A week ago today, the last two puppies flew to their new homes.  Four of them were picked up here at the house the weekend prior to Easter and I wanted to share the pictures of them with their new families.  It was such an exciting time for everyone!

It was a rainy Friday afternoon when Ted picked up “Barb”, who will now be known as “Sammie” and live outside of Beatrice, Nebraska.  Looking forward to sharing to some great Southeastern Nebraska pheasant trips with Sammie and Ted!  Ted and Melody had stopped by on a sunny day a couple of weekends previous, when I took this photo:

Ted and Melody

Kyle and Beth also came by on gloomy Friday, April 15th, but happily took home my “Bart” who will now be known as “Duke” and live in the neighboring Omaha suburb of Ralston, Nebraska.  I hope that we can invite Kyle and Duke for a quick trip up to Pheasant Bonanza someday.

Beth, Kyle and Duke

Nate and Emily came by Saturday morning to pick up “Ben”, who will appropriately keep his name, as he will live outside of Benet, Nebraska.  Nate’s wife, Julie and their second daughter, Lydia, had business to attend to in Lincoln that day, but I’m sure they welcomed him home with open arms!  It will be fun to get together with them to watch the dogs and the kids grow!

Nate, Lydia and Ben

The sun came out Saturday afternoon, harkening the arrival of Joel and his sunny family: wife, Jenn, and daughters Julie (my “pen pal”) and Jaycee.  “Buster” will become “Mowgli” and live in Kearney, Nebraska.    Joel is a native of Northwestern Kansas, an area that was very well promoted at Pheasant Fest (the National Pheasants Forever Convention held here in Omaha in January).  We had already planned a fall trip down there, as we’re able to hunt not only pheasants, but it is the only habitat that holds both the greater and lesser prairie chicken.  It will nice to be able to get some “tips” from a local and maybe get together down there at some point.

Jenn, Joel, Julia, Jaycee and Mowgli

Monday, April 18th came very early for me, as “Betty” and “Bess” made the trip to Omaha’s Eppley Airfield.  “Bess” was the first to land homeward, arriving in Salt Lake City, to make her final home as “Page” with Randy and Pam in Nibley, Utah.  “Betty”, who will now go by the name of “Shady”, touched ground in Sacramento, to make her journey home with Kyle and Kerrie to Sparks, Nevada.

Yet my puppy adventure is far from over.  Friday morning, Charles and I board a plane for Quebec City, Canada to pick up a female puppy who is sired by a French import.  We are very excited to bring new blood into the Western North American Griffon bloodlines.  I will give the full details about the breeder, pedigree and the different North American Griffon phenotypes upon our return, but here is a photograph of the sire and dam that I took when we visited the kennel in Quebec last summer:

Dam Belle and Sire Cyrano with Cordelia and Conrad

Vive le Griffon Korthals!