PA GUNDOG DAY

Jan 23

7/23/23

“Take up more space as a woman. Take up more time. Take your time. You are taught to hide, censor, and move about without messing up decorum for a man’s comfort. Whether it’s said or not, you’re taught balance. Forget that. Displease. Disappoint. Destroy. Be loud, be righteous, be messy. Mess up and it’s fine – you are learning to unlearn. Do not see yourself like glass. Like you could get dirty and clean. You are flesh. You are not constant. You change. Society teaches women to maintain balance and that robs us of our volatility. Our mercurial hearts. Calm and chaos. Love only when needed; preserve otherwise.

Do not be a moth near the light; be the light itself. Do not let a man’s ocean-big ego swallow you up. Know what you want. Ask yourself first. Decide your own pace. Decide your own path. Be cruel when needed. Be gentle only when needed. Collapse and then re-construct. When someone says you are being obscene, say yes I am. When they say you are being wrong, say yes I am. When they say you are being selfish, say yes I am. Why shouldn’t I be? How do you expect a woman to stand on her two feet if you keep striking her at the ankles.”

- quote taken from -A Woman of War by Mehreen Kasana

Let me tell you about a few of my friends... we started off as strangers and by the end of the day we were laughing, we were crying, we were hugging, and dancing on tailgates. Which to me is all okay when you are surrounded by open fields, hanging out underneath canopies, and shade trees while the 10 multi talented bird dogs look on and wait patiently… for the most part. It was Triggers first time on a chain gang, to say the least we are working on leash work and patience currently. We shared stories over lunch, state game land finds, travels out west, and Jenn Kellogg getting HER husband a bear. At the bird cleaning station women gathered to teach each of their own ways of cleaning the bird species of a Chukar (farm raised in PA). While teaching a granddaughter to Joanna how to clean and to not be afraid of the blood and guts, because the end result is always beautiful. This day reminded me that great people DO exist on this earth you just have to go find them and bring them together. I promise the good ones love an environment of clay pigeons flying, shotguns firing, and dogs barking. Places where you can wake coyotes on the back 40, at 5:30 am with a morning warm up run with your dog. The sun raised through the fog with lightly dewed spider webs strung on switchgrass and sorghum patches. The Mother Earth has given us special places to see, ones that are worth traveling to, because the outmost unique things can be found there. These moments you can’t get on your phone, your tv, or in the city. I said all day long that certain parts of my heart were being healed. From the moment the alarm clock went off til this very moment. This high will last for days and it will only drive me to become better. On to the next one, see y’all September 15th in Acworth, NH at Silver Lion Kennels. Bring your ear protection for shotguns shooting, dogs barking, and laughter.

Sidenote: to hear more about this story on your speakers. Follow us on “Huntin’ Dix” podcast located on these creative platforms:

https://open.spotify.com/show/5RNPAfEoS4ant3cfryEwQk