We opened our business the day after Thanksgiving in 1974 selling trees grown on our farm. A week later our first Irish Setter joined us on Dec 3, 1974. He was about a year old and came from a home in an apartment in New York City(not the greatest place to raise an Irish Setter). His name was Caesar (not a great name for an Irishman) so I named him Clancy. Clancy I enjoyed life here at the farm and at my lakeside cottage too. He loved meeting people and wearing his big red bow. Clancy II arrived in May of 1986, he came as a puppy and was a handful. As a young pup, he climbed up on a small table in the shop and broke his leg when the table came down on him. He was in a cast for several weeks but healed just fine. He was the first one to be in an ad as a great postcard figure. 
He lived just 3 days short of 14 years. He was followed by a rescue dog. I will never forget when Pat (the Irish Setter rescue lady) brought him to the shop. I saw him enter the back door of the shop and saw the gray on his snout and said "take him away he is to close to heartbreak".  Pat convinced me to take him for a walk and get to know him. That dog if he could talk would have said “hey look, you are missing your dog Clancy II and I am needing someone to care and love me which I will do in return, come on take me home with you”. That was it the deal was done. I had him for 4 plus wonderful years and he became the favorite of our customers. He had some health issues but he was a great dog from day one. Clancy IV joined us as an 11 month old pup, when Mary from the kennel on Long Island found out Clancy III had passed she offered me a pup for free! She said I was so wonderful for adopting one of her older dogs. Clancy III and Clancy IV were Uncle and Nephew. Anyway she said that this pup was laid back and aimed to please and she was 100% correct. All the Clancys have brighten the day through out the years. They are gentle fun loving clowns, who remain pups until the end. They love long walks (runs) and then long naps. Clancy V and I go for our walks every morning and evening at Pine Grove Cemetery just down the road from here, rain or shine, he has his run. Keeps me moving too! Clancy V celebrated his first birthday this Feb 29, 2016. How can that be?  I thought he was 3.5 when you got him? He is a leap year pup and will celebrate on the actual date every four years. During the next three years his birthday will be celebrated on March 1 and of course July 17th will always be his got-ya-day. When he joined us at his forever home. Folks ask which one was your favorite and I answer they all were! They have similar personalities and are just great friends!

Clancy I loved to ride in our old truck. He joined us a week after we opened our business of selling trees on Dec 3, 1974.