embarrassing piece of apparel.

That tail was often Louise’s “voice” – it was in perpetual motion. From a slow, rhythmical movement (happy and content) to snapping it like a whip (pretty pissed off), her tail would communicate her mood. I could always tell what she was feeling and thinking.

Louise’s house was her domain and she didn’t tolerate other cats with any patience or even pretend to be happy about sharing her space with another cat. As little as she was she had no inhibitions about ripping into a cat that wandered into her house without asking her permission first. For as much as she became an icon for saving the lives of homeless cats and kittens she was frankly fairy selfish about keeping us and her home to herself.

Louise was always an indoor-only kitty although she would try to sneak out when a door was accidentally left open. Louise liked to go on her walk-abouts. To her it was no big deal. But for me it was an emergency that took on the proportions of an All Points Bulletin – all hands on deck searching for Louise until she was found. Usually munching on some grass that she would later hurl onto the floor once she was safely back inside the house.

Oh…yes, the chewing habit. Louise savored anything she could get her teeth on. Plants, flowers, pens, straws, antennas – yes, antennas. I can’t count the number of antennas I had to replace on the old-style cell phones – and a couple of times, the phone itself. All the pens in the cup on my desk had their tops chewed off and the little microphones on my telephone headsets were unrecognizable. If you left a drink with a straw on the counter Louise chewed off the straw. Flowers couldn’t be placed anywhere in range of Louise – she’d eat the most colorful blossoms then barf up brightly colored slime. More than once Preston’s thoughtful, romantic bouquets of roses for Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries and other special occasions had to placed high out of her reach or they’d become (expensive) regurgitated kitty vomit.

Louise had the most captivating and expressive golden eyes. Their uniqueness became her trademark feature that highlights the many pictures of her. From casual snapshots to staged photo shoots, Louise was a remarkably photogenic cat. Just like the super-model she was, there was an air of arrogance around her especially when capturing her image for a FieldHaven photoshoot. She would patiently pose in any situation I would put her in. In spite of her patience she didn’t necessarily like being a model. She knew it was one of her jobs and would pose, pasting a contented look on her face. But the whole time her tail would flip in ultimate impatience and she’d often grumble under her breath. A true diva who knew her duty but wasn’t in love with the role.

In 2003, when my sister and I founded FieldHaven we embarked on an adventure to help the “Louises” in our community. The FieldHaven logo proudly bears the likeness of Louise. I often spoke of Louise when telling the FieldHaven story; describing her as “very simply the most important cat in the entire universe”. To me she was…..and still is.

I’ve often told the story about how Louise came into my life at a time of personal challenges. She was truly my personal pet therapist and was instrumental in helping me heal during that difficult time. Louise’s healing ways have continued even during the past few weeks as her spirit has sent healing messages to me.

Louise and I had a deep connection – and in spirit still do. She was always waiting for me by the door when I’d come home. She followed my about the house and made herself a part of every activity that took place in our home. Just picking her up and holding her in our special Louise hug and burying my face in her fur beat the hell out of any therapist.

As Louise’s illness progressed late last spring and through the summer, I spoke several times to Linda Schooler, an animal communicator. Linda was able to help me “talk” to Louise and understand what she was feeling. Several days before Louise’s passing Linda told me 2 things. One was that there was a strong link between Louise and horses. Given her history of living with horses her whole life this wasn’t surprising. But what left me a little concerned was Linda’s discussion about the possibility of a horse coming into my life that would have distinct personality traits that I would recognize as very Louise-like. Admittedly, I was a bit bewildered and a little concerned by this. Having an 8 pound cat with an independent, strong personality is one thing but in a 1100+ pound horse? That could be a little troublesome. I remember thinking to myself that Louise’s distinctive traits weren’t something I’d find favorable in a horse!

Linda also mentioned a strong feeling that something significant would be happening on October 18th. At first I thought maybe that would be the day Louise passed to the Rainbow Bridge.

Louise passed away on October 14th and in my grief I thought nothing more of that date for several days.

