Blog

The Ring

December 26, 2018 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments

The two daughters of one of Ben’s favorite clients had called for an appointment to see him together as soon as possible. Joanne had set it for two days later because she knew Ben and Sam had a bream fishing outing scheduled tomorrow. Ben was grateful for that for two reasons: first, because it had been hard to get an open time on the pond, and second because the daughters were oil and vinegar, and when they wanted to see him it was usually about a disagreement over the care of their mother, one of Ben’s dearest friends and oldest clients, or about the management of the family’s assets, for which Ben had Trust Protector status. Ben was hopeful the two days had been enough time for the sisters to think their disagreement through and settle it themselves. That proved to be wishful thinking. Read more

A Quiet Withdrawal

December 23, 2018 | Ben Reach, Fiction, Short Stories | Comments

Ben Reach went to the National Championship only when someone close to him—a handler or dog owner—had an entry in contention. Still, with all Ben’s connections to the sport, he found himself riding at the Ames Plantation for a half-day every few years. This was one of those years, and Ben was enjoying it. The friend and client with a dog qualified and ranked high in the Gossip Rankings (the only rankings save Purina Points) was a client from Thomasville with a private jet who invited him along. Ben loved to fly thus, and hated to fly commercial. Read more

Contrary Advice

December 11, 2018 | Ben Reach | Comments

Ben Reach had faced this unhappy moment many times in his long years practicing law. Yet no time seemed so sad as this one. The client was one of his favorites, Fred Eanes, owner of Cedar Hill Plantation and former CEO of Clench Industries, a defense contractor he had sold for a billion dollars so he could enjoy Cedar Hill, a Thomasville quail plantation and a gift from earlier generations of his illustrious Yankee business-wise clan. Read more

Working Dog Owners Have Lost a Dear Friend

November 18, 2018 | Other Things, Remembrances | Comments

All working, herding, sporting, rescue and other dog devotees have lost a dear friend and fierce advocate. And I have lost a friend of a lifetime. That friend is Donald McCaig, author of Nob’s Trials, Rhett Butler’s People, and other great books about working dogs and Civil War history of impeccable literary quality and revealing of the author’s deep knowledge of things essential to a worthwhile life. Read more

The Switch

October 28, 2018 | Short Stories | Comments

Al Hart was a sport, by every definition. And he could afford to be. He owned vast Texas oil and gas interests, plus vaster Texas surface lands, more important in his mind, for they nurtured what he loved best, quail, bobwhites and blues. Owned vast acreages in South Texas, West Texas including the Panhandle, and Central Texas, all the quail regions. Owned them the Old Fashioned Way, by inheritance. To manage his quail hunting, Al employed Buck Branch, a Texas Bird Dog Man in the Jack Harper-Tony Terrell-Dean Lord-Gary Pinalto tradition. Read more

Fred Dileo

October 21, 2018 | Fred Dileo | Comments

Since his tragic death At 46 in 2007 I have been working To tell his story I have bare facts From the written records Memories too of what I witnessed Many stories others told me Now I hope to gain your help Those who knew him watched him work To climb the ladder to the top Dog by dog trial by trial Please share your memories As I post the Read more

A Reinstatement

October 17, 2018 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments

“Gilbert Blevins called and asked if he might come see you,” Joanne said to Ben Reach on his return to the office from lunch at Millie’s Diner. “When will he be here?” Ben asked. “At three, today is his day off.” “Good.” Read more

What Do I Do With Gnarly Pine?

October 10, 2018 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments

Sequel To Per Stirpes or Per Capita Bob Blain had to decide what to do on his death with all his wealth except Gnarly Pine Plantation, the five thousand acre quail plantation outside Thomasville his family had owned and stewarded since 1895. He could leave it to whomever he chose without estate tax concerns because it was held in a trust for him that was not transfer taxable when he died. His family was gone except for his six grandchildren, ages fourteen to thirty. None of them could afford to own it alone, but as partners—all or some of them—might be able to swing it. Big problem for Bob, he did not know them well enough to judge whether some or all would be suitable stewards for this special place. Read more

Per Stirpes or Per Capita

October 2, 2018 | Ben Reach | Comments

Ben Reach got the call on the morning of November 1. The caller was Bob Blain, formerly of Boston, now a resident of Thomasville where his family had owned a quail plantation since 1895. Until now Bob had resided on the plantation only Thanksgiving to March 1 each year, plus a week for Spring gobbler season and some bream fishing and some weekends in dove season. Bob was Ben’s age. “Ben, I want to review my estate plan with you now that I am a Georgia resident, “ Bob said after opening pleasantries. They agreed on a meeting time a week later. Read more

The Set Up

September 23, 2018 | Ben Reach, Short Stories | Comments

Ben got the call on his cell phone on Saturday morning, the first week in March, as he and Sam fly cast for bream from a Jon boat on a pond at Mossy Swamp Plantation. “Mr. Sam, we been set up.” The caller was Andy Ames, a young pointing dog handler just turned pro. Ben could detect the fear and anguish in his voice. “Who is ‘we’ Andy?” Ben said from instinct. “Me and Mr. Harold,” Andy replied. Read more