Bluestem Kennels

Please e-mail bluestemkennels@gmail.com if you would like more information on this upcoming litter. 

I’ve been in denial about this for quite some time and only finally faced it two or three weeks ago when it was no longer able to be ignored.  The “P” Litter of 2019 cometh.  Some kennels have trouble with breedings not taking, I have trouble with taking a year off.

Pregnant Ruth napping in the sun today

We were in the middle of moving at the beginning of January when my 14 year-old son Conrad and I had to take some heavy items from the old house to the new (to us) one.  We left ten year-old Caleb at home, with Zoro in his crate and the girls in the yard.  We were gone for an hour at the most.  When I got home and saw three dogs out back and I didn’t see Ruth and Zoro in a tie, I thought maybe that Caleb had just let Zoro out and nothing had happened yet.  Wrong.

Zoro and Ruth sunbathing about a month ago

So here we are, puppies to be whelped any day.  With this being my SIXTEENTH litter in nine years, I think that I have this down and can handle it.  Get ready for some new puppy photos in the next week or so.

End of Hunting Season

Charles was able to get out for sharptailed grouse, pheasant and quail, all on public land right here in Nebraska this year.  Hunting season came and went and unfortunately I never made it out.  The hearing in my right ear is really starting to go and I’m not sure if I’m just going to suck it up and deal with it, wear an ear plug just in my right ear or slow down with hunting for awhile.  Charles is already deaf and loves to get out and chase birds, so I never have to worry about the dogs getting out.  I’ve done the Nebraska Grand Slam in my hunting career and I’m really wanting to get the out-of-state trips in once the kids are all grown.  I’m just going to keep getting in better shape and praying about it.

Charles and Zoro with some Southeast Nebraska quail, January 2019

Zoro in the snow a week ago

The dogs and the move

It has been quite an adjustment going from just living with the one youngest dog in the house with the older ones spending their most of their time outside kenneled to having three indoor dogs.  Of course, the dogs think that it is great being full time housepets.  I enjoy the company while I work from home during the day and not having the hassle of outdoor chores.

What is most suprising is how we’ve adjusted to not having a fenced yard.  Luckily it is a pretty remote neighborhood with no busy streets nearby, everyone has dogs so there are no complaining neighbors and the 3/4 of an acre is distributed equally around the house, so it is sort of a dog track.  We can walk on the sidewalk around the house and the dogs can range out and stretch their legs in the yard.  Even though we border a 2000 acre forest, the neighborhood full of dogs keeps the deer and raccoons pushed back so that the Griffs don’t seem to want to go out and chase.

The Winter of our discontent

This has been a very snowy and cold winter for many of us to say the least.  A record snowfall year in the Omaha metro area with plenty of snow days for the kids and teachers to enjoy.  Not sure what it is going to do to bird numbers across the plains, but we’ll find out in the fall.

My son just called that he is ill at school so it is time to say goodbye for now.  Until puppies!