Burra Maluca

According to the wikki article about drover's roads

Geese, turkeys, pigs, and horses were also driven to markets, and in large quantities to London. Cattle were fitted with iron shoes, geese were fitted with boots to protect their feet, and the feet of turkeys were tarred and sanded.[13] Daniel Defoe recorded that 150,000 turkeys were driven from East Anglia to London each year, the journey taking three months to complete.[13] There is a record[full citation needed] of a wager in 1740 on whether geese or turkeys would travel faster – the winner being the geese which could graze as they moved, while the turkeys had to stop to be fed.

It doesn't say which bit of East Anglia but if you assume a ballpark figure of a hundred miles, that's only a mile or so a day.  Which seems not very much to me.

There's apparently a movie called Singlton's Pluck which might have useful info.

Haha - I feel your pain....

Here are some loppers I bought from the local agriloja.



I took them back and, having failed to find anything that looked like it was really up to the job, finally sent off to amazon for some fiskars loppers which have been brilliant.



Having said that, the local aluminium scythes are brilliant and affordable.  

When walking or riding through or past farms and had farm dogs come out to see what I'm doing there, if they seem too pushy I've always stared them straight in the eye and told them in no uncertain terms that they'd better behave themselves and give me my space else I'll have their guts for garters.  Never yet failed with a farm dog whilst on foot, though sometimes on a horse they'd push a bit and need me to get the horse to make a bold move directly at them to push the point home.  

Failed miserably with a rottweiler though, but that one was intent on causing trouble and had to be physically dragged off my horse's face by its owner.  The police were informed and I don't believe the dog was given the opportunity to cause trouble again.  

Mike Barkley wrote:I once took several Japanese businessmen to a Mexican restaurant named Chi Chi's. When we first arrived they started giggling & laughing like young school children.

I'd giggle too, and refuse to drink anything there.  It means 'piss' in Portuguese.

Try this link to start you off - rocket mass heaters

Nicole Alderman wrote:So will Rock just be herding ducks, or will there be some sheep in the future?

He's likely to be just a duck and chicken herder, which he's getting the hang of pretty well.  He's a special case as he'd been sold as a puppy and the home turned out to be unsuitable but by the time Adeline found out and bought him back he'd been pretty thoroughly messed up and while he will work sheep, he tends to freeze up in fear that he's done something wrong so he needs a lot of time to re-train and to get his confidence back, which not many real working farms would be prepared to give him.  So she was delighted to find that I was looking for a dog, and that Rock would have someone she trusted to look after him.  And I was delighted to have him.  He's very sensitive, and unlike a lot of sheepdogs he seems to be happy with pretty well any job I can give him and can cope without sheep.  Just about.  

It's possible I'll find an excuse to let him move the neighbours' sheep around a bit though.  We'll see how he goes.

Here he is on his way home, having just crossed the border into Porugal, and wondering why he's been stuck in a cage and spent three days on the road.  

Galadriel Freden wrote:
My (Welsh!) husband has fond memories of eating them at boarding school.  I don't dare ask what's in them :)

Never ask, just smother them with gravy and pile on the mushy peas.

Mostly unwanted bits of pig I think though.  Especially liver.

William - I understand your confusion, really I do.  But faggot is such a trigger word for so many people, and we don't want to drive them away over something so trivial.

Anyway, in honour of your Welshness, I'm going to share a favourite meal...



Enjoy! ;)

paul wheaton wrote:

you can say old fart, can't you?

I feel confident that nobody on the staff will object.

Of course, if it's a particularly loud, noisy fart we'd call it a trump...