Horse Drawn Blogging

I know a few of you read James' blog, but for those of you how haven't been reading it lately or are living under a stone it's well worth a visit. Due to his coverage of what are known here as 'country pursuits' he comes into contact with all kinds of colourful characters who most of the year shun political correctness and the modern world, choosing instead to base themselves beyond the reach of 'health and safety'. Only breaking cover to attend rural pow-wows such as horse fairs, game fairs and county shows. The kind of places where Ferrets are 'legged', food has taste and texture, and you can buy everything from home made jam to 8 bore wildfowling guns. They're great!

The reason I mention all this is to set the scene for a blogger James has just introduced.
Simon Mulholland writes Saddle chariot, a blog about horses, buggys that you tow from horses, his run-ins with the establishment and cooking meat.

His advice is forthright and he has a great turn of phrase.

Cooking
"When I used to cook Venison and Wild Boar round the County Show circuit, I was always being asked how to cook Game. "Count the legs!" I used to say. "Then think of something you can already cook with approximately the same number of legs, and do the same thing.""

Horses, the Saddle Chariot and the elite horse breeding establishment
Some of the more perceptive may have picked up a hint of frustation with the British Horse Establishment. My opinion hasn't changed. If they were horses, I would say they must have been cruelly mistreated as youngsters, because no horse is naturally devious, vicious or deceitful. And no horse is naturally snobbish, racist or in favour of incest, all characteristics that appear throughout the British Horse establishment.

Could he be the new Albert Rasch?

Thanks for dropping in-let me know your thoughts-leave a comment or two
Your pal
The bushwacker

Fly Guy ? It Must Be Tuesday

After the debarcle of Laughing Trout and Chortling Elk mocking my efforts, at last there's some good news from project fly caster. I can now cast a strait line. Not very far, but its actually going where I'm flicking it!

It is not difficult to learn how to cast; but it is difficult to learn not to snap the flies off at every throw.

Charles Dudley Warner, 1862

Doh! Still a way to go then.

But, remember the back cast is the foundation, and that unless it is solid the superstructure will be rickety. Remember also that the motion of the rod through the air should be almost, or quite noiseless. Nothing offends the angler's ear more than the "swish" of a fly-rod. It is like a false note to an educated musical ear. It indicates a degree of force about as appropriate to the end in view, as a burglar's jimmy to opening a watch. This should never be, except possibly when casting directly against the wind or for distance only.

Henry P. Wells, "Fly-Rods and Fly-Tackle", 1885

Hmm maybe I should get some lessons?

Calling Fly Fishing a hobby is like calling Brain Surgery a job.

Paul Schullery

Perhaps if I just dropped a little more cash on a new rod?

Thanks for reading
SBW.
PS Dog Lady was at the pond again this morning, she put a lot of effort into not looking at me!

Forks and Roasting - Online!

I've been a fan of, and occasional poster on, the bushcraftuk.com site for a couple of years now, and while it's full of really useful information, it's much like human nature itself; a mix of the good the bad and the ugly. It's also not short of moments of high comedy

There are some people who can't seem to think about bushcraft without buying yet more tat to drag around with them.

(sound of glass house resident throwing stones)

As a wise man once said 'there's a seeker born every minute, two to teach him, and another two to sell him 'must have' accessories on the internet'

The Swedish company Light My Fire sells some really cool stuff, but sometimes people get a bit carried way and 'it's a really cool idea' gets confused with 'it's going to be a really cool product'. You know what sales and marketing people are like.

(another stone flies past)

This toasting fork is a case in point. You get some wire and you bend it, it becomes a really sweet way of keeping the bread, sausage, or marshmallow stable on the end of your stick while you're toasting it over the fire. It's not rocket science - but it is the kind of cool idea that the internet is so good for sharing. Barry Crump would be proud of you.

A chap whose forum name on bushcraftuk is Cobweb has gone to the trouble of posting a straightforward tutorial showing exactly how to make one in 12 photos. Nice one mate.

Then follow 3 pages of sad, angry men telling each other how each of them believes they know best. After a while the guy who started the site asks them to play nice, they don't listen!
It's hilarious! Boys and their toys! What can you say?

thanks for reading
SBW

PS the toasting forks absolutely rock - and are very very easy to make
PPS have a look at the silly poll I posted about an English TV show and the responses it got!

Thanks For Stopping By

One year ago I decided to check whether or not BoB (Brother of Bushwacker) had visited my blog. So I installed Cluster Maps and sat back to see if a little red dot would appear over New Zealand's south island.

As of this morning 16,320 visits have been logged, which either means some of you are coming back for more of the same or there is another site with a similar name that a lot of you miss spell as you type its name into your browsers!

During the next year lots of new avenues will be explored and if all goes according to plan some more actual hunting will take place.

Thanks for your support, I started the blog for my own entertainment and I'm delighted that I've managed to entertain you too.

Cheers
SBW

UnBoxing - Light My Fire Lunchbox

The days have dragged by but my new designer lunch boxes have finally made their way to me. I was going to get us all the same colour, then I found the Dan from JRE industries had a whole mix of colours, but not enough for eight of one colour, he also told me he had one set in pink.
TLB (my daughter The Littlest Bushwacker) has already been asking for a pink Spork so knowing how important 'style' is to any trip outside, I had to order it for her.

First thoughts
They look bigger in the pictures, but I've anecdotal evidence that having bigger plates makes people (OK me) have bigger dinners, so maybe that's no bad thing.

The design is way cool - after you've scarfed your lunch all the bits disappear back into the big box so you've less clutter to take home

The main box is a reasonable size and depth for eating wet foods, and its lid has quite a lip to it so it will make a practical outdoor plate.

The little pot is a little pot.

The chopping board-colander hybrid is a really good innovation, with just kettle water i can now prepare noodles at work! Afield it means i can rinse blackberries and other gatherings. Best of all i now have somewhere safe to slice things, slicing has been the death of many a plastic plate and the lid of the occasional Tupperware box.

The plastic cup with lid - is, well, a plastic cup with a lid. Handy.

The Spork - despite Pablos Spork anxiety inducing comments the Spork is still a convenient way to cuttle whilst out and about


The true test of any lunchbox - does an oil and vinegar dressing leak out of it?

Is it really 'dishwasher proof' as Light My Fire claim?

This has been an UnBoxing review, only time will tell..........

Thanks for reading
SBW