Musings from the Merse
Monday, June 11, 2007
QUOD ERAT DEMONSTRANDUM*
I was about to deal with the surviving rat from my ambush position when to my horror I saw two rats emerging from the woodpile. Two! Did one survive the .22 slug travelling at 1200 feet per second? Was it a super rat and had risen from the dead. Had it survived out patients at the Berwick Infirmary? If so that could be a record.
The wife had a more mundane explanation. Either I had missed first time and the Rat had taken a dive-professional foul as it were. Or, there were originally three rats now reduced to two. Whatever. After five minutes a rat emerged boldly from the wood pile and leisurely climbed the wood pile towards the remains of the fat ball, elbowing two young starlings out of the way. Right in the cross wires of the telescopic sight. Bang. Wham or sharp hiss-delete as appropriate. The rat flew through the air propelled by the slug. Surely deaded? But once again concealed in the depths of the rain forest. No body. No certainty. Habeas Corpus resonates here.
I hope we are now down to one. Time is running out as we leave for France profonde on Wednesday. Let that rat remain alive for another week it will be a real monster.
I live in hope. And if I soon see two rats emerging from the wood pile, hale and hearty, I will be seriously
Unchuffed.
* Latin Tag: Can be translated:
' What a Rat Demonstration! (exp. reluctant admiration-Merse street slang. Blog-ed)
I was about to deal with the surviving rat from my ambush position when to my horror I saw two rats emerging from the woodpile. Two! Did one survive the .22 slug travelling at 1200 feet per second? Was it a super rat and had risen from the dead. Had it survived out patients at the Berwick Infirmary? If so that could be a record.
The wife had a more mundane explanation. Either I had missed first time and the Rat had taken a dive-professional foul as it were. Or, there were originally three rats now reduced to two. Whatever. After five minutes a rat emerged boldly from the wood pile and leisurely climbed the wood pile towards the remains of the fat ball, elbowing two young starlings out of the way. Right in the cross wires of the telescopic sight. Bang. Wham or sharp hiss-delete as appropriate. The rat flew through the air propelled by the slug. Surely deaded? But once again concealed in the depths of the rain forest. No body. No certainty. Habeas Corpus resonates here.
I hope we are now down to one. Time is running out as we leave for France profonde on Wednesday. Let that rat remain alive for another week it will be a real monster.
I live in hope. And if I soon see two rats emerging from the wood pile, hale and hearty, I will be seriously
Unchuffed.
* Latin Tag: Can be translated:
' What a Rat Demonstration! (exp. reluctant admiration-Merse street slang. Blog-ed)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Ratter wanted
The wife's wood pile so much prized by the birds is now harbouring two young rats who nick the food from under the brown jobs' beaks and scuttle back into the rain forest. 'Sweet' they may be but they are growing into nasty bog standard vermin at an alarming rate. But how to get rid of them? Rosie the No1 Cat is arthritic and past ratting, Boots, Swedish Fluff and Geordie- (Last two names indicate ownership rather than accurate nomenclature) from neighbouring premises are well honed killing machines but are really more interested in eating birds than rodents but no doubt would have a go taking out a couple of Goldfinches en route. Anyhow the wife has so terrorised them when they do venture onto the back patio that they would take some persuading to come back in an authorised capacity. I may have to borrow an air gun and lurk in the 'summer house' ( More of a Spring Hut)and pot them when they emerge from out of the forest. But the wife wants a clean kill. (Not a wing-shot, a brief prayer and a small axe as coup de grace) Why? Let them suffer I say but then I have to follow orders in such matters. Rubba't Al Bayt-Lord of the House (and by extension wood pile) as the Arabs put it
Any ideas, ideally on a £20 note, gratefully received
Saturday, January 26, 2008
BIG GARDEN BIRD WATCH
This is the week end of the BGBW organised by the RSPB. This is usually part of the wife's portfolio as she is Fauna Gaulieter and Keeper of the Bird Seed. Today she is in Lunnon so I have assumed her mantle with some trepidation not being a twitcher and bad on brown job identification. THe idea is to watch the patio for an hour and record the highest numbers of species you see at one time. Now Robins I can manage (as long as they are male) ditto Wood Pigeons, Starlings,blackbirds, visiting Pheasants and collared Doves. I get a bit lost with Dunnocks and Sparrows, very similar and once I have identified one (from the RRPB's little chart) , it moves and some thing else very similar takes it place. But not to worry. The wife says we get more sparrows than Dunnocks so I counted them all and divided by three to get the Dunnocks-so we have two them-official.
