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.