It’s a bit much when a pheasant takes up residence in your garden and just struts up and down when you are stuck inside. Now, I’m not one to kill anything much bigger than a small bunny, but that’s not the point. It winds me up. It also disturbs me when I’m trying to be the calm responsible one as it winds Aristotle and Shadow up. It’s an interesting question who actually ‘owns’ the land. Obviously humans think they do, but no one actually consulted the wildlife when they moved in and took over. The wildlife has maintained its right to roam whatever the humans might think and that’s where the problem arises. My Mistress has said that if the pheasant is in our garden it is fair game, but I don’t think the pheasant would see it that way. Can you imagine if there were a vulture overhead that swooped down and attacked a human it being reported as ‘fair game’ because the vulture thought he owned the land? To be fair I think the vulture would probably wait until the human was already dead, but that’s not the point. I try, except where very small creatures cry out to my primeval killer instinct, to work on the basis of live and let live. Having said that, I wouldn’t mind trying pheasant. I haven’t had it before. I guess until it’s actually bought and paid for it’s not going to happen as even if Shadow were to do the catching and killing I can’t see our Mistress being happy to do the plucking.
It’s swimming today. I don’t mind too much, with being half term I’ve got an audience and it’s always fun to show off how much I’ve learned. Apparently I’m quite a good swimmer now, you didn’t expect that did you?
Alfie’s Diary – the Book is available at Amazon UK –https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00583ZGSA
You can find short stories to read at www.alfiedog.com
Our cocker Lotta (real name Queenie) would have understood you frustration, Alfie! Mum fed the small birds through the swedish winter and they were a bit spoilt so they ate only the best seeds and put the rest on the ground. So, there were bigger birds like pigeions eating those. We, humans, first thought we should clean up a bit but then came a beautiful pheasant to eat as well so we didn’t have the heart. Lotta was furious over the pheasant’s intrusion and used to growl quite a bit. My mother complained over the cost of birdseed but if you start you better continue, the birds count on you! Lotta would have prefered us to have used the money on nice dogstuff instead! And the least we could have done was letting her out tho chase the pheasant at least once…but that never happened. It’s a dog’s life!
My human says if it’s too stupid to realise it’s my garden then it’s too stupid to live.
I haven’t caught anything yet but I’m still trying.