Early morning bonuses

[getthegat]

Work has been very stressful for some while now, giving poor nights sleep and if it weren't for the walks and available shooting in the fields around the garage, I could easily give it up. So to prove the point,  a 5.30 wake up got the brain spinning immediately and with the missus still snoring away beside me, I decided to get up and get out with Sophie the trusty pointer labby cross for an early morning walk, albeit misty and a bit wet. It was great to be out in the quiet, no customers to hassle me, no problem jobs to work out. There are lots of birds of all kinds around at the moment, many small song birds, pigeons, raptors, swallows now and this morning my first sight and sound of a cookoo ? Three nice Mallard flew over us at one point and geese could be heard honking in the distance. I'd popped the single moderated 20 over my arm and had a nice 35 - 40 yarder pigeon, which Soph did her first full retrieval of. It was a bit battered and would not have made a good decoy, but she did well and that and the cookoo made a nice couple of bonuses. Now it's back to more testing mechanical problems ( old cars for you) but for a while the stress levels are lower and the depression is in the back pocket of my emotions. Countryside is so wonderful, we're so lucky to live where we do........

[KFC]

I think there's a lot in what you say.

I'm never more at one with the world than when I'm wandering the fields with a gun under my arm or at a res with a fishing rod. I'm a hunter-gatherer.

I'm sure that many people suffer depression because the way of life we consider 'normal' is extremely abnormal.

We live on concrete floors, work on concrete floors and travel between the two on tarmac roads, insulated by rubber tyres.

In other words, many people live for days, weeks or even years on end actually insulated from mother earth and never touch the earth, grass or soil. The Earth is a living, organic, electrically driven organism of which we are part.

Couple this with the fact that, virtually every day, from the moment we wake up until we go back to sleep then we're bombarded with artificial noise. The TV, radio, traffic, phones etc and never hearing a bird, a dawn chorus or, with double glazing, even the wind.

This is all information that our brain has to process whereas, in reality, all our brains are designed for is walking about, grabbing food, sleeping and doing IT!

And all this in pursuit of something called money which doesn't actually exist. No wonder the world is going potty.

[getthegat]

Wow! What a brilliant reply. My thoughts exactly. I have a lovely lady, but she doesn't quite get the whole country thing. We live in a 3rd floor maisonette and it makes me feel more detached from nature, the place has no soul. Customers at work are so demanding and parts such poor quality, I've needed therapy to handle the stress at times. I've contemplated chucking it all in at times, the fields, dog and shooting are my saviours. Coming from a very rural childhood upbringing, country and all it has to offer, is in my blood, modern life these days is so the opposite.

[JDog]

51 minutes ago, getthegat said:

Wow! What a brilliant reply. My thoughts exactly. I have a lovely lady, but she doesn't quite get the whole country thing. We live in a 3rd floor maisonette and it makes me feel more detached from nature, the place has no soul. Customers at work are so demanding and parts such poor quality, I've needed therapy to handle the stress at times. I've contemplated chucking it all in at times, the fields, dog and shooting are my saviours. Coming from a very rural childhood upbringing, country and all it has to offer, is in my blood, modern life these days is so the opposite.

I enjoyed your posts and all I would say is do more of it if you can. It doesn’t matter that your wife is not interested in country matters, you can always recount your adventures to her and she will either be interested or not. If you haven’t already found a like minded buddy then find one. My pleasure in the countryside is amplified by sharing experiences with others.

[Mice!]

It's only a thought but have you got any art work up? Doesn't have to be by a fancy artist just some pictures you like?

I used to love working 10-6 out in the woods or golf course by 620 watching the world wake up, with a rifle or bins, before the noise starts ? 

[getthegat]

I do miss not having a like minded buddy, talking to my sister back in Somerset helps a little, but not enough. It's great to get such nice positive feedback on here though. I guess another fact of today's life styles, is there are more and more people who don't have earth nature connections, so meeting others who understand what makes me tick, is less and less likely. I look forward to my time in the fields, it's grounding and restores a bit of sanity in this mad hectic world. The only  non country open air pursuit I have that helps, is yoga, but then that is built on life balance, mindfulness and a calm spirituality. I always wanted to be a farmer or a game keeper when I was young; should have followed my passion, always felt I don't quite fit.

[Mice!]

I think shooting and country sports are seen as out dated, why would you do it, apart from the odd rat i hadn't done anything for probably ten years or more maybe, i was busy with work judo and other things, the other week I drove a 140 mile round trip and managed one squirrel wife thinks I'm nuts, but i was in a great spot enjoyed being out and next time I will know where to look.

keep getting yourself out, if you can free up some Saturdays come November December time try and get out beating, but look now, you'll soon be having a whale of a time with other like minded folk

[bruno22rf]

Pouring down with rain today as I bundled the Dogs in the car and splashed my way down to the fields. Sat in the car for a few minutes talking to the dogs and suggesting that we simply stay in the dry and they poop out of the window but their constant whining and shuffling finally forced me out and into the cold and heavy rain and to set off on our daily hour plus walk. Not a soul anywhere in sight and for the very first time I pulled up the concealed hood on my coat and discovered that it actually also has a built in peak - the collar pulls up around your ears and the sound of the rain on the hood is like hail on a tin roof. Cocooned in my little dry environment the walk that I was so reluctant to take became a real pleasure, so much so that I nearly went around twice - despite the foul weather there is finally colour once more in the hedgerows and the peace and tranquillity is such a joy - shame so many people never get to experience it.

[getthegat]

Well what can I say; other than the fact that you guys have restored my faith in human nature, you've been poetic and painted some wonderful pictures; scenes, sights and sounds that I am very familiar with, confirming what I said in the beginning that we are so lucky to live and hunt in the places we do, but probably most important is that we understand and appreciate our environment. With the way the population is expanding, houses and roads being built, our perms can change and "non believers" can occasionally threaten our sport. Every day is different in the country, crops seem to grow more over night at the moment, new wildlife can be spotted daily and the ever changing weather brings every variety of shot possible. My shooting, like my emotional state, has improved resently and I sure some of that is down to the great comments on here?

[Hendrix's rifle]

On 28/04/2018 at 07:54, getthegat said:

Work has been very stressful for some while now, giving poor nights sleep and if it weren't for the walks and available shooting in the fields around the garage, I could easily give it up. So to prove the point,  a 5.30 wake up got the brain spinning immediately and with the missus still snoring away beside me, I decided to get up and get out with Sophie the trusty pointer labby cross for an early morning walk, albeit misty and a bit wet. It was great to be out in the quiet, no customers to hassle me, no problem jobs to work out. There are lots of birds of all kinds around at the moment, many small song birds, pigeons, raptors, swallows now and this morning my first sight and sound of a cookoo ? Three nice Mallard flew over us at one point and geese could be heard honking in the distance. I'd popped the single moderated 20 over my arm and had a nice 35 - 40 yarder pigeon, which Soph did her first full retrieval of. It was a bit battered and would not have made a good decoy, but she did well and that and the cookoo made a nice couple of bonuses. Now it's back to more testing mechanical problems ( old cars for you) but for a while the stress levels are lower and the depression is in the back pocket of my emotions. Countryside is so wonderful, we're so lucky to live where we do........

You are quite right, also a mechanic and I know the feeling!! Get out as often as you can, that's what I do!!