Randy, thanks. My grandmother -- a fine Sacred Harp singer -- told me once that my singing sounded like somebody calling hogs and that my guitar sounded like the hogs answering back. This was done in a good spirit as a way of suggesting that I ought to sing more church music and less Hank Williams and Carter Family.I just got back from Georgia. One of the great things about having grown up there is that Georgia is a good place to get back from.And yeah, coonhounds aren't for everybody. Just ask my wife. People say they're dumb, but I think that they're smart enough to know what they can get away with.

Ken..Our neighbor has a string of coondogs, mostly Redbones...raises them. When we bought this place 15 yrs ago we wanted to build a shop for our construction biz and maybe build a house later. At first I didn't wanna build the house b/c those coondogs were pitchin a racket all the time....neighbor lives about 1/3 mi. away....but I started liking their sound. I don't think he has a many as he used to & is too old to hunt anymore.When we were in high school my brother dated his daughter & went hunting a few times with him & I wanted to go but unfortunately the relationship didn't last.... : )....When you put up your tunes on ezfolk a while back I listened to them and thought they were nice but somewhat...uh....unremarkable....sorry....but after you put up your 1st shape note tune, which I took to right away, I went back & listened to the other tunes and....what happened?!....they are great!Maybe it took me a while to get used to your voice...: )....like it took me a little bit to start liking the sound of those coonhounds.I love the way you play & sing them tunes.

Bobby, thanks. My family has raised blueticks since I was a kid. I grew up coon hunting, but am too old and too hippy to do it anymore. It's a young person's sport. After my grandfather got too old to run with his dogs, he would still turn them out then sit in his truck and listen to them, but those days are over, at least in Pennsylvania.I've had four blueticks over the years. Sweet girls, all of them - never had a mean one. Never seen a mean one actually, as far as I know. Now Catahoulas, that's a different story.Coot, Roadie's surviving sister, will be our last coonhound. We've got two Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs - totally non-crazy, solid citizens - and any future dogs are likely to be Pyrs or Border Collies, given our ages and the direction the farm has taken in recent years.It sure is quiet around here without Roadie. She was one howling dog!

Thanks Robin and Andy. Dogs are one of our greatest blessings, I think.Robin, if that's how it works, and it may well be, I guess Roadie's off to the land of three-legged possums.

Ken,When our first old dog, a beagle mix named Benny, died, we said he went to the land where the rabbits were slow and the females were short.I'm sorry Roadie died and it's good her passing was a peaceful one.

Aw thanks folks for commenting.Roadie was one wild, howling, goofball dog She could make anybody laugh.

Sorry to hear about your friend and companion passing away. But at least it was a peaceful end, and she was at home with you when she had to go.

My condolences. Sounds like she had the best life a dog could ever wish for. And what a beautiful photo!We lost two of our beloved kitties this year, I know it's sad missing our sweet animals when they go.Have a loving warm holiday while thinking of Roadie and her happy life.


--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990

Roadie, our old bluetick coonhound, crossed over Monday afternoon. We had a lot of great years, and I'm sure thankful that we had that time together.Coonhounds are crazy dogs, blueticks are crazy coonhounds, and Roadie was the craziest bluetick coonhound I've ever known. My grandfather, George Washington Rice, told me, "Blueticks in the house has been the end of many a marriage", and old Roadie sure put that one to the test. I'm grateful to say that we were up to it.Roadie had never been sick a day in her life until Sunday, and she seemed only mildly ill then, just some stomach trouble. She looked OK on Monday morning, drinking water, but not hungry. She died peacefully in her sleep Monday afternoon.We'll have a good Thanksgiving, and I hope you do too. No need to feel sad about Roadie. She was all dog and she knew how to have a good time.Here's a song about a bluetick coonhound, Old Blue Ken
updated by @flint-hill: 02/16/19 03:34:09PM