(Photo: The Munsters after a Halloween hunt!)
What a year 2020 has been! From start to finish it has kept us on our toes wondering what’s next. For us it began with a bang so to speak as Jeff survived a near fatal head-on car collision on Interstate 90 during a snow storm. Two days later he was on a flight to New Jersey on an important business trip for Phase Technologies. Nothing stops Jeff!
Jeff’s business trip proved successful and in late February Brenda headed with a colleague to Texas A&M University in College Station, TX to attend a Junior Master Gardener leadership training. She had a great time in the warm weather and arrived home to a foot of snow in South Dakota.
Shortly after Brenda's Texas trip, Jeff headed to Phoenix, AZ to join his dad and brothers for the Seattle Mariners Spring Training. Little did Jeff and Brenda know that a week later everything would shut down due to COVID-19. With only a day of notice, Brenda’s school went to distance learning, something that was stressful for everyone except the 4 Munster dogs who were happy to have “mom” home all day. All of Jeff’s remaining business trips were cancelled although Phase Technologies did not close due to being essential workers. Two weeks into distance learning Brenda took a bad fall heading outside to the back yard and broke a bone in her foot which required surgery. Surgery at the start of a pandemic was not something she had in mind but it was successful although it kept her on crutches and a scooter for 6 weeks. A few months later it was Jeff who needed surgery for a chronic hernia that became acute after carrying training aids from the car to some water in preparing Cedar for his Utility Test! Needless to say both stayed healthy and COVID free regardless.
Jeff's focus on training Cedar for his NAVHDA Utility Test started after conditioned retrieval training of the girls in Spring. The testing windows were rescheduled due to Covid from June to August which to some was inconvenient but for Jeff and Cedar a blessing. Jeff found help and helped others in preparation for their tests through membership in the Black Hills NAVHDA Chapter. On August 15th, in the midst of the craziness of the controversial 80th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the Black Hills Chapter had their second annual test-a three day effort with Utility dogs running the last day. Cedar had a phenomenal day earning a 197 out of 204 Prize II. Jeff and Brenda are extremely proud of Cedar's accomplishments.
This fall, Jeff began travelling again for his job and Brenda is back in the classroom full time although has some distance learners. Pheasant and upland bird numbers have been exceptional with mild weather thus far. Brenda is enjoying making Mexican dishes with the spoils.
Rounding out the year of craziness Yetta and Aster who both cycle together appeared to have skipped their fall cycle. Then out of nowhere they both came in. Cedar and Yetta were bred and we’ll find out in a few weeks if Cedars Point Kennel will have its first litter of puppies on the ground-no doubt in the middle of winter! The year started an adventure and will end in one should the tie be successful. This would be Cedar's second successful pairing of the year. Just prior to the UT test Cedar was bred to Muddy Paw's Remi who is owned by Megan Nienaber from Minnesota which produced 7 gorgeous puppies!
As we prepare for Christmas and Jeff gets ready to head to Seattle to see his family. (Brenda went to Wisconsin last year so it’s her turn to stay in South Dakota with the Munsters) we are thankful and grateful for family and friends and Munsters. 2020 has been a difficult and trying year but within the challenges there are also God’s blessings.
May you all have a blessed Christmas and wonderful New Year in 2021!
Jeff, Brenda, Cedar, Yetta, Aster, and Soda
Please see the above attachment for a collage of some of our 2020 highlights!