Lost Highway Kennels

10/23/2026

I got a late start yesterday and wasn't able to get as far north as I was hoping before sundown. My options were to stop short so I had some daylight to pitch a tent and set-up camp or accept a very kind offer from my new friend Todd who I was introduced to by Jesse but had never met and crash at his camp. There was a lobster dinner waiting on me when I arrived.
Todd took me to a few of his covers today with his friends Tom and John. All three of these men have over six decades hunting these woods. Tom lost most of his left hand several years ago working on a skidder while alone in the middle of the woods. John is a pancreatic cancer survivor, and Todd suffered a major heart attack after coming home from a days hunt five years back.
We hunted hard, and we hunted easy. We got skunked in one cover and moved birds in all the others. We ate meatloaf sandwiches at the tailgate. John moved like a panther on our last walk and wouldn't take credit for a bird we split but I know I missed. They shoved the day's birds in my bag and gave me a hearty handshake and earnest smile as we parted.
Everything is just fine.

10/22/2026

10/15/2026

10 years of marriage, 15 together.

I'm not much for romantic gestures. Im a bit of a slob. I can't remember what you told me about our love languages. And I gave our kid the ADHD. I reckon I tell a decent story and sometimes stumble on a well timed comedic delivery. I sure am glad you love me. I love you. Happy anniversary.

10/07/2026

This was gifted to me today by an old timer client to whom it was given forty years ago up in Wisconsin. It's a painting on artist's conk mushroom (Ganoderma applanatum), which is a new term to me. Apparently it's a common type of folk art up there. This one will live right here for the next forty years if I play my cards right. I'm trying not to post anything online that isn't real and inspiring. This fits that criteria.

10/06/2026

One month in and Emmy isn't a puppy anymore, at least not in the field. She's found her poise. Watching bird dog pups develop is ASMR.

10/03/2026

We could use a little rain.

10/02/2026

I never knew Paul Ferguson, but his book Paddling Eastern North Carolina is like a blend of technical manual and the I Ching. Flip to any page and instantly learn something you didn't know while simultaneously being transported to a remote stretch of divine creation. Thanks Austin Hill for gifting me this copy.

Paul Gilbert Ferguson, 83, died on August 12, 2026, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Born on February 1, 1943, Paul built a life marked by intellectual achievement, professional distinction, and a deep commitment to the pursuits he loved. He graduated from Georgia Tech and went on to a notable career as an electrical engineer. He worked at NASA, where he served on the Apollo launch team for the first Saturn V rockets, contributing to a significant chapter in American aerospace history. Then he moved to Raleigh and worked for IBM until he retired.

Outside his professional life, Paul devoted himself to a wide range of interests. As a teenager, he developed a passion for ham radio and enjoyed speaking with people from different countries. He also enjoyed scuba diving and international travel. His favorite pursuit, however, was canoeing. In North Carolina, he was known as a legendary paddler. He wrote several widely read paddling guide books and held leadership positions in various canoe clubs, leaving a lasting mark on the paddling community.

Paul is survived by his son, David Ferguson, daughter-in-law, three grandchildren, and sister. He was preceded in death by his mother, Kathryn Edith Ferguson, and his father, John Gilbert Ferguson, Jr.

He will be remembered as a brilliant man who loved adventure and was a good friend to all. Those who knew him through his work, his writing, and his many outdoor pursuits will remember a life of curiosity, skill, and generous involvement in the communities that mattered to him.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Carolina Canoe Club and the Alzheimer's Association.

10/01/2026

Aldo is less than three weeks on from his first ever bird contact. We started gunfire intro yesterday with a distant mark from the front and progressed immediately to shooting in chase. I prefer to use quail in early shooting, and the launcher is there because it's been a part of the scent picture since he's become staunch ...and it provides a bit of overhead for the bird while it waits on our arrival. It's nice when young dog progression is this clean.

09/30/2026

I follow the K.I.S.S. Principle in pretty much all aspects of life. I reckon you could say I'm highly experienced with the simple and stupid. Full video available in Patreon. Link in bio.