What a year

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

Just thinking as snow and ice pound the roof. 2008 has been a extra good year for the valley.I missed the world hunt this year but won a few notable hunts 2008 little world ,Indiana state, Kentucky state Made a field champion and gonna finish another soon i hope.Back in the 80s when all my heros were blazing the trail , i often thought man these guys are my heros.Wayne Waits ,Earl Bruner, Walter Sharp. what a crew of first class houndsmen.They taught me right and did not even know it.Well as time flies and things change on came new buddies still houndsmen just younger not quite as pretty though.Lynn Perkins has lent me a ear for years now, man we made lots of great crosses over that phone just dont get together enuff, Chad Blair has been there threw alot with me, and we have gutted dogs till we both puked i have made chad so mad at times i thought he would explode.For the record ol boogie never really got to get what he deserved in trailing but i love the old smiling dog, too bad he got hurt in his prime.Danny Vansickle well well well , i poisioned ur dog you said and screwed ya at the world when i was not even there. I knew you were big but always thought u were a softy, we have had a few good times and being a buckeye i figured you aint a bad guy.Robert Hatfield old bumpy being ur friend is like owning a 67 camaro, always worth more than most will give but good too have around, I consider you a friend , hope ya do me.I hope to have some primetime someday when i got more time too solo it.Just joking man (Brandon please dont get mad its a joke .Nice ass dogs period i gotta give you boys some grieve.Pete Young Thunder is as good a dog as you a friend he will be a ifc in my eyes forever .Boys i gotta tell ya this Thunder , boogie , and junie have ran 100s of hours together before they were crap.I guess there is a point here, great friends are hard to come by especially dog friends honest dog friends. hang on to em.Too everone that judged me or crossed my path over the years.Glad we got to become friends.We all are busy with life. But pat ur ol buddies every now and again and let em know , hope you all got ur x-mas shopping done and ready for old st nick. Man time does fly
Take care all my beagle buds and god bless you and your families, and too all a good night

[J.C. Blair]

Jimbo, darn it son, you're gonna make me cry. Seriously though, I've been through a lot this year and last. I've always said that through these ol dogs that I have gained countless friends. I really don't have many friends outside of the dog world. The forementioned and a few others are what I like to refer to as our "Inner Circle" Almost like an old fraternity so to speak. I guess you had Walter, Earl, and Wayne. I always looked up to Farrell Smith and Herman Abshire (No relation lol) when I was growing up running dogs. As I moved away, I met so many new faces and gained a lot of buddies. I never will forget the first time I met some of you guys. I remember the first time we ran dogs together, and then I figured out that Junie wasn't nice around a hole, as he proceeded to layin the smack down on Boggey lol, as 2 yr olds. I thought Robert Hatfield was Mr. Snuffalupagus, and only existed as a figment of my imagination. Thank god Tony Akers is there to keep him in line. I guess me and ol Perkins have been friends for a long time, even before Buzz Saw came about to take ol Busters role. He's been there in thick and thin. My Missouri crew have become like family to me, just wished they lived a little closer. Mike Caudill has spent countless hours out there this summer runnin dogs and we've had a blast. I've even took in some buckeyes as friends too this year, Danny Vansinkle, Capt. No Solo, etc. I know there are more that I havent mentioned, but you all know who you are.

I guess what I am tryin to say that I am thankful that you all are my friends. When I thought about getting out, I got 100 phone calls tellin me not to. It made me think a lot, and I am glad I had friends there to kick me in the ass and ask what the hell was I thinkin? I hope everyone has a happy and safe holiday.

[MasonsBeagles]

group hug or group kiss....lol

[J.C. Blair]

Kiss this

[pete young]

If I wanted to cry I would watch "Where the red fern grows" and "Ol Yeller"!
It's tough watching those dogs get old and watching Jimmie get soft.
We've had some good times and I hope there are more to come.

[dmbarnes]

Jimmie, I just knew you were a softy deep down. Your post is dead on for a lot of us! If I need to relax and do some serios thinking I just grab the dogs and head for the briar patch

[hounddog]

It was great finally meeting you Jimmie at the Little World a few years back. When I first came to this board, I said to myself, this Jimmie Abshire fellow seems like my kind of guy and you were one of the many people I wanted to meet one day. Sure Glad I did. Stand up fellow in my book along with others you have mentioned. They can say what they want about field trialers, but I wouldn't trade it for all the beagles in the world.
To all my buds in Ky., Have a great Christmas and I hope to see you all down the road.

hounddog
Jim Umbarger

[yellowdog]

ya know i always enjoyed coming to the hunts and hanging out with yall..and listening to ya make fun of my dogs tail and what not..i look at you guys at great friends and wish we lived closer we could sure have alot of fun..and i appreciate all your friendships..have a great christmas guys and hopefully next year will bring some money back to the car business so i can get out to some hunts and we can kick it again..also my wife really has a great time coming to the hunts and hanging out..hope you all have a great holiday season ...tracy and bettina skiles..the missouri mafia

[Greg H]

Ah hell Jimmie, ya done brought me out of postin retirement. I gotta say you and Will have restored my faith in mankind. I spent years lookin over my shoulder watchin for my newest best friend to try and steal horses or horse owners from me. But you guys have shown me that there are good honest folk left out there. A hand shake is still better than any written contract, and a man does what he says he will do. Thank you for your honesty and friendship, and those phone calls to let me listen in on them dogs poundin in the background . Best wishes for all ya all's holidays! (yank's attempt at southern drowl) Merry Christmas.

