The Early Days

I can still hear the wind through the tall pine trees on a summer evening, or truly any evening, on that little five acre property we owned in Trinity County, California.  A balm to the soul it was.  The very sound of it never failed to elicit a sigh of relief and contentment.  The sound of Home.  If I close my eyes, and listen with my heart I can still hear it.
  The original Home of Triniti Dachshunds was located in one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I know, for I have done a lot of traveling in my lifetime.  Sometimes I still ask myself why we ever moved from Barker Valley. Any answer I give just doesn't seem adequate.
 Located a few miles outside that remote little mountain town of Hayfork Ca   A Beautiful little valley in the mountains, is nestled Barker Valley.  Crisp clean air, surrounded and inundated with countless tall California pines, there is a little creek that runs through that valley.  It is named Barker Creek.  A real no brainer, huh?  But anyone fortunate to have property adjoining that creek never had to worry about a water supply.  We were one of the fortunate ones.  I think we had one of the very best wells in the entire area.
    Located on the skirts of Shasta-Triniti National Forest Hayfork  is a town comprised of some of the most interesting characters I have ever met.   And, again, I have been around the block enough times to have met my share of Interesting Characters! Some good, some not so good...but interesting.  One of the most outstanding characters i recall is an ancient fellow who was actually one of the original old 'muleskinners' who traveled his wares through those mountains from Redding to the coast via mules long before modern roads ever cut their way through those same paths.  At 98 years old one would still pass him walking the road through Hayfork.  Still had his wits about him and still issuing his friendly greetings to anyone who passed him by.  I wouldn't be at all surprised that his friendly ghost doesn't still walk that same main road.
  Hayfork is genuinely remote.  I used to have a t-shirt that said "End of the World. 9 miles.   Hayfork, California 12 miles"  Guess that pretty much sums it up.
  It was a place of Wonder for our dachshunds. Squirrels in the trees, ground squirrels, a myriad of other wild creatures,  deer, even the occasional scent of bear [and sometimes a bit more than a 'scent'!!].
 It was pure heaven for a hound!  And for me.
 Triniti Dachshunds was destined to grow.   For, needless to say, after Miss Georgia came to live with us, it wasn't long before our second addition to the family arrived.  An absolutely exquisite little black and tan longhair whom we named Triniti's Echo In The Night. One of those babies who as soon as you picked her up she somehow just melted into your arms, rolled those deep, soulful dark brown eyes up to meet yours and wrapped her soul inextricably with yours.  You didn't have a chance!  You were hers from that moment on!
 Echo came to us from Guardian dachshunds, Deb Smith, in Kilkenny, Mn.  Poor baby missed her connecting flight from Minneapolis out of Houston and was several hours late in arriving.   Must admit she arrived in better condition than either Lin or I seemed to be in by the time we recovered her from Northwest Airlines at SFO!  Irregardless of her long flight she seemed none the less for wear.  Dachshunds babies are so magnificently resilient.
  Echo turned out to be one of the primary foundation girls of our Triniti Miniature Longhair Dachshund breeding program.   She produced 2 out of 3 Champions in her first litter for ussired by International, American, Mexican Champion Calabel's Making a Splash.   Echo then went on to produce more winning progeny in her second, and third [and final] litter.  Her grandchildren and gr grandchildren continue to garner merit and wins, and some are just worshiped members of their families.  Not a bad end there either!
 One of Echo's  first daughters from that original litter is still with us, albeit deservedly retired.   Living here with us in South Carolina, her name is Canadian Champion Triniti Echo's Dudette.   Dudette, similar to her mother Echo, has a magnanimous and loving nature. A personality trait that her children, grand children and great grandchildren carry on.  A reminder that temperament is just as much hereditary as any other trait.
  BTW, Dudette is the mother of our exquisite dapple boy  Triniti's Heir Apparent  aka William.
 Both Echo and Dudette have made an indelible mark on the history of Triniti Dachshunds. 

My Friend, My Dachshund

It is difficult to know quite where to begin our dachshund tales.  Although it has been almost a decade since we brought our first dachshund puppy home, it is now hard to imagine life BD  ~before dachshunds ~    What began innocently enough as simply acquiring a beautiful little chocolate and tan dapple smooth girl from a pet breeder in Ga [Janelle McCallie] turned into a positive addiction!   But, what an addiction to have!  Don't know any other addiction which could possibly give you the highs ~or the lows~ that these dachshund kids have given us during our Life With Dachshunds! 
 We named our first little girl Georgia in honor of her origination.  Fiesty, self assured, and oh such pretty color!!  I remember anxiously awaiting her flight arrival at Delta cargo in San Francisco.  We arrived there at least 30 minutes early, the flight was [of course] late...and then the endless waiting while she was unloaded and brought to us.  I am quite sure there is still a path where I paced back and forth in the waiting room of the Delta cargo area, and even more sure that the Delta attendants couldn't wait to get me out of there!! 
 FINALLY her kennel was presented to us [after we signed all the paperwork], and the time had come to bring that baby out of her shipping kennel! 
 Opening the door I saw that sweet little face, those VERY alert little eyes watching every move I made, and it was a matter of seconds before she decided it was definately OK to bound out and into my arms.  Her tail never stopped wagging!
 Then and there began a Love Story that is still going on.  I had NO IDEA at that moment,  that in just a few years we would be showing, importing, and become major enthusiasts of these little dogs.  I never suspected how their presence would affect our lives so totally, nor any inkling of the many paths we would follow in the years to come.

Our Life with Dachshunds

Our good friend and fellow dachshund enthusiast has strongly recommended we share some of our experiences with our beloved dachshunds over the past decade with you.  We have some beautiful 'kids' here [the four footed kind], who have filled our lives with meaning and joy [as well as challenge! :-) ]. 
  I am going to enjoy introducing you to our kids as time progresses.  In the meantime I am going to fill in some back ground info and profile information on us.
  We urge you to check out our website http://www.trinitidachshunds.com to find out even more about our Elegant Longhair Miniature Dachshunds.  
 We have brought in TOP BLOODLINES from all over this country, as well as Europe, to provide us with the very best genetics in producing the most Exquisite, Loving, and Healthy dachshunds available!   And each one has its own personality and its own Tail to Tell.
Shall we begin?