Sad News from New England

FORMER SECRETARY/TREASURER
OF REGION 1/ANEFTC
PATRICIA FLYNN
SUCCUMBS AT 84

Patricia (Pat) Flynn, of Cranston, RI, died unexpectedly at her home on Thursday, January 21, 2010. She was 84.

Pat was secretary and treasurer of both Region 1 and the Association of New England Field Trial Clubs for many years, retiring in 1998.

She was married to the late Ray Flynn and both of them were fixtures for decades at field trials throughout New England. Ray ran the dogs and Pat kept Ray in line.

The New England Open, especially, would never be the same without the ever-opinionated Ray holding court at the kitchen table and Pat doing everything else, from running the drawing to putting together the cocktail parties, hostessing and keeping track of the running, all the while looking perfectly pulled together with a cigarette dangling from her right hand, her hair coiffed, and wearing the cleanest khaki slacks which always sported a quail in flight on the back pocket.

Pat was an elegant woman. Her kindness and thoughtfulness shone through, and her extremely dry sense of humor and quick wit often came into play, especially when dealing with Ray.

We will miss her very much.

Born in Providence, RI, she was the daughter of the late Edwin A. Barrows Jr. and Mrs. Joy Blair Barrows of Edgewood, RI.

She graduated from Cranston East High School, attended the Rhode Island School of Design, and graduated from TRAPHAGON Fashion Academy in New York City. She was a fashion model and started a career as a fashion coordinator at Gladding's Department Store in Providence.

When they weren't running field trial dogs, Ray and Pat were movie actors. Really.

About 15 years ago, they procured their "SAG'' cards from the Screen Actors Guild. Much to both Ray and Pat's delight, the earned roles as extras in several films shot in Rhode Island, including, 'The Great Gatsby' and 'Meet Joe Black'. Pat also appeared in a number of local television commercials.

An avid bridge player, Pat also loved the ocean and often went deep-sea fishing with her grandsons.

She is survived by her daughter Victoria Renzi-Allen of Orange County, California and grandsons, Nicholas Renzi of Los Angeles, Calif., Ryan Renzi of Edison, N.J., and Neal Renzi of Orange County, Calif., her brother Blair Barrows of Harwick, Mass., and sister Joy Nordquist of North Scituate, RI.

A memorial service will be held at Jones-Walton-Sheridan Funeral Home, 1895 Broad St. at Park Avenue, Cranston, RI, on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 at 10:30 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Patricia Flynn to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure , PO Box 650309, Dallas, TX 75265-0309.

For memorial service information and condolences, go to jwsfh.com

January Cabin Fever

Look closely at the thermometer and you'll see the temperature hovering at about 20 degrees - one of the warmer days in a month that has not seen temperatures over freezing.

THE ENDLESS WINTER
OF 2010

As the month of January drags on interminably, here's what field trialers and their dogs do in New England. Not much.

Oh, you have your hearty few way up north who'll strap on the snowshoes and head out for a day of freezing cold fun running dogs, but for the rest of us, well, we'll sit in front of the woodstove waiting for the snow to melt, hoping that darn derby stays broke til spring, and praying that our best field trial dog doesn't come totally unglued over the chickadees and cardinals eating from the birdfeeder.

The kennel dogs are buried deep in straw in their boxes emerging only to empty out or maybe sit in the occasional milky ray of sun. The indoor dogs are sitting with us, next to that woodstove, waiting for that first sign of spring...

ADIOS MAIA, above, a young GSP, heads into the snowy woods
with high hopes ...

RAGGED HILL BONNIE, now 11, makes a slow swing
through the mountain laurel ...

THEN HI-TAILS it for home ...

ONLY TO FIND a patch of bare ground where she stops
to sit in the pine needles and bask - briefly - in the sun :-)

THE HORSES don't stray far from the barn.
Old Flash, now 35 and a heck of a field trial horse in his day,
enjoys a snooze in the sun ...

WHILE HIS BUDDY, Chief, keeps an eye on him.

AND WHAT was Maia able to come up with
during her half-hour outside?

THESE! The only birds that could be found
in this wicked winter weather :-)