Cranfield

I have considered VPN for those USA sites/tv where access from outside USA is blocked. Is it possible to turn it on and off ? I have websites I use that open when they recognise my IP No, which is quite convenient.

I have a few from the first orders we placed (some years ago) all have had a good wearing and look as good as new. Highly recommended.

This morning I witnessed some strange buzzard behaviour. I was passing the living room window when a large flash of brown caught my eye, when I looked a buzzard was in the field opposite, about 25 yards away, with its wings in the "cloak" position over something. The "something" was obviously struggling as I could see the buzzard rocking and tilting to and fro, Eventually it fell backwards and I could see the "something" was another buzzard. The buzzards were pecking at each other and feathers were flying. I decided to walk outside to get a better view and perhaps to break up the scrap. Sure enough I had hardly got into the drive and they broke apart and made off in opposite directions (very slowly). The first bird I saw appeared larger than the one that was underneath at the beginning. After Googling, it looks as though it could have been an adult attacking a young bird passing through the area, or a female attacking a male. I have seen them chasing each other before and the courting aerobatics , but never hands on aggression.

I think you need to visit a lot more of the USA than Florida, I suspect that most of those people in Disney and the fast food outlets were not even Americans. Having spent an enormous amount of time in the USA over the last 50 odd years and as recently as last Autumn, I don't recognise the place you describe.

I painted the ends with some blue sealant stuff and am happy that the wood is better protected than it would be if it was basic prepared softwood with some emulsion paint (wood preservative) slapped on it.

Try Jacksons Fencing, they are not far from you. I did the same job a few years ago and used their pressure treated wood, I believe it was the decking, I cut to size. It has a 10 year guarantee.....I think.

A couple of Dungie lug, tipped off with some squid, just the job for Winter cod.

They are very strong and can swim all day, thats where the size and the waterproof coat helps. I must have seen over a hundred otter hunts and never saw the hounds kill an otter. They worked the otters out of the large rush fleets on the North Kent marshes and trailed their scent on the water and on land. Being mostly in the water they were no where near the speed of the otter and being scent hounds, if the otter left the water and ran overland to another stretch of water, they followed the scent and not the sight of the otter on the land. I have seen otters repeatedly coming up for air right among the pack and still make good their escape. All the otters I saw killed were despatched by terriers being entered into tree roots, holts, or similar debris, where the otters had laid up. Otters were considered great pests in those days and were even partly blamed for the collapse of the seawall, when the Thames flooded the Kent marshes and Canvey Island, Essex in 1953. A bit fanciful , but a sign of the times.

There are variations among true pedigree otterhounds and if you look back at old paintings, photographs you will see evidence of this. The show otterhounds tend to mainly be bred for a standard coat colour, but tri colour hounds and other variations are still true ottterhounds. My wife "under siege" from some of Richard Griffith's pack. Bramble and my Wife (who spoiled her when I was out) .

Until July 4th 2017 we were the proud owners of Bramble the Otterhound. Growing up on the North Kent marshes in the 50's I skipped school many times to follow the otterhounds (or the foxhounds). If any of the otterhounds were injured during the day, (barbed wire, strains, etc) they would stay with my Grandfather (the shepherd that covered all the marshes the hounds worked) for a few days and we became use to the big, hairy and friendly dogs. It was always my hope to own one when I "grew up". Otter hunting was banned in the late 70's and the breed numbers started to fall away. I lost my last gundog in 2012 and we went looking for an otterhound. After 12 months of visiting his kennels and much persuasive talk, I was able to buy a pup from Richard Griffiths Master of the Pembrokshire and Carmarthen Otterhounds, one of the oldest packs in the UK, he now hunts them on mink. This article in the Horse and Hound is very informative on the breed. https://www.pressreader.com/uk/horse-hound/20170824/281595240656450

Avon Skin So Soft dry oil spray works for us and my wife gets bitten unmercifully without it. Be warned , products that contain high levels of Deet can damage clothing and melt plastics. I am sure things like WD40, diesel, creosote and other toxic chemicals would deter mosquitoes , you just have to ask whether you really want to cover yourself with it.

Thanks DG, I searched high and low and never saw that machine....order placed.

Thanks for the reply, job done.

Sorry to have to ask a boring PC question, but I have a desktop PC, with Win7 , but no bluetooth installed. I want to buy a smaller wireless keyboard (I don't use all the bits on the right hand side) and the best one I can find ,https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LOGITECH-K380-Compact-Wireless-Keyboard-Dark-Grey/132489463387?epid=1050744421&hash=item1ed8fcc65b:g:U9kAAOSwwZtacfUF needs bluetooth. Is it as simple as buying a Bluetooth Dongle for Win 7 ?

I have never had much luck on fields with hemp, at any time of the cropping, but I have also never had much luck over linseed and some people gets good bags of this crop. Its probably worth keeping an eye on, but don't bother setting up unless you see birds showing real interest.