Charred Red Pepper

Just a rag bag of odds and ends to start the  day.

Woke up early but feeling full of energy. Completely unable to explain why as I didn’t sleep for long and I have a toothache. It is gradually subsiding, as I think it’s a gum problem rather than a tooth. I’m hopeful it will fade away soon.

Had an email about banning driven grouse shooting, signed it.  It’s not a great “sport” at the best of times, but there are all sorts of things wrong with it from a wildlife point of view, particularly the number of rare birds who are killed each year to “protect” the grouse.

Red Legged Partridge

I did think about adding a link, but if I did that I’d have to add links and have a balanced argument and I’m not very balanced on the question. One of the key points in managing a grouse moor is the illegal killing of birds of prey. A second is that you can never get a successful prosecution for it. The law seems simple enough – in England if your staff kill a bird of prey you are liable, but as no judge wants to imprison a big, and probably titled, landowner, nothing happens. At least in other countries corruption relies on money and politics, rather than ancient titles and who you went to (expensive) school with.

And then the postman arrived. Julia wasn’t happy as I couldn’t go to the door (no trousers) and on top of that, it means I’ve been buying on eBay again. I bought peppermint oil from there to repel rats and that’s OK. But a nice piece of Home Front memorabilia? Women are very strange sometimes.

That’s all for now. I have a wife to appease and breakfast to make.

I will be back later.

Pictures – “grouse” turned nothing up. “Red” produced a lot, but no Red Grouse. I know I have a photo but it was probably from my days of badly titled storage.

Redwing in Carrington