On the 18th of October 4 tiny black kittens were brought to FieldHaven…………….could it be? Frankly, I was reluctant to accept the gift. It was too soon and my heart was hurting too much. But I could foster 2 of the kittens. That’s not making a commitment, right? Well, not unless you become a Foster Failure and end up adopting one of your foster kittens. Last week Norma Louise Smith officially became a member of our family. She makes me laugh and her soft, shiny fur and rumbling purr dry my tears and warms my heart. I think I'm falling in love.

The horse with the Louise personality? On October 15th I met a wonderful black horse that I instantly fell for. The purchase of Taylor was finalized and he arrived at FieldHaven on October 18th. Our courtship before purchase was short and we had a lot learn about each other. Well into our first week together certain issues about his personality began to emerge; when mounted he will do anything I ask of him, he is a pure delight to ride. However, on the ground he can be more than a little on the temperamental side. When annoyed he very strongly lets anyone around know it. We’ll work on adjusting that attitude but I think I know where it’s coming from.

The spirit of that little black cat surely is with me every day. Thank you, Louise for 11 incredible years together.

Thank you for letting me share with you my story of the “most important cat in the entire universe”. I know you have one in your life too…..please share your stories below so we can all celebrate those treasured relationships. And, I know I’ll have more Louise stories as my memory is jogged to remember a silly story or a special time.

As you may know, we are building a new shelter for FieldHaven. There are a number of opportunities available to sponsor rooms and items in the shelter. I am determined to sponsor a community room in Louise’s name and have made an initial donation towards the $5000 and donations have been made in Louise’s memory but there is still about $3000 to raise. If you are interested in donating click here.

Click here for a photo album of some of my favorite Louise pictures.

Concrete Field of Dreams

It seems sureal - is it really happening?

After 3+ years of planning, fundraising, planning, fundraising, planning, fundraising the new shelter construction is finally under way!

It actually started back in August with the demolition of our old, decrepit but beloved Cat Trailer. Then the site was prepared, forms built, preliminary plumbing and electrical started. After that it was a long, long waiting game while we worked through the county permitting process. Much paperwork, phone calls, emails, meetings - "i"s to dot, "t"s to cross - entirely too much time wasted in my opinion. Thank goodness for my husband, Preston and Project Manager Leslie Brinskele who both spent countless hours working throught the tedious details of the permit process And a huge thank you to Placer County Supervisor Robert Weygandt and his team for their support and assistance.

As the permits were issued work began on preparing for the start of the "real" construction. Somehow, it still didn't seem true that we were actually going to be starting the new shelter. I guess my impatience had evolved into a state of skepticism that it was actually going to happen. Sort of like that cliche of "when I win the lottery".

Well, folks, the lottery has hit FieldHaven! Yesterday, the concrete foundation (it is "concrete", not "cement", right Scout?) was poured. It is now reality. The shelter is rising from the fertile ground of FieldHaven, right on the very spot where the Cat Trailer sat for more than 30 years. That old Cat Trailer raised several human families before it became the transitional home for our feline family members. Most of those members moved on to their loving, adoptive homes to live out their lives in feline splendor. Those that were too sick or too old to leave the Cat Trailer spent their last days in the loving arms of the FieldHaven staff and volunteers where we gave them the best possible send off to the Rainbow Bridge. Truly many stories filled with laughter, some with tears but all with a powerful sense of fulfillment, are imbedded in the ground underneath this beautiful pad of concrete.

It is a new beginning and, yes, there will be more bumps along the way. What construction project doesn't have them? But it's all forward from here on out friends! Yes, we have more fundraising to do but what was it that was said in that movie "If we build it, they will come". In this case, we know kitties will come - no doubt about it! But I also believe the funds will come. This seemingly ordinary pad of concrete is FieldHaven's Field of Dreams.

Is this Heaven? No, this is FieldHaven.

I Know It's Not Much.....

I know it’s not much……

That’s how the note started that we received at FieldHaven last week. It went on to say

“….but our community had a carwash and we’re giving you the donations we
received.”

It was from a member of the community of Rocklin Ranch in Rocklin. It was signed “Nikki”. No last name or any other contact information. The accompanying check was for $58.00.

Nikki, since I don’t know how to reach you by phone or email let me tell you how your “not much” is going to help the cats in our community.

