The Killing Fields of the West

It's too cold. My car his covered in sparkling frost. I've just been out admiring it when I heard a blood curdling animal scream in the field - something has caught something - I hate that sound, poor beast whatever it was. I heard the same thing in my garden last night in bed, lots of screeching owls & then a high pitched terrorised scream, a little unnerving in the dead of night! But then that's living in the countryside for you.

Last weekend the pheasant shooters were abroad.

I hate them.

6 of them strode into the pasture field like they owned the bloody field (yes, it was bloody by the time they had finished), with their dogs & guns. 3 went off into the woods with the dogs to scare the pheasants out, while the other 3 stood in different positions facing the woods. I have to watch, terrible I know, but I shout at the pheasants to get away - fly towards the cottage as they're not allowed (with good reason) to shoot towards buildings. Some birds took my advice & flew high & towards me, while other's in their panic where shot in mid air to only fall head first onto the wet grass, with feathers flying everywhere. One wasn't totally dead & flapped around for a few minutes, until one of the men stamped on it's head.

It's sick.

And not many end up in the pot. All mostly shot for fun.

Why do you think that birds of prey in this country are trapped & poisoned? Because they kill the game birds & game shooting is big business, millions generated every year. So I say, less game hunting, less birds of prey slaughtered.

There's a pheasant farm just over the road from here. A whole field lined with pens packed with silly, dopey, fat pheasants, who can hardly run or fly. So what kind of sport is that? How easy is it to shoot these birds? As they don't have a fighting chance - they can't get away. It's disgusting. Least with fox hunting the fox had a good chance of getting away, out witting the huntsmen & their hounds. Game birds on the other hand have so brains anyway - so unless they fly high & towards buildings they're finished.

Hmmmm I didn't mean to type about this - not sure where all that came from on this frosty night. Maybe it's because it was last saturday they came & tomorrow is saturday, so will they be back? If they do I'll shout them all to hell, yet again!

Emy x x x

It's just not a good look . . .

No it isn't - it isn't indeed.

First of all the UK government should be sacked - losing seven & half million people's names, addresses & bank details is a serious business - what the **** is wrong with this stupid, incompetent country?????? Things just go from bad to worse.

Secondly what is with Exeter town centre? They've recently just opened a new shopping centre & it's a piece of piss - they must be having a laugh? When you live in the countryside you only ever go to a big town every so often & so when you start shopping for Christmas you expect to see nice, lovely things in the shop to buy - but today it was all rubbish, everything, even the Christmas decorations - all a waste of time - I've never seen such useless, ugly, expensive stuff in all my life & some people in these various shops were actually saying how great it all was - are they blind?

Thirdly - what the hell is wrong with me? I've been on a detox diet now for almost 5 weeks - no meat, no dairy, no wheat, no alcohol & I still can't get into the clothes I want . . . & walking around in jeans that are now a few sizes too big for is just not a good look! So I have lost a lot - I've actually lost 15 pounds - but it hasn't had any effect on my trousers size!

Fourthly - again what the hell is wrong with me? I lie in my bed at nights restless thinking of London, thinking of the old house & wandering around it's rooms. I think of drives out into Kent & shopping trips to Bluewater. I think of Canterbury & my MA & where did all that time go to? And where are all my friend's now? Some I've heard from, some have disappeared off the map. I'm beginning to feel too nostalgic for my own good - so much so that I wonder if I did really want to leave London . . . was that really the right thing to do? But then someone did tell me recently that they couldn't imagine me being a city girl, as I'm so at home in the countryside - 'at one' with my surroundings. I don't know if I want to laugh hysterically or cry my eyes out! lol

I can't think of a five - though I should as five is my lucky number (& 9) but then maybe that's why I can't think of a 5.

Oh you know what, I'm going to take up tarot card reading again - used to love doing that years ago - whether it meant anything or not or whether my life has been very different without them I have no idea!

Ok rant over - I think - I keep forgetting about this blog - this is the place to voice my frustrations!!!!!!

Emy x x x

Friends of Nature

Ok massive plug here - if anyone reading this loves wildlife in any shape or form, whether you live in th UK or anywhere else in the world, if you want to find the nicest people to talk to, to get to know & generally have a lot of fun - although there are serious aspects as well - then come & join Friend's of Nature - FoN for short - it's all free & registration takes a few minutes. I've been on this forum now since July & my friend's Christmas card list has drastically increased in number!!!! Plus I'm a super moderator! LOL

Ok, more pictures from Scotland - just a few! The trees of Dunkeld.






I've had a bit of a winter clean on this blog - gone are quite a few little applications that were driving me mad - I have enough apps on Facebook! So I thought I'd keep my blog App free - perhaps a few - but keep it simple as I've ignored this blog now for too long! Time for a change!

All is good - I'm on a detox diet & have just about lost a stone. For once I'm looking forward to Christmas - as usually I don't like it at all, it's always so stressful, but whenever we spent it in Devon it was always so peaceful. So I'm hoping for a relaxing time!

Emy x

I'm Back!!!!

Hello all, wow, it's been so long! Ok, so, I've been to Scotland, revisiting all my old haunts from last time when I was filming my pines:

Elgin - the Black Cuillins

The Black Cuillins

And again!

Vapour trails over Skye

The Old Man of Stor, Skye

My first mountain - I couldn't see it!!!!

Scots Pine in the Black Wood of Rannoch

Autumn at Blair Castle, Perthshire

On a boat sailing over the Sound of Sleet, in between Skye & the mainland

Looking towards Skye from our own private beech at Lockalsh

Sunset at the Queen's View

Clouds over Loch Garry

Sunset over Loch Rannoch

Clouds over Schiehallion mountain

Autumn trees over the bank of the River Tay

Glen Lyon

Dunalistor Water


Montrose Basin

Easthaven beach near Montrose


Rainbow over Kyle of Lockalsh

More pictures in next few days - I took thousands!

I'm ok, I think, been too busy to do anything recently. Devon life is good & we may have found a home - finger's crossed.

I hope everyone is well,

Emy xxx