That’s not a reindeer antler, just a stick that Ooly found while we were out in the backyard. We’ve got enough snow to call it a white Christmas and it was lovely outside today, but below zero weather is on the way.

Biff continues to hunt for pheasant every chance he gets (about three times per week) but the season is winding down. Time to build a fire in the fireplace and curl up with the dogs inside.

Wishing everyone happy holidays!

What a wonderful December morning!  I heard a pheasant cackle as the sun was just breaking the horizon.  More cackles followed as the sun rose above the horizon.  We’re always happy, as the hunting season progresses, to hear that pheasants are alive and well out there.

Here’s the first photo that we’ve taken of all four of our Griffs together, captured while they waited for the treats they knew were in my pocket. They are so alike and yet distinctly different in looks and personality.  From left to right are Chev, our wise, calm stud dog, his son Xupe (by Finley,) who we often call the goofball.  Next is Ooly (Finley’s daughter by Simon von Herrenhausen) who is about five months old and fully incorporated into the pack and finally mama Finley, sweet, sweet Finley. Most days end with all six of us piled on and curled up near the sofa. Life is sweet with four Griffs, but four is enough!

We had grouse for dinner last night. Here’s how I prepared it – really yummy!

Soak the grouse breast in milk for about an hour.

Cut it into strips of similar size.

Dredge the strips in a combination of all-purpose flour with salt and pepper.

Over medium heat, sauté the floured grouse pieces in a combination of olive oil and butter. Add some chopped garlic and chopped fresh parsley and a little more salt and pepper.

Splash in a generous amount of dry vermouth and let the liquid reduce by half.

Turn down the heat and slowly add about 1 c. of heavy cream, stirring until it thickens. Adjust salt as needed.

Serve over white or wild rice.  One grouse breast makes enough for two servings.

I forgot to get shallots and mushrooms but both would be great in this recipe. It tasted amazing with just the grouse and “cream sauce.”

Biff took Xupe hunting for grouse and woodcock today and they came back with birds – two woodcock and one grouse!  The weather changes have made conditions ideal for the woodcock, which migrate at this time of year. It’s hard to hunt for grouse too early in the fall, before some of the leaves have fallen, but the woods were good for hunting today.

That’s Ooly, from just the other day. She’s not ready for real hunting yet, just training with birds here at home.

Our “baby” is 4 months old! Ooly is confident, energetic, affectionate and has grown so much that we have to look twice at times to figure out if we’re looking at Finley or Ooly.  She swims in the ponds whenever Biff allows her to get down there and she hunts for frogs, toads and rabbit poops. She initiates a lot of rough and tumble play with Xupe and Finley and continues to hang out calmly with Chev. She’s been a delight and we are grateful for her.

There’s our Ooly, snoozing on the porch with the big dogs. She’s behaving like one of the pack these days – running out with the big dogs through the downstairs doggy door to play in the backyard, frequently wrestling with Finley and Xupe (he’s become a great playmate for her) and curling up near Chev for naps.

Grouse season opened this weekend in Minnesota and we received this message and photo from Mavis’s people in Duluth. Mavis is 2 + years old, from Chev and Reine’s summer of 2015 litter.

“Yesterday John and Mavis went out for a successful grouse hunt.  Mavis pointed out numerous others but there was too much foliage for clear shots. Guess I know what’s on the menu tonight!  Wishing all a beautiful fall and enjoyable hunting season.”

Busy puppy, Ooly, continues to play a lot with her mom, Finley. The boys’ acceptance of her slowly increases from day to day. Xupe’s tail now wags at her some of the time and she loves to chase him down outside. Chewing is Ooly’s main occupation besides napping – chewing toys and just about anything from nature that she notices.

We’ve heard from the families with puppies #1 and #2 (Ooly’s littermates) that they’re also doing well. Griffith’s family sent this photo of him.

We’re getting used to our “new normal” with Ooly. She chased a toad around the base of a pine tree this evening, wrestled with Finley, taunted Xupe (multiple times,) chased after the heels of our neighbor Becci when she was over for a visit and then fell asleep in my lap while I was working (sideways) on my laptop. I took that opportunity to also clip her nails.

Ooly is the focus of a lot of our attention these days, but she’s easing into life as a pack member, the fourth of four Wirehaired Pointing Griffons in this household. Chev has warmed up to her enough to allow her to occasionally snuggle with him. Finley watches out for her, wrestles and shares toys with her. Xupe is still unsure about her, although he has approached her to play a couple of times, in the “downward dog” position that, for dogs, is a way of saying “let’s play!”

I’ve begun to prep for going back to work, so these blog posts will be less frequent going forward. We hope to hear stories and get photos from folks with Norling Rise puppies. We’ll share them from time to time.