The $58 you and your neighbors so generously raised and donated will have huge and lasting effects. Here’s just a few of the ways $58 can be used:

• 
  For $30 each (I’ll pitch in the extra $2!), 2 female adult cats will be spayed. Or, for $15 each 4 female kittens will be spayed. Consider for the 2 adult cats, 11 unwanted, homeless kittens (or 22 for the 4 kittens) will not be born to these cats. Kittens that could likely face a death sentence simply because there’s not enough homes.



• 
  About 16 cats or kittens will be vaccinated against feline distemper (panleukopenia) preventing an all too common disease that is usually fatal or, if not, costs 1,000s of dollars to treat.



• 
  6 kitties will be tested for the deadly and contagious FeLV virus.



• 
  8 kitties will receive a microchip that will help ensure they find their way home if they are ever lost.



• 
  48 kitties will receive flea protection.
  

So, Nikki, you and your neighbors are making a huge difference in a lot of kitties lives. Thank You!



Please don't ever think your donation is "not much". Every dollar you donate, every hour you volunteer, every book you contribute towards our books sales, every person you tell about the good work FieldHaven does, every friend you convince to spay their cat - it all helps in ways you can only imagine.

Click here to make your donation to FieldHaven. Thank you for your support!

FieldHaven – We’re not just about Adoptions and Spay/Neuter

Several years ago I had a brainstorm. No, not the one that found Jann and I starting FieldHaven Feline Rescue nearly 7 years ago. That was more of a brain-tsunami.

This brainstorm hit me as I was flying across the country on a business trip or to visit my mother – I can’t remember which. I was sitting stuffed in my window seat with an iPod singing in my ear and pounding away on my laptop trying to do some work. No matter how much I tried to concentrate my mind kept drifting to FieldHaven. We were doing a commendable job of adopting cats and kittens into homes and bringing affordable spaying and neutering to our community with SNAP (spay/neuter assistance program). But it seemed the floodgates of people wanting to bring cats to us just never seemed to stop. There must be something else we could do…..

On that plane, from the small, cramped seat of 12A (OK, I don’t remember the exact seat but you get the idea) I came up with the idea of the Community/Cat Assistance Team or C.A.T.

It’s not really a new or unique concept this idea of helping people find solutions to their cat problems and answering their questions. But giving it a moniker and stating our purpose got us beyond the weary, worn-out response of “we have no room for your cat(s) at FieldHaven” that we found ourselves saying so many times each day in response to phone calls, voice mails or emails. Or worse yet, not even responding.

At that point I pledged that we would make an effort to help those people that contacted FieldHaven with a cat issue, no matter what it was. Yes, the majority of the time we would not be able to their cat in but we could provide alternatives or, at the very least, a compassionate ear and advice. We could guide people through challenges that could result in bringing harmony back into their lives with a peaceful co-existence of people and cats. We decided we would help people with anything “cat” – no question or situation is too far out of bounds.

C.A.T. has become widely praised. Our volunteers often hear that we were the only organization who returned their calls. Sometimes, just by merely commiserating with people on the challenges of finding a home for their cat we help them. Most times, however, we can provide real solutions by working together. Beyond the “can we bring a cat to your shelter?” calls here’s a few examples of how FieldHaven’s C.A.T. volunteers reach out to the community to help in some less than ordinary ways:

Home Health Care for Cats
Recently we received a call from the out-of-town daughter of a FieldHaven adopter who lives in Lincoln. Her mother absolutely loved the kitty she adopted from us several years ago but the kitty was now very ill and her mother needed assistance. Her kitty had been diagnosed with diabetes and she wasn’t sure how her elderly, non-driving mother was going to be able to manage her kitty’s medications and veterinary visits. A grandson and family lived nearby and could help but had limited availability.

A plea was sent out to FieldHaven volunteers and a team of 4 kitty-caregivers was assembled, one who lived right down the street and another in the same community. This team, joined by the grandson’s wife, organized themselves around providing the twice daily injections this kitty required.

Unfortunately, the kitty’s kidneys began to fail and she lost her battle but not before a strong bond was formed with the kitty’s mom and her caregivers. She approached us after the death of her kitty stating that she wasn’t ready to adopt but missed her friendly purr partner. We came up with the solution of offering a kitty to foster. We were able to match her with an adult kitty that wasn’t fond of sharing her space with other kitties in the shelter. This kitty needed her own space and person and this person needed a kitty in her space - how's that for a win-win?

