Mushroom hunting with ze famili

In the forest...

barky's forest day

The morning spent in the forest. We pioneered, the others followed (after we piked all the wee fungies :p)

Lyra was...
                       ....fast as lightning! :D

.... also her flying has greatly improved..

... as did her sniffing skills...

... her conquering of trees...

... and blending in with the environment.

... Not to mention identifying mushrooms.

All in all an excellent training day :P
                     tiny tiny paws :D

It's been a slow morning - so slow I felt like watching The Lovely Bones again just to feel better. The dog's been crazy, probably because I didn't take her for a walk (it's been raining simply too bleakly to care) and I haven't slept well; too cold and too lazy to get another blanket...... But not all was awful  - my baby spooned and kept me warm and just not to start hating the day entirely, I took a shower, made myself some extra special tea and then set to make him pancakes, for when he returns home with a toothache. (He likes them as noodles in a soup.) I wouldn't go out, but if I don't, the weekend plans fall through. I want to go looking for mushrooms again on Wednesday.

            There's a tea I like, because I first tried it in Africa as a countermeasure and then stole or bought a few in Starbucks when we had to cot on an airport for a day... The tazo tea :) On the bag it says: "True passion is intoxicating and invigorating, soothing and sensuous, mysterious and magical. We just thought you should know what you're in for." 

            What a difference a spice makes, eh?

Tranquility of the hunt...

Some people are after the *thrill* of the hunt. I'm guessing mostly men. Or, women, when men are concerned. I, personally, can't get enough of the tranquility of it. Sitting quietly, carefully, for hours, hidden and alert, watching, feeling the wind, but mostly listening. You can tell the minutes of the evening by the chirping of the birds - and among that chatter chaos you can hear the random anomalies of birds sounding distress: presence of foxes and ermines and other, bigger birds chirping otherwise soundlessly through the forest. 

           We have a good spot under an open hay shack in the middle or a remote meadow, surrounded by forest on all sides. It's good as both hiding and looking place. The meadow rises up the eastern slope and the upper right side are the tall grasses. Starbark was so cute in the grass, only her straight white tail giving her away when she tried to keep up. It was her test-drive, and she was wonderful. Too tiny to really know how to do anything, really, her most useful occupation was sleeping on my knees, keeping me warm.  We didn't really go there to shoot much, so the General observed things though his optics and I though mine :) The pictures were taken in dusk, so the quality is such as it is. Luckily the deer tend to freeze often, sensing a presence, which was perfect as posing goes :)

(Barki's contribution :p ) 

It got chilly towards the night, so I was not complaining. Only occasionally did she start to snore or bark in her dreams :))

Mother deer came though the tall grasses, scouting the meadow and then vanished, eventually sounding thin wheezing calls - like a kid using a primrose for a trumpet. She returned with a baby deer in tow, late born and quite small for this time of year, but a little too brave for his own good. We watched them for half an hour as she fed and he explored.

General made a tour around the rim of the meadow, at which time two males came running through the forest above us. I though they were playing, but as the binoculars turned out, the first one was so tired his tongue was hanging out - and was also very young with button-like antlers; whereas the second - the one chasing -  was older and more powerful and was chasing his competition off the territory. Although the younger one would qualify for our prey, he had enough problems and wasn't stopping. 

The elder eventually returned to see who we were - and proved his arrogant youth by crossing the meadow barking like a bear with a sinus tickle. 

All in all a phenomenal evening out. The animals seem healthy and rare, so there is no need to mark any for death so far, the hunters acking on behalf of extinct wolves as natural selection. This is by far my favorite part of being a hunter - sitting, secretly, observing the life on the rim.

'Barki in her den....

Random tv update ... .p

These are some of the things I've seen lately and, personally, I quite liked them. Not so much because I'd be some uiber sophisticated intellectual that only ever watches things like, dunno, old French movies, or Mad Men or something, but because more often than not I simply like things to be entertaining. For super good stuff that's not quite so entertaining, I watch Lie to me or Luther or Da Vinci's Inquest, whereas just to get my popcorn money's worth, there's stuff like..

Prince of Persia - which I liked because there was finally NO blood all over the screen, which is a first in a while; because the city was pretty and because Jake makes for a curiously honest action hero. I am glad he said he's tired of watching himself be so serious all the time :D

I gave it a shot: The Tudors. Knowing what I know of history, I'd say they got it pretty right- mostly they're just fucking one another or fucking one another over. What else is court if not sex and politics - and how is that different today?... Chicks have less clothes on today. I have to say I feel weird about the girls of history - they really were just pushed here and there while their fathers, husbands and /or sons were being promoted or beheaded... Not saying some didn't have good fun, but... Funny why anyone would want a life like that? Guess it's a job like any other. 

Worth watching just for the costumes, if nothing else (historical drama leaves little in a sense of spoilers), and I kind of like they took the 'Memoirs of Geisha' step away from being a documentary and the designer took some liberties. Otherwise, what would be the point?

 Always liked this lady, Katherine of Aragon...She doesn't disappoint here either.

Also tried watching some 'women' shows, like Weeds (gave up after one minute - sorry, but the cast is not so easy to watch with those women with drooping faces and knowing there's Breaking Bad out there....), and sort of got drawn to The Starter Wife (initially because of the cast and later because it's kind of witty). Actually saw the whole pilot episode. Am putting it aside for when I'm feeling particularly female. 

And last but not least, I really liked Going Postal. Finally, FINALLY a Pratchett screening worth the bother (after a couple of ghastly attempts beforehand.) Casting is brilliant (Brits FDW!.. Oh, Jeffrey..), acting is cute (good job, Claire Foy), the whole story makes sense, not much is left out of the spike and if only they've learned something, we may get the witches on the telly during my lifetime, too... *fingers crossed*

LOVE the golden suit :D

.....Oh, and True Blood is back. At last, Godsdamn it!