title: Cattails, Speckled Alders and Golden Tamaracks: Memories of Canine Companionship and Magic Moments in the Great Out-Of-Doors
author: Leon Anderson
description: Leon "Buckshot" Anderson has spent the better part of six decades living in and being a part of the great out of doors. He began guiding fisherpersons when he was fourteen, and achieved such a degree of professionalism as an outdoorsman, he was honored by being inducted into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a "Legendary Guide" in 2001Writing has been one of his passions since boyhood and many of his stories and tales have been published in numerous outdoor publications and newspapers. Besides "Cattails, Speckled Alders and Golden Tamaracks", he has authored three additional books "Last of a Dying Breed", "Growing Up Isn't All Fishing and Hunting", and "Evil, Veiled by Darkness".He also writes weekly and monthly outdoor columns for two local newspapers.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  <svg version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"
  
  
  xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
  
  
  width="100%" height="100%" viewBox="0 0 525 835"
  
  
  preserveAspectRatio="none">
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Caledan drew his dagger from his boot as the three magical mastiffs howled, an
  eerie sound of fury and bloodlust
  
  
  “Please don’t tell me that pig-sticker is all you’ve got, scoundrel,” the
  Harper said caustically. Her movements were fluid as she unsheathed the
  curved, gleaming sabre belted at her hip and assumed a battle-ready stance.
  
  
  “As you wish.” Caledan gritted his teeth.
  
  
  Mari shot him a hard look, but there was no time for a reply. The hounds were
  rapidly closing the distance between them. Caledan could hear the crackling of
  the fiery auras that surrounded the beasts. The air was charged with an acrid,
  sulfuric odor. He let his dagger fly in a precise arc. It struck the lead
  hound directly between the eyes—and then bounced harmlessly off the creature’s
  skull.
  
  
  Caledan and Mari