Brimshiner got its blue grouse mascot in the mountains of Arizona while I was bear hunting with two of my sons. We were driving the UTV up a path to an old abandoned radio tower at the top of a large hill, which affords a great vantage point to glass for wildlife in the valleys below. I was preoccupied with business, when my son's eyes suddenly got wide. He had spotted a blue grouse, which I had read about in the game regulation pamphlets, but had not seen in Arizona. My son asked if he could go after it, chomping at the bit.

I had to check to see if they were in season, but by some stroke of luck my cell phone had a signal. After waiting for the page to load with one bar of signal, all the while hoping this bird would stay put, the good news came up. It was one of the few weeks of the year that they were available for take. I had barely uttered "Go for it" before both boys had hit the ground, running after the bird. They were so excited, they forgot to take their helmets off. The 9000 foot elevation dampened the spring in my step, so it took me a while to catch up with them. By the time I had, my son was holding dinner and had a smile on his face that no video game could ever bring. I took a picture, and it occured to me; now we had a mascot for the business that really captures the kinds of memories that I want to help people make.