Cat Witness Protection Program
You’ve heard of people going into the witness protection program but a cat? You bet! Recently, my husband, Preston, became an honorary member of C.A.T. when he played an integral part in this kitty’s relocation plan.

Frank (not his real name) had gotten himself into some real trouble in his community in another part of California. For obvious reasons we can’t provide details, but just suffice it to say that Frank was in a pickle. Frank had his “day in court”, and it was ordered that he be neutered, and placed on probation for his behavior, and could return to his family. His family never bailed Frank out. Animal Services knew Frank was really a good guy, felt sorry for him, and then set out to find a solution to the situation. Euthanasia was just not an option that Animal Services would consider. It was resolved that Frank would be placed in a rehab home in another state, where he can serve his probation and become a useful member of society. After searching nationwide, a spot was found for Frank.

A posting to a Sacramento area animal welfare email list asked for someone to carry Frank along on a flight. Preston travels nearly every week for work so, of course, I volunteered him for the special mission.

A week later, very early on a Monday morning, Animal Services handed custody of Frank over to Preston at airport security and they boarded a plane for his new home; a first class seat to boot. At their destination, Preston and Frank were met by Animal Control staff who whisked him off to his new home.

Frank is doing wonderful in rehab, and is supervised by two resident animal control officers – wherever that is…

It is reported that he has even made some new friends and is learning proper behavior.

Cat Up A Tree ……for 5 Days!
A distressed cat-owner emailed an urgent plea. She was out of town with a sick relative. Her daughter was watching her kitties and one had slipped out the door. They searched and searched for Sarah without success. In the meantime a neighbor a half mile up the road found a kitty in a tree where she lingered for 5 days without coming down. They assumed someone had abandoned her and were trying to get her down in desperation. They thought she would surely come down especially when, on day 5, it started raining. Somehow, they connected with the daughter who was relieved to find Sarah but how to get her to climb 40 feet down the tree?

Her plea was answered with the suggestion to call a tree service. Within a couple of hours kitty was safely out of the tree and back home with medical supervision. The tree guy had a few scratches to show for his heroics but I’m sure he’s proudly showing them off!

Yes, Cats Can Go on Road Trips
The caller was distraught because they were moving across the country in several days and, so far, he couldn’t find anyone who would give a home to his daughter’s cat. When asked why they weren’t taking the cat with them he said that they were driving and it would take days to drive to New York and, besides, the temporary rental they were going to didn’t allow pets.

We reassured the caller that it was entirely possible to transport kitty across the country in a car. We offered up some tips:

• Purchase one of the “tent” pop-up, soft-sided crates that would large enough to hold a bed, a small litter pan and food/water.


• Keep kitty in the crate in the car at all times and carry the crate into the hotel room each night, only allowing kitty out when in an enclosed area.


• Outfit kitty with a harness and leash which stays on at all times and could be used in case of an emergency escape from the crate.


• Microchip and put tags on kitty’s harness.
  

As for the landlord at the rental, when asked if they were would reconsider the no-pets policy they allowed the family to bring along kitty. Yes, Landlords will negotiate and can often be flexible (see next story).

Therapy Pets Allowed
A friend’s developmentally disabled son and (also disabled) girlfriend were moving into a new apartment which did not allow pets. The girlfriend had a cat which meant the world to her and she was heartbroken about having to give up her personal purr therapist. At our suggestion, the girlfriend’s doctor was contacted and he wrote a letter to the landlord stating that the cat was an important part in the ongoing treatment for her disability. Kitty was allowed to move into the apartment – another almost-homeless kitty saved!

These stories just scratch the surface of how FieldHaven’s amazing C.A.T. volunteers help people every day. Would you like to be part of this valuable team? We are in critical need of volunteers to help with the following:

• Answering phone calls and emails


• Team Lead to organize schedules and communication flow


• Researching information


• Documenting and logging calls/emails and responses


• Writing a C.A.T. blog to chronicle the adventures of this extraordinary group of volunteers
  

If you are a current volunteer please email me at Joy if you are interested in getting involved. If you are not a current volunteer and want to help please complete a volunteer survey at Volunteer Application

C.A.T. is a perfect opportunity to help even if you are not near FieldHaven. We don't even care if you're not in California! This is a way to volunteer from anywhere!

