Luna's first duck!

Happy puppy! Luna retrieved her first duck this morning. There were hardly any birds flying this morning. It was warm but raining. A few birds right at dawn, but nothing to take a shot at. Then, an hour after dawn, a flock of about 20 mallards bowed up and were looking to come into the decoys. They flared away at the last moment. I managed to shoot one, but it went down in a big patch of cattails. "Oh no!", I thought "we're never going to find that bird." Luna had heard the gun and seen the bird go down, so she knew it was around somewhere. She searched for about ten minutes before finding the bird, a hen mallard. She was a little hesitant to pick it up at first. She pointed at it which was kind of amusing. I had to wade out a little bit into the cattails and tell her to, "get the bird" which is the command for retrieving. She was just about the happiest puppy I've ever seen.

Tomorrow morning I leave for deer and elk camp. I'm feeling a little worn out from all the teaching and early morning duck hunts. I'm actually feeling a little lonely here in this big old house by myself. I'll have friends coming up to camp on and off, so I won't be totally alone out there. Colleen is coming up to hunt one afternoon.

This morning hunting and even driving home I felt at peace. Not worrying about goats or pigs or teaching or home repairs. Just enjoying the morning. I am so very, very blessed.