Monday, February 8

I don’t derive great joy in going to where there are great crowds of people, but Cerwin, Jeff, Jordan, Donovan, Diana, and Gloria were going – and it was my birthday.

What I do enjoy is watching activities that are going on in the Large and Small Arenas while the others are visiting the outfitters.

There are also exhibit halls filled with any kind of outdoor and hunting equipment imaginable.

I looked at the schedule and chose the DockDogs Jumping Contest – Training Seminar in the Large Arena. There were some trained dogs, but anyone could bring their dog for training. This one was not about to jump off the dock.

They tried the ramp, but he wasn’t real excited about that either.

This one stood on the dock and barked, because he wanted to get his toy, but he wouldn’t jump, they tried the ramp, but he would not go in the water.

Then they showed us what happens with a trained dog.

He knew how to wait for the command.

Then caught the object mid-air.

Trying to train another one. He didn’t like the dock.

This one went off the ramp but not the dock.

Trying to coax another one to retrieve.

Nope. Not jumping.

When that program was over, I had time to go to see the Outfitters in Main Hall where Cerwin, Jeff, and Gloria were  talking to Joel from Track Down Kennels and Lodge near Fort Kent, Maine. I never did see Jordan, Diana, and Donovan.

My favorite thing in the Outfitters Hall is the beautiful animals on display by the taxidermists.

My favorite thing of the day was watching Birds of Prey: Raptors The Ultimate Hunters in the Small Arena.

The first bird was a beautiful Barn Owl.

He told us about the history of Falconry and how he got involved.

I don’t know where I’ve been, but I did not know that falcons are used for hunting.

There are 4,849 falconers in the United States. He highlighted three states – Pennsylvania because that is the state in which the show was being held. Ohio because there were a lot of visitors from our neighboring state, and West Virginia – his home state.

We also saw license plates from New York, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina.

His second bird was a Red Tailed Hawk.

It was interesting to learn that to become a falconer you must capture your own hawks, owls, and falcons.

I think he said this one is a Harris Hawk.

I will show you pictures from the rest of my day in my next post.