Not Just Another Reminder to Microchip

This one’s for you if your pets are microchipped

You’ve no doubt heard me – either verbally or in print – nag you about microchipping your pet. I know, I can be relentless in my convictions, especially when it comes to animals. Hey, I’ve pretty much devoted my life to our furry feline companions so I’m entitled to a few opinions here and there. And….. I am, after all, a Wagner. Inside joke that only family members and close friends will get.

But, no I’m not going to get on the “microchip your pet” bandwagon again. This time it’s for those of you who have stepped up to the plate and had your pet microchipped. So, you’ve done the good deed. Have you registered that microchip? Or, if you’ve moved have you changed your contact information in the registration database?

Here’s a couple of recent FieldHaven stories that were near misses for owners who thought, because their pets were microchipped, their bases were covered if the pet got lost. Fortunately, these stories have happy endings so please don’t be fearful about reading on.

The first story involves a kitty being found outside Home Depot near where FieldHaven is located. The store employees, after noticing kitty hanging around for several days lookingto share their lunch, contacted FieldHaven. We scanned kitty, as we do all kitties that come from unknown whereabouts. Ta-Da! Jackpot! A microchip was found! We all did the Microchip Happy Dance and, while imagining how happy we were going to make some family who’s worrying about their lost kitty, called the microchip registry for the owner’s contact information.

The call was made to the phone number provided by the registry only to find out it had been disconnected. No forwarding, alternate or emergency numbers were recorded in the microchip database. Not even the name of the organization or vet who had implanted the chip. How frustrating!

However, an email address was in the database so a FieldHaven staff member dashed off an email and kept her fingers crossed. The email didn’t bounce back so now all we had to do was wait and see if we got a response.

In the meantime, we checked lost reports in our database and contacted local vets and other area shelters. No kitties matching her description had been reported missing lately.

Our efforts were rewarded with a return email from the kitty’s owner who joyously came to retrieve her. She had recently moved and kitty had gotten out of the house and disappeared. Hopefully, by now she has contacted the microchip registry and updated her information.

The second story happened when a FieldHaven kitty was picked up as a stray by a municipal animal shelter in a neighboring county. There was no owner registered to the microchip when the shelter called the registry but it was on record as having been implanted by FieldHaven so they contacted us. We cross-checked our database and found the person who had adopted the kitty several years ago and lived on the very same road the kitty was picked up from. Contact was made with the owner who redeemed him the next day.

You might be thinking that this situation was all under control because FieldHaven, after all, had the contact information for the owner, right? Well, possibly, but it could’ve turned out much differently.

This kitty came in and was classified as semi-feral because he was very fearful. I was told by the shelter staff that he would not have been moved to adoptable status because of that semi-feral status. All shelters do scan cats before euthanizing, even feral cats. But, if there is no registered owner to the microchip they have no one to contact to redeem the cat. It’s likely the cat would be euthanized. Even though they know it was owned at one time if there is no way to contact an owner the cat will be classified as unowned.

Not every agency that implants a microchip does as we do at FieldHaven by having our name stay in the registry to contact, if all other contacts fail. Think of the first kitty who was found at Home Depot. The registry had no record of what organization, veterinarian or shelter implanted the microchip.

For every microchip we implant we encourage the owner or adopter to register an emergency backup in case they are not available. What if you’re away on vacation when your pet goes missing? Even if all your microchip information is up to date, if no one can reach you then there’s a chance your pet’s life might be at stake.

So, if your pet is microchipped take a few minutes to make sure all the information in the microchip registry is up-to-date. And, if they’re not microchipped – well, what are you waiting for?

If your pet does go missing here’s a few things you can do to alert those around you to be on the lookout:
1) Post flyers in and around your neighborhood
2) Visit your local veterinarians and pet stores and post flyers
3) Don’t call the animal shelters in your area – go visit in person. Often shelters are very busy and receive so many animals each day that they may not have complete information on each one that is coming in. They do post incoming animals to their website as quickly as possible but there may be a delay. And, if a cat arrives in a very fearful state they may not be able to scan it right away. This happened to a relative of mine recently. Her microchipped kitty had been missing for several days when she visited the local animal shelter and found him. Just that day he had calmed down enough for them to put on the schedule to be examined and scanned that afternoon.

