Danny :
I'm literally thinking you and I are quite similar. Likely very much so. The FJ40 that I'll be rebuilding, like yours but mine's a '79, will serve primarily as a dogger car. Although it's still in bits & pieces, we've already got a fantastic dogger car here, a '96 4Runner. But my on-going stories seem to be very similar to yours. Your writing within this thread seems to be much like mine. Although, I've long been doing the same within the mountainous forests throughout all of North Georgia, I too had lived out West.
Regardless, my snapshots seem to somehow parallel yours. Very much the same in perspective; and just like yours, all from the heart. Due to my massively strong love, admiration, and respect for all animals, of all types, I'm not at all a hunter. Nor will I ever be. But like you, I've mountaineering and survival skills that far surpass the vast majority of others. So, it seems your interests in nature, in wildlife, in other people, and in FJ40's - remains an interesting parallel to what's within me.
Regarding Teddy and Teddy's seemingly high intellect : my late dog, Grady, who's been and will remain the avatar of mine here on this board, as she remains the same for on my Facebook profile - was also intelligent. Not only intelligent, she was abnormally beyond that. In every essence, she was at the level of genius. So much so, I've not ever crossed another animal, of any type, that equaled her massively high intellect. She would actually study things prior to acting upon them. And the way she would then go about doing things, would literally blow the mind. It's been my experience that most humans are not even so as creative in thought or logical as she was. She was left-pawed too.
As a mix of a mix of a mix of whatever breeds, and as a puppy whom I rescued from the downtown streets of Atlanta, one evening while inline speedskating with buddies, Grady (her finding me and my finding her in the middle of a street in front of Atlanta's Grady Hospital) was noticeably then and grew to be abnormally strong; endlessly ruthless; and completely genius. Like you, I've stories galore of her massively adventurous life along my side.
In this image below, Grady & I had just trekked through a large & vast wetlands area swamp, in northern Georgia, on the cold day of Christmas, 2008. She was muddy & smelly & cold. And so equally was I. But she & I trekked-on, not minding a bit.
Below is an image made this past Sunday, of my current three doggers : Cody, Granger, and Annie. As seen, the three had just returned after chasing after and then bonding-up with a pair of coyotes.
A not too unusual scene for us, as I've experienced this a number of times before. Off they silently go, where they went, I don't know; then lots of dog barking off in the distance; and then lots of high-pitched coyote yipping mixed-in; and then the distant forest becomes a combined sound of that of a circus. And then it stops. And all becomes quiet.
And as I stood there at the top of this deforested hill & looked down toward where the noise had come, way-on-down to somewhere within the treeline seen here below - - out from down there along the treeline and into the clearing emerged my dogs mixed together with two coyotes. The five in an in-trail line, walking together. They walked together, one after another, perpendicular to my position : from the trees, into the clearing, and back into the trees.
I had to wait for a little while for my doggers to return.
The four of us then trekked to the bottom of the opposite side of this hill; where, the three doggers traversed back & fourth and stayed within a pretty creek there, named, Amicalola Creek, which is one we like to frequent.
Annie along the same creek. For years & years now, we just can't get enough of it. But like anything in nature & the great outdoors, one MUST FULLY RESPECT nature & the outdoors - and the fragile environment; else-wise, things can go south really quickly ... and we, here, know this first-hand :
~Marc
The one below was made the other week. The three doggers had found & irked a skunk. Soooooo, we're now taking a very much needed, impromptu bath !!