I am also following the wife's Modus Operandi. To ensure a good show and important census return (a) Wait for the Greater Spotted Woodpecker- a regular.Put him down (b) Put out the Bird Seed, nuts, fat ball-double quantity (c) Start the clock (d) Count. (e) if no sparrow hawk turns up within the 60 minute twitch stop clock until it does as Sparrow Hawks look good on the return although its arrival reduces the available to count bird population by about 100%.
So far no Sparrow Hawk but a good show otherwise including a female pheasant, two very large wood pigeons fighting over the nuts, two nice little non brown jobs which I have tentatively identified as Goldfinches and the usual other rather boring suspects.
I'll give the Sparrow Hawk another half an hour. After a bit this bird watching business gets a bit
boring.
(If you click on the image you will be able to see at least 4 feathery things including the No 1 Robin who never seems to leave the lower branches of the wood pile)
Labels: Big Garden Bird Watch, Old Manse
Monday, June 16, 2008
I doubt if our resident Partridges will follow us to Duns although they might be safer in our secluded wee garden there once the Guns of August get going. Mind you, with these two and the group of Pheasants who also take advantage of the Wife's hospitality we might well have a little shoot across our extensive lands before we move on. And if we could include the family of rats who have taken up residence in the wood pile that might add an extra dimension to a traditional shoot for any passing stockbroker.
We will also leave our two pear trees behind-not that the Partridges seem particularly interested.
Perhaps at Christmas?
If they survive until then
We will also leave our two pear trees behind-not that the Partridges seem particularly interested.
Perhaps at Christmas?
If they survive until then
Labels: Old Manse, Partridges, Shooting Season, Stockbrokers
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Lots of Swallows Don't Make a Summer
is Borders Saw # 421
I am grateful to the new owners of the Old Manse for this image of young swallows taken in the little summer house on the back patio from where Huttonian used to shoot rats in the wood pile-those were the days as you can see here (scroll down)But it is glad to know that the Swallows (and these are swallows) returning to old haunts. There is little we can do for them in the Small-House-in-Duns apart from admiring the way they avoid low flying aircraft. Apparently these two little chicks tucked up in their dry mud double cot are the last of the litter-the others are away and preparing to fly south to sunnier climes.
If any
The new Old Mansers have thought of an ingenious way of getting rid of rats from the woodpile.
They have got rid of the woodpile.
I never thought of that
is Borders Saw # 421
I am grateful to the new owners of the Old Manse for this image of young swallows taken in the little summer house on the back patio from where Huttonian used to shoot rats in the wood pile-those were the days as you can see here (scroll down)But it is glad to know that the Swallows (and these are swallows) returning to old haunts. There is little we can do for them in the Small-House-in-Duns apart from admiring the way they avoid low flying aircraft. Apparently these two little chicks tucked up in their dry mud double cot are the last of the litter-the others are away and preparing to fly south to sunnier climes.
If any
The new Old Mansers have thought of an ingenious way of getting rid of rats from the woodpile.
They have got rid of the woodpile.
I never thought of that
Labels: Borders Summers, Old Manse, Rats in the wood pile, Swallows
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
According to the fascist Times, in one of its neo-con inspired articles on a right wing approach to the environment-'Iran Nuke Research fuels Global Warming' _I may not have the title exactly right-Spring is very advanced in the UK this year with sighting of all kinds of exotica not normally seen until late March or early April. Apparently there have been 5,532 reports of frog spawn this year already. I suspect this applies more to the Home Counties than to the Borders where our pond is entirely spawn free in contrast to the massive ejaculations of this time last March*. What is odd is the group of male Robins hanging around our wood pile-usually, by now, we have a pair, cooing and billing, rather than these group of layabouts, lounging around looking for trouble. Planning a gang bang? Or just an outbreak of gaiety in the absence of enough females to go around. Perhaps we can pin this on the Iranians?