Microchips are a wonderful tool to protect your pet from being lost – but
There’s more information on FieldHaven’s website on what to do if your pet goes missing – http://www.fieldhaven.com/library.htm

The Few, The Hardy – We are Red Rock Hounds

The members of Red Rock Hounds are a determined group of fox/coyote hunters. Red Rock Hounds go out 140 or more times each season and while many of those hunts are in perfect weather with superb scenting conditions, the rugged Nevada climate of Red Rock territory can offer up some pretty harsh weather. But it takes more than a little cold, sleet, rain or snow to stop the indomitable spirit of MFH Lynn Lloyd from bringing her hounds out.

This spirit was firmly in evidence on December 10th when we set out to make the trip to Belmont, NV for the traditional December trip to this delightful fixture set in an authentic ghost town that boasts a current population of 7. A recent frigid winter storm left Ross Creek Ranch, home base of Red Rock Hounds, covered in several inches of snow that didn’t even come close to melting as the thermometer shivered in the single digits and below zero for several days.

The storm had started on the previous Sunday while we were out enjoying a hunt at Campbell Springs. That hunt was called in after just a couple of hours due to the blinding snowstorm. It left us snowbound in Reno and on Monday morning as the snow continued Preston and I needed to get home for work. Thanks to Angela’s generosity in offering us the use of her 4-wheel drive we left the truck, trailer (with our living quarters) and the horses at Ross Creek. We came back up on Wednesday afternoon to dig out the truck and trailer in preparation for an early Thursday morning departure to Belmont. In spite of every heating device we could turn on in the trailer I don’t think it got above 55 all night long but we stayed warm under an electric blanket.

Underneath the blanket I hammered away on my laptop in an effort to squeeze in as much work as possible before becoming electronically disconnected in the no-cell/no-broad-band territory of Belmont.

Our 2 trailer caravan consisted of Preston and I with Devon and Baxter and Lynn, Angela, Audrey and Mary hauling 44 hounds and 7 horses. At 10 am we were packed and ready for departure – or so we thought.

Preston and I led the 2-truck and trailer parade out the driveway. Well almost. We started spinning halfway up the driveway and, in spite of Preston’s valiant efforts of just “flooring it” we came to a spinning halt almost at the crest of the driveway. He turned to me and said….”ummm, I think if I take my foot off the brake we’ll be sliding backwards fast.” It wasn’t looking pretty.
After a failed attempt to pull the truck and trailer up the driveway with a 4-wheel drive truck (and a lot of nail-biting moments) the tractor was brought into service. That did the trick.

At this point I did mention to Preston that I said I thought we should’ve chained up before heading out. But what do I know?

In the meantime, Lynn figured she had it made with the 4 wheel truck she was hauling -remember, 44 hounds and 7 horses - but to give herself every advantage she backed as far away as she could and took a serious running start. We were all cheering her on as she started losing steam at the same place we did. But by now, the tractor was on standby.

After some chaining up on our part, we were now officially on our way. The temperature just for the record? Minus 1. I just couldn’t wait to get to Belmont and start riding. Yeah, right. I was now starting to plan my weekend centered around reading some good books, doing some writing and keeping wood on the fire.

Fortunately, after we got out of the Red Rock Valley and on the interstate the roads were clear and started making up for lost time since we wanted to get the horses settled into the pasture at the pack station before dark.

So, how fast can a truck hauling 7 horses and 44 hounds go? Several hours later we were cruising down a 2-lane highway with Master Lynn Lloyd leading the way about 10 miles from our turnoff to Belmont. No other cars on the road. Except for that car that just flew by us going the opposite direction with lights twirling on his rooftop. A quick glance in the rearview confirmed it. Yep. Busted!

87 and 83 respectively. Despite some cajoling by Lynn and Angela we weren’t able to talk our way out of this one although Mr. NHP did write us up for a bit less than we were actually going.
We finally made it to the Timberline Pack Station at dusk, giving us just enough time to make sure the horses were snug in their blankets and settled in for the night. Nick, the owner, had everything ready for us including his brand new bunk house which was toasty warm. Several of our group were staying there and we could keep our tack out of the freezing cold. We were delighted to see that is was about 20 degrees warmer in Belmont. That made the temperature a relatively balmy 20.

