Windmill Hill's "Celtic Water Fire"
Brigit: This “spitfire” has stayed with us.
Donna picked her the moment she was born. Although we didn’t know it at the
time she would be smallest once reaching adulthood. Quick on her feet with a
nose like a magnet, she spent last spring training with three of her siblings
at Salmy Acres under the patient hands of Tempest’s trainer Mike Wallace. Later
she spent the summer with us practicing what she learned, playing with her Mom
and Uncle George; going for boat and canoe rides in NH, and finding, flushing
and retrieving pigeons daily. She had a great first season afield with 21
flushed pheasants to her credit, retrieving to hand the 16 pheasants I
shot of the 21 she flushed. She even retrieved one grouse to Donna’s surprise when coming back
from a romp in the October woods. (Donna now needs a NH hunting license.)
Windmill Hill's "My Sweetheart
Daisy" - Daisy: This funny
faced girl sent the spring at Sunrise Kennels being trained by Gary Wilson. She spent
the summer with her 12 year old handler Jessica and her Dad becoming a great
team while practicing what she learned. She has a great older Field Springer
Spaniel house mate Mosie to model herself after. We heard they had a great
first season on pheasants, grouse and at tower shoots, while also earning
her Junior Hunt Test title along the way. How about some ducks with us next year - we hope.
Windmill Hill's "Peter of Never
Land" - Pete: Spent the
Spring being trained in Kansas by John Knowles. After which he spent the Summer
camping with his young family in Oklahoma and Kansas, while honing his field
skills and earning his Junior Hunt Test Title. By all accounts he has found,
flushed, and retrieved his share of wild Heartland pheasants. Maybe this
season his Mom and sister Brigit will come to a visit and get a shot at those
“wild” pheasants in America's Heartland.
Windmill Hill’s “Argos” - Gus: After settling in with his new family he
spent part of the Summer with trainer Ralph Botti learning the basics of find,
flush and retrieve. He then hunted woods and fields often with his buddy and
gunner from October through December. It looks like those chuckars had no-where
to hide and his shooting partner did his part on the bird hunting team.
Windmill Hill’s “Up with the Sun” – Hunter:
Spent the Summer being trained by
his owners at Kingsbury Springers way up North in Canada.. Come the Fall he was
sniffing out elusive grouse in the surrounding woods. When not in the woods he
enjoys life with three field English Springer Spaniel girls. He even became a
daddy of three great pups this past year. The biggest of the litter (he still is
at over 50 pounds) he was the first to retrieve on land and then on water. We
know he is destine to be a remarkable hunter and friend for life. He looks to
be still a muscle bound guy. No wonder the girls love him.
Windmill Hill’s “Coppertone Surfer” – Copper:
Has been trained by Geoff English
of Woodland Kennels and is his owner and hunting partner - Todd's - “little buddy;”
traveling in his truck wherever he goes. From woodcock and grouse in Vermont to
pheasants and geese in Connecticut, he has become a true all round rough
shooting dog. He has a pappion named Bella as a housemate that shares in
the fun and love of a great family with three kids. We hear he is
taking on a new challenge of snowboarding with his family this Winter.
(Coppertone Snow Boarder?)
Windmill Hill’s “Sent Surfer” – Pinoc /
Pinocchio: Was trained by
his owner Art Girard and friend Rocco Iasparra. Pinoc entered this world at
6.5 ounces on a wing and a prayer. Bottle fed for 6 days he was the runt, but
no longer. At 50 pounds he is a bird finding and retrieving muscle bound
springer who loved his owner and still loves to hunt birds. Sadly, Art was lost to the springer spaniel world when he passed away in 2017. However, Art and Rocco were able to qualify him as a Master Hunter before this tragedy struck. He is now with us and has re-socialized well with his sisters and mother, quickly becoming part of the household once again. As we look for a new PERFECT forever home, one where he will be part of family and be trained and hunted regularly, he has joined our training regiment here. He has HUGE drive, wonderful self discipline, which is complimented by a great nose and soft mouth.
Windmill Hill’s “Storm Chaser” – Chase: Joined his sister Brigit at Salmy Acres for
three months of training. Living up to his name he is quick on his feet with an
instinctive hunting manner. He spent the Summer continuing his training with
the Nutmeg Hunting Spaniel club at Nod Brook, CT and around his hunting buddy
around his home. When not afield he is also a bit of a Momma’s boy cozying up
to the feminine side of his human family.
Windmill Hill’s “Grace Under Fire” – Zoe: She is still the retrieving demon she
always was. The second of the litter who started retrieving at 4 weeks and
would hup for 5 seconds waiting to be sent. Her original owner Don Pomeroy trained her with an eye to hunt tests. Sadly, the spring spaniel world also lost Don when he passed away in 2016. Now she is with us, her forever home. Stylish when running she
has the face and grace of her mother Tempest. She earned her Junior title last Fall and is only one leg away from here Senior title. She has effectively hunted upland game birds and waterfowl in NH, PA, NC, and of course RI. She will be bred in 2019.
Windmill Hill’s “Eastern Shore Waterman” –
Terp: Our smiley guy, he was
the last to leave and my personal favorite who loves to swim and sniff out
hidden birds and dummies. He also spent three months with Mike Wallace and
three of his littermates learning the basics of finding, flushing, and
retrieving. When he is not at home or afield in Connecticut, he is in Vermont
doing the same with a wonderful loving family of three children.
Windmill Hill’s “White Lightening” – Lucy: Lives and plays with her Uncle Cover in one
of the most beautiful spots in the Garden State. Another one who was a natural
when retrieving and being steady until sent from an early age she has been
staying in shape retrieving dummies on the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard and
woods of New Jersey. Her hunting buddy had a cancer scare last Summer and Fall
which put the brakes on her going away for training. We are hopeful this
natural hunter will get the schooling she needs this Spring or Summer, so she
can hunt this Fall with her brother.
Windmill Hill’s “Spitfire” – Ellie Our smiley girl was also in the wilds of West
Virginia with Mike Wallace learning the basics of upland bird hunting. As they
say in Massachusetts she is wicked fast
when cast, then loving and happy when the hunt or training is done. She shares
her home with a beagle buddy and wonderful family. She was wonderful to
watch when I visited Salmy Acres and has become a wonderful hunter.
