Global warming!

Peg was too high in weight to fly today, so we get an easy one. Only Jessie to fly. The weather forecast was overcast with precipitation around 11:00 AM, probably snow since the temps were 29 degrees at 10:45 AM.

I dug out Betsy's rubber vest, so she wouldn't freeze, loaded every one in the truck and we were off into the lowering clouds. By the time that we arrived at Appendix point it had started to snow. Worried about the possibility of the pond being frozen, I checked and found that there was still open water and ducks on it as well.

I turned her loose and she made a circle around and landed on the rock cliff behind us. Betsy went on point, indicating that there were quail in the Sage along the road.

I decided to go around the pond on the hill side to see if I could get a bit cleaner flush. Karen would stay on the other side to cover Jessie if she killed something, as it would take me a long time to get to her. The dogs eventually found the Quail, but Jessie happily ignored it, and started climbing into the falling snow. I eventually made my way to the top of the cliff, waited until she was coming back over my shoulder, and walked up to the point where I was visible to the ducks below. They immediately flushed off across the pond clearing the water with no hesitation. For once I got to see most of the flight. Generally I am too busy running to take my eyes off my feet. Jessie flew right through the duck hitting him a whack that was easy to hear from my height, followed by the "whump" when he hit the ground that was even louder. She did a short throw up and turned, landing on the stunned duck before he could even get his wits about him.

After a short time of her plucking the duck, I offered her a Quail in trade and she gladly came to me. We walked back through the falling snow to the truck to allow the survivors to land again.