Country File

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

What a punt!

[Techno II]

How many people drowned after using one of those ? 

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Is it intend to get an entire flock of duck with one shot ?

[Techno II]

I think so, Ian.

I just wonder what the recoil was.....I assume you used it lying down, with some sort of 'bi-pod', at the front of the punt.
As I got a very sore collar bone using a 12 bore (incorrectly)....I wouldn't fancy firing one of those.

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Never fired a shot gun, but an SLR on gas zero or a number 4 303 is bad enough. The L4 LMG walks away from you..... And yes it's fixed in a punt, hence name. Think it's a 4 Bore.

[pierre the shy]

Using a punt gun in the Fens ca 1945

[Techno II]

Well...If the gun was used on a punt, in such shallow water.......I think that's cheating.

Cheers - Phil

[steve_holmes_11]

Not unlike a scaled down marine's landing party.
You know the horse and musket ones with a light gun in the bow.

[fsn]

You think that's cheating!

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

You think that's cheating!

Floating Volley gun ?

[Heedless Horseman]

That WAS the pic fsn! Funny about memory... thought 'Striped Blazers! Just 'shows' about 'witness Statements'!    'Cheating'...Strewth!
Love the clip, Pierre! Imagine a WW2 German... 'infiltrating' Fens... hearing..."Handy Hock, you Jerry ******!"  
But... the Joys of 'Country Life'!  

[Heedless Horseman]

Please Don't Feed The Horses / Ponies / Donkeys...

As people are getting out and about more... with School Hols... it can be a 'pleasure'... esp.  for the kids... to 'Feed' the Horse / Pony / Donkey... or other animal, in its's field... and, of course...  They want It!
BUT, it does NOT always have a 'happy ending'.  
From FB, several times... sometimes reposted by veterinary staff... there have been 'Pleas' from owners, NOT to feed animals... sometimes after the Death or serious issues... caused by 'Well Intentioned' , 'Treats' given by walkers / Families...  

Some stuff is just 'plain wrong'! I had a 'holiday' horse who REALLY, REALLY 'wanted' my MEAT pasty... NO! They cannot digest meat!    
Other stuff might seem ok... but have heard of Apples Carrots, etc. getting 'stuck' in airways.
Or someone 'donating' their kitchen scraps... including 'peelings' to hungry animals...
Animal digestion... esp. with Equines... can be 'strange'... I don't know the details... but serious consequences CAN happen. Not every time, BUT...

Even when a Treat is 'safe'... 'just for one little bit'... the next 20 family groups might think the same... and some loved creature may be 'on a special diet' for a reason.

So.... unless there is an owner present to ask... BEST NOT TO.  Yes, it is Sad... but the 'possible' consequences MIGHT be Sadder.  

Now, feeding the Ducks, etc. MAY be different. A while back, the advice from Wildlife groups was NOT to feed the local park pond/lake Ducks... Bread. Bread has a rather low 'nutritional' value compared to what they SHOULD be foraging for. Then, they found that the birds were so used to being fed, that they were starving... so do... but their natural diet would be better... if it is there in their environment. Use judgement.
Seagulls... you might not get the choice! lol.  

[Techno II]

We're never keen of folk feeding any of our gees in the fields....You never know exactly what they're offering the beasties.

I had a fight with a swan, on one occasion......(More accurately a 'tug of war') over a bag of 'swan nosh' you could buy at the garden centre, where there was bird sanctuary, near us in Notts.
Wretched thing didn't like the fact I was feeding all its chums......It wanted the whole bag to itself.
I won in the end !...But it was touch and go !!

Also fed a sporting superstar (Red Rum) Polos when he visited Southwell Race course.
I did ask his 'lad' first, though....."Yeah...that keeps him quiet."

Cheers - Phil.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Been attacked by a swan on TV we were doing some archiology in the river Dee and I must have got between it and the nest.

[Leman]

Archaeology is not something you can just swan about with.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Nobby - COAT !!!

[Techno II]

...and give it a damn good chewing first !!

Cheers - Phil.

[steve_holmes_11]

Football last night.
One of Italy's substitutes was Bill Oddie.

(At least that's how i heard it).

[Heedless Horseman]

Back in the early Spring, 'The Little Old Guy' HALF cleared 40yrs detritus, (about 15"!), from our small concrete pond.. one of the things he 'started'... and NO... he is not a wargamer! 
To be fair, He has personal life 'issues'... and will probably 'turn up' again... A lot of his 'kit' is cluttterng up the garage that he helped tidy out! 
Anyway, there was a Frog... so.... will have to someday, try to finish the job! 
We did have Newts at one time.

[Orcs]

We are having our patio replaced, as the previous one was so uneven it was a death trap. As we have a wide side access we have a digger and a dumper truck in the back garden doing the groundwork

It has been fun watching our friendly robin and blackbird, as soon as the machines stop they are diving in out of them collecting the worms and insects that have been exposed.  I am sure they think we are only doing all this digging for their benefit .