Aches and Pains

I appear to have "tennis elbow." not as a result of over exertion on the court but more to do with excessive log chopping. Since our last dual electricity and gas bill dropped heavily through the letter box we are making a concerted effort to economise on heating costs. This has so far resulted in thermostats on all radiators being turned down to their lowest point and the wearing of thermal undergarments and thick sweaters. The wood burner is now relit at lunchtime instead of tea time and shut right down at bedtime. Consequently this has resulted in greater inroads on the log pile and heavy use of the log splitter and my right elbow. I do hope this does not interfere with my shooting abilities, crap as they already are. If so, I will bite the bullet, so to speak, and however reluctantly, pay the larger fuel bills.
I road tested my new Muck Boots last night with a dusk deer stalk in the mizzling rain. Wearing just thin insulated socks as recommended, my feet remained remarkably warm even when trudging through icy puddles and mud. Unfortunately they were no help in locating a deer for the larder. As I write rain is lashing at the window and my shrubbery is bending under ferocious winds. The forecast is for worse to come so hunting is out of the question for a day or two.
My little booklet "How to Make a Cat Trap" is selling well on eBay with good feedback on its effective usage. I believe most buyers do as I do, and using the design make a larger version for use as a live catch fox trap. I have used one with much success for a number of years now.

Just watching a cock pheasant from my office window. Each time he turns his rear to the wind his tail feathers curl forwards over his head. Most amusing.

Shooting Times

Saturday proved to be a perfect driven bird day. Dry, bright, a little wind and numerous pheasants. We shot our new 240 acre mixed woodland for the second time this season and after two weeks of leaf fall the birds were far more shootable through the tree tops. We are not a big bag shoot and after four drives and 25 brace we retired to the pub for a pint and a bite.
Sunday morning dawned bitterly cold with a hard frost. Our little clay bashing club meets at 10 o'clock for a 40 bird sporting shoot. I was on my usual crap form with 19 ex 40. If they had long tails I would improve my score somewhat.
After a lunchtime session at the Old Bull we returned home to find one of the estate's foresters at the door. He had just had a run in with a bunch of roughnecks coursing deer just down the road from here. Even though he blocked their exit from the field with his Landrover they barrelled their Subaru straight through the hedge, across a ditch and away down the road. Five men, two lurchers and a dead fallow made a clean getaway. The registration number when ran through the police computer proved to be a false one.
I have since received certain information regarding these characters which has been passed on to the police. Suffice to say it appears that they are of the travelling fraternity who no doubt will escape any punishment for the deed.
On a lighter note I have discovered a new source of mistletoe which should prove profitable in a few weeks time.

More Problems

It's not all roses over the door and trilling bird song in the countryside. This morning brought the postman struggling to reassemble the sliding conservatory door with which he had been a little heavy handed.
Ten minutes later we discovered the toilet would not flush due to a sewer drain blockage. Fortunately my brother in law who is a plumber was here at the time, so he got the shit job.
The rats in the roof have now found their way into the floor space and are ignoring all my traps and poison.
To cap it all I opened a letter from our local council to say that planning permission has been applied for to convert neighbouring farm buildings into an equestrian centre. This, if approved will bring numerous problems to us and the access to our property.
On a lighter note I had a burger making session today using fallow deer haunch and pigeon breasts.
Just returned from the wood having finally caught up with the dog fox which has been plaguing one of the main pheasant feed rides.

Rats in the Roof and Rumpie Pumpie.

Fried up the last of my home cured bacon this morning. Two rashers on a toasted sandwich with sliced beetroot went down very well indeed. Gemma has just delivered another two pork bellies for me to play with, but unfortunately that will mean a three week bacon free gap whilst waiting for it to cure properly. Fortunately I know another home curer with whom I can exchange venison for bacon.
Now sat in the Old Bull at Inkberrow. (The Archers Pub) enjoying a pint of Herefordshire Pale Ale. The dinner menu here is always a little different. Murphy, the Irish landlord specialises in unusual and eccentric dishes. On offer tonight we have Rumpie Pumpie :Medallions of pork on a black pudding mash. Three Breasts On A Plate. Pheasant, duck and wood pigeon with red cabbage and pancetta and a Sloppy Joe. Burger. Spicy beef chilli with halloumi cheese on a bun. All these are priced at under £11.
We appear to have rats, squirrels or other unwanted visitors in the roof space at Home Farm Barn. My son, his partner and family were kept awake most of last night by scampering creatures above their heads.
I have now set three traps and scattered poison blocks in the area which I believe is being used for access to the roof. Tomorrow morning will hopefully produce results.

Tasks For Today

Each evening before retiring I prepare a list of tasks to be done next day. Some of these are quite often rolled over to the following day.
Several of today's jobs will depend on weather conditions and the forecast is not good.
Here we go:
Vac pac yesterday's faggots.
Purchase new oven for barn conversion.
Purchase sturdy barrow for moving logs.
Deliver a load of logs to Old Bull.
Have a pint at above.
Purchase winter boots and hat for German boar hunting trip.
Meeting at estate office on stalking matters.
Visit a sick friend.
Attempt to shoot two prickets to fill an order.
Deal with correspondence etc.

I see a huge marquee is being erected in a neighbouring field for the Young Farmers annual bash. This promises a sleepless night on Saturday.

More Of The Same

Spent an hour making more venison faggots. I used a TV chefs tip of blanching the offal in boiling water for 5 mins before mincing. Makes hand mincing easier but shaping the faggot balls more difficult. Also added a little sage and onion stuffing to mix for extra flavour.
Whilst in a culinary mood I also knocked up a simple salad dish using a recipe supplied by my Danish friends. Cut two heads of broccoli into numerous mini florets and place in a large mixing bowl. Add a handful of raisins and 2 tbs of red wine vinegar.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper (I use celery salt). Mix and coat thoroughly with about a third of a jar of mayonnaise. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and serve with almost anything or sit and eat a whole bowl of it yourself.
I spent a lazy hour this afternoon flicking through the pages of some old Shooting Times magazines from 1928. A pair of Churchill's "Premiere" sidelock 12 bores £240. Numbered in gold at no extra charge! Cartridges 13 shillings per 100.
Just cracked a bottle of one of my favourite malts. Knockando is a twelve year old single malt and one of the finest Speyside whiskys with a unique delicacy and fruitiness. Cheers.

Back To Normality

My Danish hunting guests have now returned to bacon land and life is a little easier. They finished their trip well pleased with a good number of deer in the larder. Included were seven good bucks whose heads will grace Danish walls in a few weeks.
I now need to deal with mopping up operations for a day or two before taking wifey for a well earned break visiting some Devon friends.
Finished skinning five deer this morning and butchered two large fawns for the freezer. Reserved a couple of fillets for later this evening.
Orders for logs coming in thick and fast. One in particular from a local pub has proved most useful. They require large logs for a huge fireplace which has enabled me to make inroads into a huge pile of knotty cord wood which was difficult to work with a chainsaw. A £10 splitter and a sledgehammer are doing the job and helping me to loose a little weight in the process.
Received my list of meeting places for the Croome and West Warwickshire Hunt this morning. Only two will interfere with my stalking but I can live with that as the list also includes dates for Dinner and Dance, countryside race day, Barn Dance, Farmers Hunt Ball, and my all time favourite - Farmers Beef Suppers.