WHY A QUAIL?
Ever since we moved to the Southwest we have always loved quail. We see and hear them all the time when out shooting and hiking and admire their beauty, charm and gorgeous call. When we moved from Flagstaff and purchased our home in Phoenix in 2010, we decided to name it, Laughing Quail Ranch and we set about buying all kinds of quail-themed trinkets to decorate with. Little did we know at the time how prophetic that name would be.
In the summer of 2015, Kevin fished a tiny, battered baby bird out of our koi pond. It was a baby quail, not more than a couple of days old. It was soaking wet and not responding … we thought we were too late. Then, a faint gasp followed by fluttering eyes and like that, our lives changed forever. We were now the proud parents of a baby quail!
He became know as Dan “The Little Man” Quail and for three incredible years he lived in our home, (yes, he had his very own bedroom), followed every step we took and became our best friend. He loved every day and lived it to the fullest. He had more personality than some people we know and brought love and light into our lives every single day. He always greeted us with such exuberance and took afternoon naps in our laps while we edited photos. He had a wicked sense of curiosity, a mad fascination with shoes and feet, loved a crowd, reveled in a good dirt bath and adored being sang to (especially Frank Sinatra’s, “Fly Me to The Moon”). He loved pumpkin pie at the holidays and peanut butter every day. We could fill a book with all his antics and he touched everyone who met him … and even those who didn’t. He was a true bright light in our lives, our very own mascot for “Laughing Quail Ranch” and with his passing in August 2018, the light dimmed.
Sadly, a quail’s lifespan is typically around three years, so “Little Man” lived a full and happy one, but no amount of time, not even one hundred years, would have been enough time for us. A good friend said it best when she said upon learning of his passing, “Some rare little souls touch our lives in profound ways.” Indeed. We chose a quail as our logo as a tribute to a tiny little bird who came into our lives as a great force, filled our house with love and beautiful songs and gave us everything. This is our tribute to you, Dan “The Little Man” Quail! We will always remember you and never stop loving you and we were beyond blessed to share in such a unique and rare relationship. What a gift you were!