*I was quite wrong: last year the frogs did their thing in very late March : http://huttonian.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_huttonian_archive.html
Strike one for the Iranians.
*I was quite wrong: last year the frogs did their thing in very late March : http://huttonian.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_huttonian_archive.html
Strike one for the Iranians.
Labels: The Pond
Sunday, January 21, 2007
COCKIE and OLLY REVISITED
I fear the old Cockie and his consort Ollie have gone for good-perhaps wandered onto farmer R's land during a shoot. But in their place we have Cocky Mark II-all bright and gleaming ready to strut at the drop of peanut. The other bird might well be a second Ollie. But I wonder at its gender. It looks like a Hen but on the other hand it could be an immature male not yet awarded his team colours. Certainly Cocky treats it as a rival male and chases him around the wood pile until they both get dizzy. On the other hand we might be missing something. She might be a nubile young virgin ready to have a good flirt but not yet to lie down and think of Scotland.Its a bit early for such goings on and although to drop peanuts is seasonal. The same, in correct Pheasant etiquette may not apply to
drawers.
Another sign of global warming?
(If any twitcher can confirm Ollie's gender-one way or the other. Many thanks)
Monday, March 06, 2006
The wife is delighted by this morning's news sandwiched between distaff cabinet ministers in distress and the Oscars that Gold Finches, once a nearly endangered species have made a remarkable comeback thanks, mainly, to kindly souls with bird friendly patios and bird feeders. Our downmarket patio is mostly bird feeders, bathing facilities, anti Sparrow Hawk cover provider aka the Wood Pile; and to great effect-according to the wife, we have a large charm of Goldfinches-perhaps ten regular visitors. Serious twitchers turn up sniffy noses at this form of easy bird watching -preferring hides, climbs up cliffs in suitable clothing, powerful telescopes and a check list for excited ticking. But for those of a less fanatical dispositon the 'comfort of your home' is not only good for checking out over priced sofas, unrepeatable car insurance offers but also watching feathery things at close quarters. Twitchers watch the world-bird feeders save it.
Friday, June 17, 2005
A rioting of Starlings on the Wife's bird friendly wood pile demolishing her lovingly prepared fat ball which at this time of the year disappears by coffee break-ours not the Starlings. Our lodger does not approve and feels, as a countryman, that the birds can look after themselves without any assistance from sentimental city folk. The starling fledlings and our Greater somethinged Woodpecker family disagree.
huttonian
Friday, May 25, 2007
Non-Nuclear Winter
In the absence of a major vehicle pile up in Fishwick I, as usual, took consolation in the letter columns of the Berwickshire Professor Robb's polemic is in the wake of the SNP victory in the Scottish elections-the party's platform included the doing away with of nuclear power generation in Scotland.
SIR, - Now the die is cast and Scotland has voted overwhelmingly against the building of any new nuclear power stations.
The electorate may not have noticed, but that is what has happened. The terrible, incalculable, risks that nuclear power presents will be reduced and eventually eliminated. No more sleepless nights, waiting for the news of a disaster. No fear for future generations.
Thankfully too, our oil and gas will soon be used up and we shall be able to lead the world in evolving from a carbon based economy to one which will be virtually carbon free. Maybe our economy may shrink a little but, with our stoic approach to wealth and worldly comforts, that will matter not at all.
The wonderful future that awaits us without energy, except that from wind farms, will become an example to the world. No longer shall we indulge ourselves in centrally heated homes; instead we shall rely on the revival of the woollen industry to provide us with warm clothing. The porridge will become our staple diet providing roughage and calories and avoiding the energy wasteful process of feeding beasts for food. We may put on a bit of weight but think of the carbon we shall save by refraining from importing fruits and vegetables that we cannot grow ourselves.Our virtue may be rewarded - we may earn a special Scottish climate, with the gales tamed by the windmills and our bit of the atmosphere carbon free to the stratosphere. There could even be a real tectonic shift. As the windmills respond to the prevailing westerlies, we could at last sever the 410 million year union with England and drift away into the North Sea and attain true independence for ever.