At the Belmont Inn we got a warm welcome from Henry and Bertie Berg. Also joining us were John Auborn who had driven up from Southern CA with his horses and Jim McNutt, a veterinarian from Moingona Hunt in Iowa whom Red Rock had visited with in October. Jim had been attending the American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Convention in Las Vegas and was topping off his week by joining us in our Belmont adventure.

Henry and Bertie Berg were prepared for the annual invasion of the Red Rockers by having the fireplaces in the Inn all stoked and cozy, the bar well stocked and a hearty dinner on the stove.
The next morning, Friday, after an equally hearty breakfast, we headed ¼ mile down the road to the pack station. After rounding up our ponies for the day we quickly tacked up, bundled up in our warmest gear, gathered up the hounds and began the day’s adventure. The ground was covered with a few inches of snow that had fallen earlier in the week and the overcast skies suggested that more was on the way. The hounds hit on several lines that day but never seemed to settle on a really hot one but we had superb time keeping up with them as they worked to flush out a good line. The grey skies kept their promise and the snow started to fall but not heavy enough to send us back for several hours.

On Saturday we started by going through town and while the hounds did their work we took our annual historical tour of the captivating ruins of buildings from 150 years ago when Belmont was a booming, bustling silver mining town. The hounds took us out onto the flats at the base of the mountains just out of town. Angela, whipping-in south of us, yelled a Tally-ho times 3! A pack of 3 coyotes was just off in the distance and the hounds were on it in no time. The run looped around the flats and back towards the rocky mountaintops and lasted for several miles. It would’ve gone on longer but suddenly to our right we saw a herd of probably 100 pronghorn antelope (thanks Jim, for the correction!) running parallel to us and then in front of the hounds, fouling the line.

After we, the hounds and the horses caught our breath we climbed through the rocky outcropping in search of the lost line. But it began to snow again and very heavily with dark, dark skies in distance. We decided to call it a day, packed up the hounds and headed back to the pack station. By the time we tucked the horses in and got back to the Inn the snow was coming down in earnest. The fires seemed especially cozy that night.

After another hungry hunter dinner we indulged in the annual Red Rock Belmont Yankee Swap gift exchange and we followed that by a hilarious game of charades in the saloon. This is the stuff great memories are made of.

Sunday dawned bright and clear with a fabulous new snowfall of about 8 inches. We had a tiny group that set out; Preston, Mary and Audrey opted to “car follow”. But they missed out. The coyotes were screaming that day and the hounds were running hot lines all over the place. After about 2 hours I hacked back in because Devon, having hunted for 3 days, was getting tired. I joined the car crew and we tried to pinpoint where everyone was. The hounds had split just before I came in and we knew Angela had gone south. We did catch up with her about 4 miles south of town when she radioed that she had about 5 or 6 hounds with a coyote bayed up in a tree! Oh, now I was sorry that I’d hacked back in! Shortly afterwards she radioed again that the coyote had jumped from the tree, ran off and the few hounds lost him after a short chase. But now she was being joined by about 25 more hounds and she needed help getting them packed up. We headed back into towards Belmont where we found Lynn, Jim and John. They all hacked down to Angela to gather hounds.

By that time daylight was getting short and horses and hound were tired so Preston took the truck and trailer to pick them up. Getting back was one last adventure on the snow-covered roads. Even with 4-wheel drive they lost traction about a ¼ mile from the pack station and back slid into a snow bank. The horses were unloaded and walked back to the pack station while they creatively tried to get the truck back onto firm footing. It eventually took one of the Belmont 7 to bring his backhoe down and pull the truck out of the snow bank and up the hill to where the road was cleared. But at least this time the temperate was in the low 30’s. Practically a heat wave.

The next morning we sadly packed up the gear, tired hounds and horses and gave our hosts a warm thank you hug. After chaining up for the 30 minute trip back to civilization, the ride home was deliciously boring. No snowstorms, slippery roads, blowouts (that was last year’s adventure), speeding tickets and god-forbid, no horse mishaps!

I just can’t wait until next year!

See pictures at http://fieldhaven.phanfare.com/4485268#imageID=88671394