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It is winter and we are getting bored.....especially Pounce and Gigi. Pounce had the advantage (and luck) of hunting the Mississippi River. It has been awhile since the Mississippi duck camp trailer was sold. Old age eventually crept into view. Kwicklabs is now 82 years old and looking for new challenges that are doable. Alternatives are often determined by physical limitations best described in one word - pain. Knees and shoulders have not been keeping pace for what is required. Suggestions like exercise and
loosing weight have not been easy.

My list of hunting dogs is very long and the first few names are a bit hazy. The first was Rob - a Brittany Spaniel that held points for about three seconds....MAX. I was married and went to grad school in Kansas for one semester. Being burned out from college studies, I soon decided that hunting quail every day was more meaningful. Returning to Illinois, I was a research chemist in Chicago (Velsicol Chemical Company) for two years. The Chicago lifestyle forced a move back to Rockford, Illinois. The next few years were teaching math...then AP Physics. Our future was not clearly defined.

Within a few years, my interests became focused on training and racing harness horses in Chicago. My Father-in-law was a Winnebago County Judge and had a small stable. I was immediately hooked on race horses. That venture lasted about ten years with no retirement benefits. The next stage was teaching Chemistry and AP Physic while being the high school chess coach. Since Auburn High School had a gifted program with many students focused on chess in the lower grades, I became Auburn's chess coach. We placed in the top three several times with an Illinois State AAA Championship one year. 

Just as a reminder, this page was organized to record memories from the past so as to avoid forgetting. 

At a significant point in time, Illinois offered a very good retirement benefit program for teachers with at least ten years of experience. What a deal that turned out to be. My wife took the same offer a few years later. We have both been on pensions for many years. Lately, it has begun to look like we won a lottery. I may need to go back and edit some of this because it has been about thirty years since we retired. To repeat, the reason for writing this page was to make sure that forgetting is is not an issue. "I remember when" can easily be retrieved when it has been recorded.    

Somewhere near the end of this timeline (and being retired), I began hunting again and soon focused on duck hunting. The first dog was from an ad in the newspaper - "Free To Good Home" (good deal). Lick was my "rock dog" and we eventually learned how to handle in the marsh. Lick II was also free from an unplanned feed store breeding...I got first pick. HRC became a thing and she got her SHR title (at least she looked like a Lab).

Then I began buying puppies with real pedigrees plus regular training and some testing. In addition, there are several months in Illinois when hunting is not possible. Therefore, hunt tests kind of looked like hunting and we begin that process. Years passed quickly and a plan evolved to keep a journal. That way if one does not remember the past....at least the ability to dredge it up is simple.....kind of.

The plan was to create lasting memories that are easily refreshed. I have mentioned this often recently. Make aging more fun. Today was another good day to do just that. To repeat...avoid forgetting....keep a journal. The following links are dedicated recollections of old memories.....not forgotten.