Is this really what we voted for?
Few of those elected explicitly supported meeting the coming energy crisis by replacing our existing nuclear plant and building new plant to meet the needs of future generations. However, in private, I believe there is a growing appreciation, even among those supposedly anti-nuclear, that conventional energy prices will rise rapidly in the next decade, that supplies of oil and gas will be used not only as economic but also as political weapons.
As our conventional coal and nuclear plants reach the ends of their lives and the oil and gas run out, will it be woollies and cold gruel while we whistle for the wind, or, unworthily, health, wealth and comfort supported by our own independent nuclear energy supplies?
Much more important in our daily lives than a referendum on independence would be one on nuclear power.
PROFESSOR FENTON ROBB,
We in the Old Manse are prepared for a Scottish post nuclear era. The wood burning stove is poised to be multi tasked, an unlimited supply of blankets and fleeces, wind up torches, ditto radio,(and the clever Mr Bayliss is working on a similar mechanism for computers) food storage no problem it being colder outside the fridge than in. So that takes care of the summers.
And of course, we and Mr Salmond share one consolation. If the lights do start going out all over the Merse
WE can import the stuff
From England.
In the absence of a major vehicle pile up in Fishwick I, as usual, took consolation in the letter columns of the Berwickshire Professor Robb's polemic is in the wake of the SNP victory in the Scottish elections-the party's platform included the doing away with of nuclear power generation in Scotland.
SIR, - Now the die is cast and Scotland has voted overwhelmingly against the building of any new nuclear power stations.
The electorate may not have noticed, but that is what has happened. The terrible, incalculable, risks that nuclear power presents will be reduced and eventually eliminated. No more sleepless nights, waiting for the news of a disaster. No fear for future generations.
Thankfully too, our oil and gas will soon be used up and we shall be able to lead the world in evolving from a carbon based economy to one which will be virtually carbon free. Maybe our economy may shrink a little but, with our stoic approach to wealth and worldly comforts, that will matter not at all.
The wonderful future that awaits us without energy, except that from wind farms, will become an example to the world. No longer shall we indulge ourselves in centrally heated homes; instead we shall rely on the revival of the woollen industry to provide us with warm clothing. The porridge will become our staple diet providing roughage and calories and avoiding the energy wasteful process of feeding beasts for food. We may put on a bit of weight but think of the carbon we shall save by refraining from importing fruits and vegetables that we cannot grow ourselves.Our virtue may be rewarded - we may earn a special Scottish climate, with the gales tamed by the windmills and our bit of the atmosphere carbon free to the stratosphere. There could even be a real tectonic shift. As the windmills respond to the prevailing westerlies, we could at last sever the 410 million year union with England and drift away into the North Sea and attain true independence for ever.
Is this really what we voted for?
Few of those elected explicitly supported meeting the coming energy crisis by replacing our existing nuclear plant and building new plant to meet the needs of future generations. However, in private, I believe there is a growing appreciation, even among those supposedly anti-nuclear, that conventional energy prices will rise rapidly in the next decade, that supplies of oil and gas will be used not only as economic but also as political weapons.
As our conventional coal and nuclear plants reach the ends of their lives and the oil and gas run out, will it be woollies and cold gruel while we whistle for the wind, or, unworthily, health, wealth and comfort supported by our own independent nuclear energy supplies?
Much more important in our daily lives than a referendum on independence would be one on nuclear power.
PROFESSOR FENTON ROBB,
We in the Old Manse are prepared for a Scottish post nuclear era. The wood burning stove is poised to be multi tasked, an unlimited supply of blankets and fleeces, wind up torches, ditto radio,(and the clever Mr Bayliss is working on a similar mechanism for computers) food storage no problem it being colder outside the fridge than in. So that takes care of the summers.
And of course, we and Mr Salmond share one consolation. If the lights do start going out all over the Merse
WE can import the stuff
From England.
