Posts by Hank

LA/XC-4: First Peek

* * * COUNTDOWN: 169 DAYS TO LA/XC-4 * * * Jk about starting the countdown already. I mean, I won’t even have a dog yet for another two weeks. But as I’ve learned from LA/XC-1, -2, and -3, it’s never too early to begin planning. And part of the prep, of course, means getting Kemba geared up fo…

The Last Lonesome Hike

On our way up to Vermont Thursday night (Yes, Beagle Man fans — MTK season is over; VT season has begun 🙂 ), I told Carol that since Friday was supposed to be a gorgeous, sunny fall day, and I’d heard foliage was the best in years, I was going to hike up Bromley Mountain. “And,” I added, “next t…

What Do Kemba Walker, Stella Herman, Ricky the Beagle, and Kemba the Toller Have In Common?

Five days after returning from my Halifax pick-the-puppy tour, I got this comment on my blog from Meg, a close friend of Carol’s since high school: Hank: I’m on a ferry from PEI to Nova Scotia and talking to a couple with a toller……

Where Would YOU Go To Get a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever?

About six weeks ago, after a painstaking breed search that was well-chronicled (maybe a little too well-chronicled?) in this blog, I finally determined that Future Dog was going to be a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Next? The hunt for the right breeder. I looked into one kennel in New Jers…

And Now, Introducing . . . Puppy Herman!

Everyone, meet KEMBA!!! Kemba, meet everyone!!! LOOK FOR A NEW BEAGLE MAN POST EVERY THURSDAY. OR PRETTY CLOSE TO THURSDAY. COULD BE WEDNESDAY. OR FRIDAY. LET’S NOT GET TOO OBSESSIVE HERE . . . OH, AND BTW, YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

The One With the Waggly Tail

I’d by lying if I said I wasn’t ridiculously excited about going up to Nova Scotia this weekend. Matt and I are flying into Halifax Friday night. Saturday morning we’ll do a little get-acquainted-with-the-city tour, then grab some lunch. And then . . . The Main Event: We’ll take a 45-minute dri…

Fay, Stella, and Belle

My mom’s name was Stella. She died in 1996, and I still miss her a lot. I’ve always loved the name Stella, and have hinted to all my sons that it would be nice if they named a girl after my mom — but based on the family track record, I’m not counting on too many daughters. So I decided I’d name…

Future Dog: FAQs

So yes, as you’ve been hearing, it’s looking pretty solid that Future Dog is going to be a Toller. And yes, arrangements are starting to be made for its arrival — knock wood. The thing is, I’m pretty superstitious, and I don’t want to jinx anything by revealing too many details. As my son Matt…

The Third 100

Yes, Beagle Man has gone dark for over a month now, as many of my friends and followers have observed. Intentionally so. I’d become abundantly aware that a lot of you out there felt I’d gotten well into the overkill stage in my research, my pros-and-cons lists, my live-dog interviews, my biding t…

Headhunting (cont.)

Interviewed Chief, Scott’s husky, earlier this week at Acme headquarters in South Norwalk. I’d have to say it went quite well. I ate some chips in his presence, and the candidate, while interested, didn’t jump on the table for them; he actually claims not to be food-obsessed. He’s got a good, s…