Until recently (and I've lived hare about ten years now), I still thought that his chosen pastime was a local or regional thing, but it isn't. If you look in the rural areas in your own region, you might just be surprised to find that it exists there as well, as surprised as I was, in fact, to recently learn that there are groups dedicated to this kind of activity very close to where I was born and raised.
My husband hunts......pretty much anything that moves. When I first met him, his main interest was fox hunting. (and no, to all you out there who are horrified, they do NOT actually kill the fox) although in the modern era, fox hunting is generally equivalent to coyote hunting. The main point of it is to have a dog that can hunt and trail, identify his quarry, and corner it for his master. Lately, however, his tastes have veered toward Coon Hunting (yes, that means 'raccoon' to all you city folk). The main differences between the two are:
1. fox hunting is a day time sport, coon hunting is at night
2. with fox hunting, you run a pack of dogs, the more, the better. With coon hunting, its usually just one per hunter.
The major differences end there. There are other slight differences, such as the breed of dog, etc., but there are many similarities as well. For example; with both sports, you can hunt individually, or as a group. Group hunts are often in competition form. And, as with any dog-related competition, there is always a 'show'. A bench show for hunting dogs is not like the fancy dog shows you see on TV, and often (but not necessarily) being called a 'show dog' in hunting circles is not a compliment. But, I've also found that that depends on whether or not you have a dog pretty enough to show. Mainly, at group hunts, the bench show looks for the composition of the dog, his composure on the bench, how well the dog 'stands', and how well the handler keeps the dog on the table and in his stance, etc.
The hubs had a group hunt Saturday night, and, of course, there was a bench show. However, this show was strictly for the youth hunters. Now, Ty is not a hunter....yet. But he does want to be just like his Daddy, and the club that Matt hunts with is a very strong proponent for youth hunting. This time Ty got to show his first dog. Daddy took his pride and joy, Chevy (formally known as Leach's Hot Rod Chevy) who isn't just a pretty dog, but a darn good hound, too. Ty had never shown a dog before, so this was his learning experience....for which he took second place. Don't get me wrong, he didn't have much competition this time, which was a big part of why we took him. It gave him an opportunity to learn from the club, and win a prize, which made his just proud as a peacock, and now he can't wait until next month's bench show, where he'll surely do a better job of handling Chevy, and maybe get another plaque, just like this one.
Notes: Since I am new to baking, I made sure to follow the recipe to the letter. I timed and measured everything carefully, tented the loaf after exactly 20 minutes, and used my instant read thermometer to make sure it also hit the right internal temperature (don't mind the probe sticking out of the loaf in the pictures!).
And, I will be baking bread again. My loaf is gone and I want more.
Roast for 20-30 minutes or until caramelized.
Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later use). Pour in any liquid, ¾ of the chicken stock, bay leaves and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by1/3. 
Wash and dry basil leaves and add to the pot.
Puree the soup using an immersion stick blender until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with three or four roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.
I don't know whether it was the recipe, the cooking spray, or the non-stick pan, but these little guys literally just fell out of the pan. And just look at the gorgeous little fluted pattern on the sides of the muffins! I just love a recipe that works and a cool new kitchen gadget/dish to prepare it in! You know I have a fetish for fun dishes.)
Okay, okay, his name is actually Brayden. But they both sure like Chuck a lot, too! I never got around to posting about our first trip to Chuck's last month, when the boys just had a blast running around and playing all the games, so I thought I'd include some pictures from each visit. Brayden's mom and I took the boys back up last Friday night for another visit and they just couldn't get enough. We were both very proud of how well they behaved and treated them to an extra special prize at the end of the night. We are already envisioning the trouble these two are going to get in together when they are older.
This time is was the "helmet" game.
Some of the games are more like rides, and one even takes the kid's picture with Chuck.
My favorite may be the one that actually "draws" your picture while you wait.
And then, there is not much more precious than getting a "yee-haw!" out of your four year old while he's riding a"horsie".
All in all, it has become one of our favorite places....I just have to try not to spoil him by taking him there too often!