[yellowdog]

just wanted to ad a few things since it is slow and this got me thinking of better times..i first met most of you guys at the first ever redneck nationals which was a blast i will never forget that as long as i live..i have won some big hunts with a lil stub tail dog over the last few years but the friendships i have made will be forever ...jimmie you and i have had several long phone conversations and bred a few hounds over the phone and you have opened my eyes to some new possibilities thanks for all the phone calls and listening to me ramble your alright in my book..blair we talk quite a bit and i consider you and jimmy real good friends of mine and you guys are welcome here anytime just wear your steel toe boots..lol..i also made a real friend in jeff brown he aint for everybody but in my book him and ol pops are top notch guys and really put more time into their hounds than anyone i know...lynn perkins i always enjoy listening to you and your philosophy i say listen cause if you have ever got lynn rolling on hounds you cant get a word in edgewise..lol..your a great guy and thanks for opening my eyes to the rip stuff i hope to have success with it and my old blood...also my wife always enjoys visiting with you guys and thanks for making her feel welcome not everyone would do that..there aint a thing in the world we wouldnt do for you fellas if we were able to..ol crabby and umbarger you gys are great guys as well always enjoy visiting with ya..vansickle u ended up being ok too after you figured out the world wasnt after you..lol..hope to draw out and run with you again too..also got to meet jeff martin and what he did with ringo was amazing if i can ever do anything for you let me know i always enjoy talking to you..when my son was bad sick you all called more than my local friends guess that tells a story in itself..the brewers i got to meet through hounds too along with the swamp bunch "the cordells" great folks and i hope to do some gunnin with yall this year..the arkansas crew are all good guys i enjoy visiting with too..pete young you old bald headed fella..we have had so many conversations about hounds and bloodlines and you always give me your true opinion when i ask and again i consider you a close friend..earl bruner another real good fella if i had to lose the finals at the world hunt to anybody it would be you you are a great sport and even greater person..you have given me advise like a father thanks you..but i still hope to have a rematch..lol...in short i aint sure what the economy will bring hell i may lose everything but regardless i know i can always pick up the phone and call one of yall and talk about anything and i appreciate that more than you know..last but not least dave falsetta from michigan you are a topnotch guy as well..glad i got to meet you and thanks for hangin in there with me ..things will starighten out soon i hope and we will make a plan to run dogs..thanks again guys and gals for everything

[Pine Mt Beagles]

JIMBO
GLAD EVERYTHING IS GOING GOOD HECK ANYONE WHO CAN PUT UP WITH,, WILD BILL MASON AND,, MR BLAIR,, DESERVES A BREAK
KEEP'EM RUNNING
PINE MT BEAGLES

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

Nice thread and from the heart. Sounds like you had a year many could only dream of. Congrads on all your success and wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Ed Kittle/Pike Ridge

[danny vansickle]

if someone told me two years ago that i would be rooting on junie at the indiana state,and in akc,and sharing a motel room with ya jimbo,i would have said yall bumped your head


yeah,maybe i was quick to judge,never accused any one person on the poisoning,but i do know i caught sneekin around in my section of the barn the night of the banquet,no,it wasnt jimmie or anyone that ventures this board,but i will not say cause that doesnt mean he did it,but i do keep an eye on him when he is around,anywho,yeah,i was mad over the dozer junie cast,maybe the outcome would have been different,maybe not,your right,you wasnt there,that is why i never blamed you,but it is over,i let that flow under the bridge a long time ago.........

but i am glad we let bygons be bygons,i am glad you forgave me for draggin you and junie through the mud,and i am glad to call ya a friend,i never said i was perfect,but i am darn close

[DRamey]

Chad, some of those who got us started aren't around anymore. I'm sure the same with you, Jimmie. Remember, Chad,I buried a part of me when i helped carry Paup Pugh to his rest. Nobody around here would run hounds like he had now, mouthy, trashy, too small, hardheaded, but 90% of the beaglers around got their starts with Paul taking them hunting and keeping them out of trouble. Maybe we should start a tribute thread. Jimmie, I'm sure you have fond memories of someone who invested some time in you who owned a bunch of scrub hounds back in the day, and I'm guessing most of you other guys did too. My tribute is to Paul Pugh, who took boys hunting when he could have been going without all the aggravation. He chose to make a difference in them wehn he didn't have to. This time of year we reflect on the ones who aren't with us now, and the beaglers had a tremendous impact. I dare say that there are probably some here who would have met a bad end if not for one of these old timers. May everyone have a wonderful and safe holiday season. If God wills, I will graduate from college in May and I will be back to trialing soon after. In the not-t-immortal words of the governor of Caleeforneya, "I'll be back!"

[Goforth]

Jimmy,

I don't really know you that well, but I think you are a pretty good guy. Thanks for giving my Grandpa that knife. You really made his day.

Steven Goforth