Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[Rod Paradise]

What a lovely picture you paint there Rod.

Lol @ this though....

I did enjoy seeing so nany fish eaters on one of the Duke of Buchleuch's prime slamon beats as well.

You laughing at the spelling mistakes? (not an excuse but I was concentrating on spelling Buccleuch correctly).

The current Duke's actually OK, but the emphasis is on the lower reaches of the river, with some convinced the parr from the eggs taken from salmon caught up river are released in tributary's that feed in down among the expensive beats, instead of where they came from, feeding the cheaper upper beats as used by the locals....

Absolutely not, I would have dropped you a PM if there was an embarrassing typo or spello.

No, it just made me laugh, the "Class" thing, the fact you so enjoyed nature beating up on the rich Landowner.

It's an awkward one for me, with my lefty leanings, because I like hunting, and I love the countryside. Without the rich paying so handsomely for grouse, pheasant & partridge shooting (and I've worked as a beater), salmon fishing & deer stalking, there wouldn't be as much 'wild land' around allowing me to see as much wildlife. With mankinds huge influence on the natural order of the countryside, keeping the 'wild' wild takes a lot of money and work, and the 'OK Yahs' provide a lot of that money.

Also the Duke has been round to the house (when he was a lowly Earl) and stood in the kitchen having a mug of tea and watching the wildlife, he helped us fight off the planned dump that the region wanted to put in the old quarry out the back of the house. Difficult to dislike a guy when he's pleasant to talk to & helpful.

[celtic]

just had a great evening and wanted to share (boast), excuse my rambling.....

Been really busy with work, and a lot on my plate in general, so when at a loose end tonight I headed off in the car to the next town down the valley & got my dinner from the chippy, a drive on my own sometimes helps.

Got my food and decided to take a little detour and stopped to eat it at Drumlanrig Bridge, just at the edge of the grounds of Drumlanrig castle. Stood at the parapet & had me meal then lit the pipe (my latest bad habit). Wish I'd started smoking one years ago, it's a faff, and takes ages, but  that's the point, you have to stop and do it, it almost forces you to relax in a similar vein to an army man (possibly Geo) who said when stressed and faced with a tough decision - have a brew - it's not the tea that helps, it's taking the time to boil water, keeping your hands busy with the menial task of making the tea, which forces the mind to slow down, relax, and aids thinking. So anyway I sood leaning on the parapet, Last of The Summer Wine style, and watched the river, this view but with night falling:

Click to see full-size image.

The Bridge:


I first noticed a pair of goosanders,then another, I certainly noticed them when the males had a belter of a fight, I'm guessing it was just over territory, since the females stayed with their mate, ruling out a fight over mating.  Normally when walkinig I'll watch for a few minutes, but since I wasn't going anywhere I watched them feeding - they would walk up through a shallow rocky area, presumably eating invertebrates & maybe some tiddlers - then fly up river and float back down the deeper pool, diving after fish on ocaission, before drifting over to the rocky area and starting all over, just drifting down a different line through the pool, much to the haughty looks of disgust from the heron, stood quitly waiting for the fish to come to him. During all this we also had a pair of oystercatchers land on the rocks in the river to roost for the night, a flypast froma   pair of greylags, and just as I was ready to leave a visit from a sparrowhawk, who seemed to be on the hunt for bats in the twilight. I did enjoy seeing so many fish eaters on one of the Duke of Buchleuch's prime salmon beats as well.


Male (black and white) and female goosander.

I know I shouldn't recommend smoking, it's a bad thing kids, but I'm at peace with the world, utterly chilled & I'd never have seen all that if I'd not been standing there like a fat bald Gandalf, puffing away.

Never mind all those fkin pictures and namby pamby words and descriptions. Tell us what you ate from the chippy ffs. Please don't let it be a black pudding supper.

[Rod Paradise]

Never mind all those fkin pictures and namby pamby words and descriptions. Tell us what you ate from the chippy ffs. Please don't let it be a black pudding supper.

Sorry Vin, Chicken Supper, salt, no vinegar, tomato sauce, can of coke.

[RED-DOG]

just had a great evening and wanted to share (boast), excuse my rambling.....

Been really busy with work, and a lot on my plate in general, so when at a loose end tonight I headed off in the car to the next town down the valley & got my dinner from the chippy, a drive on my own sometimes helps.

