South Dakota September 2003

Posted on October 3, 2004 by Shannon Nardi 

WaterDog is on its way to give you 6 new shows this year and Firewater Lodge was our first stop. It was an absolutely great place to be in September. The weather was beautiful and just looking out at all the rolling hills was breath taking. I mean that. I have never felt like I could actually breathe with so much open space.

The crew and I drove up. Steve Childress and David Settlemeyer were our Videographers. Steve brought his year old lab Belle and I brought my 9 weeks old pup that I had only had for 2 days with me. Gia. It was a blast. We had a total of seven dogs at the lodge that week. I haven't been to many lodges but I loved that the dogs all had a special place there and were very much a part of our week.

Usually things run smooth but as we unloaded our gear we noticed that we only carried 5 minute tapes with us. They just happened to be in the 30 minute tape pile in the office. Big problem and it is labor day weekend in the middle of nowhere. Fed Ex and UPS are just not running on this weekend. We did get alittle relief as the courier service showed up after 2 days and brought us some 30 minute tapes. It was 2:00am when that Taxi showed up. I was glad to hear the dogs barking so much that it woke me up in time to scramble downstairs to meet them. It is a lot of extra work for a camera operators and editor to deal with lots of 5 minute tapes. But we made it work out in the long run.

Prairie pot holes were a big part of one of the days. We drove all over looking at them and just watching them. It was fun watching the Mom and baby ducks feed in the smaller holes. But when we came to a larger pothole it was amazing to see them all get up and circle back in. We could have sat there all day and just watched.

The first show is a South Dakota Giant Canada Goose hunt and a muddy one at that. Yella was a little rusty but she caught on fast and I know that after watching her pick up those huge geese her neck had to hurt that night. They were really big. We had a field day. As Justin put it they fell out of the sky like lawn chairs and they did. It was almost scary to think that it might just land on you. Yella was fast and to the point to get them but bringing them back in was a challenge. She would be so muddy and as she came back she was engulfed in feathers. At ground level all you could see was her tail sticking up behind her. When she finally made it back in she had a proud majestic stance to her as she carried them and sat beside Justin.

Lyles and the boys, Steve, Josh and Jeff joined us on this hunt. You didn't see much of them but they hooped and hollered so you knew they were there. Justin love for performing gave us more that we bargained for that day. I mean where can you go and get a fun hunt and a concert all in one. We got our limit of geese that day. The ducks were pouring in as well but only for us to watch. It was really fun to just lay there and watch in between vollies of geese and the mud slinging from Yella.

Our hunt was a success, 5 minute tapes and all. Back at the lodge I had the most fun playing with all the dogs. We took them on a long walks and to run around in the ponds close by. It was like recess to them I think. Gia even as little as she was joined in like a trooper. When we returned Justin introduced her to a goose wing. She seemed curious and didn't to much like you taking it away from her. It was a great time at Firewater. I know we will return for all that gives; especially if it entails a concert on the edge of a pot hole.