Got my food and decided to take a little detour and stopped to eat it at Drumlanrig Bridge, just at the edge of the grounds of Drumlanrig castle. Stood at the parapet & had me meal then lit the pipe (my latest bad habit). Wish I'd started smoking one years ago, it's a faff, and takes ages, but  that's the point, you have to stop and do it, it almost forces you to relax in a similar vein to an army man (possibly Geo) who said when stressed and faced with a tough decision - have a brew - it's not the tea that helps, it's taking the time to boil water, keeping your hands busy with the menial task of making the tea, which forces the mind to slow down, relax, and aids thinking. So anyway I sood leaning on the parapet, Last of The Summer Wine style, and watched the river, this view but with night falling:

Click to see full-size image.

The Bridge:


I first noticed a pair of goosanders,then another, I certainly noticed them when the males had a belter of a fight, I'm guessing it was just over territory, since the females stayed with their mate, ruling out a fight over mating.  Normally when walkinig I'll watch for a few minutes, but since I wasn't going anywhere I watched them feeding - they would walk up through a shallow rocky area, presumably eating invertebrates & maybe some tiddlers - then fly up river and float back down the deeper pool, diving after fish on ocaission, before drifting over to the rocky area and starting all over, just drifting down a different line through the pool, much to the haughty looks of disgust from the heron, stood quitly waiting for the fish to come to him. During all this we also had a pair of oystercatchers land on the rocks in the river to roost for the night, a flypast froma   pair of greylags, and just as I was ready to leave a visit from a sparrowhawk, who seemed to be on the hunt for bats in the twilight. I did enjoy seeing so many fish eaters on one of the Duke of Buchleuch's prime salmon beats as well.


Male (black and white) and female goosander.

I know I shouldn't recommend smoking, it's a bad thing kids, but I'm at peace with the world, utterly chilled & I'd never have seen all that if I'd not been standing there like a fat bald Gandalf, puffing away.

Another lovely post Rod.

The thing that really shines out for me when you write about nature is, you really 'get it'.

I know  that you know how wonderful it is, even the harsh cruel ugly bits.

Post more.

[RED-DOG]

You listening Tom?


I know I shouldn't recommend smoking, it's a bad thing kids, but I'm at peace with the world, utterly chilled & I'd never have seen all that if I'd not been standing there like a fat bald Gandalf, puffing away.

Relaxing, see?

I know exactly what you mean about the ritualistic part of smoking. I haven't smoked for years, and I no longer miss the nicotine, but I miss the rituals.

Taking a break from work, having a cuppa and a fag. The actual act of rolling one up...

I often ask smokers to let me roll a cigarette, they pass me their papers and their baccy tin and I roll one that's just so... and then I put it into the tin unsmoked and give it back.

They look at me like I'm some sort of idiot.

Btw Rod, one thing I can tell you about pipe smoking, (or any other kind of smoking.) You won't see as much wildlife. Them critters can smell a stogie from 2 miles away.

[RED-DOG]

Warning! This post may contain rants.

Players who do 'prop' bets whilst playing cash games.

Will the flop be red or black?

Will there be an 8 of clubs or a 4 of diamonds?

Each new deal answers these and other scintillating questions, causing the prop betters to curse in anguish or squeal with delight.

Either way, chips are thrown across the table mid hand. Sometimes they splash into the pot, sometimes they hit the dealers hands, sometimes they bounce to the floor and the game stops whilst chairs are moved to allow retrieval.

If players are sitting next to each other, chips are simply taken from stacks and passed. Nice, but illegal.

Prop bets may be fun for the participants, (Although I can't imagine why) but they are annoying and disrespectful to the other players.

Rant over.

[Laxie]

Tell us how you really feel about it....


 

[kinboshi]

Tell us how you really feel about it....


 

Dawn, red or black?

[Laxie]

Tell us how you really feel about it....


 

Dawn, red or black?

Depends on me mood   

[RED-DOG]

Tell us how you really feel about it....


 

Dawn, red or black?

I assume you're talking about eyes?

[tight4better]

 

[tikay]

Miserable sod.

[kinboshi]

Tell us how you really feel about it....


 

Dawn, red or black?

I assume you're talking about eyes?

[Laxie]

Ahhhhhhhh, like them!

[kinboshi]

Yeah, me too - although I dislike Paul Heaton.