Vegetarians, Vegans and anyone who dislikes hunting and shooting will probably not like this post.  Hunting and shooting are very emotive and I am empathetic to those of you who oppose killing animals/birds for sport or for eating.  However, I do eat meat and birds.  As an omnivore, I think I should face up to how some of the food I enjoy eating, such as pheasant, is killed.

I didn’t manage a post on Saturday as I was heading up to Leicestershire to spend the weekend with our fab friends.  I met the new puppy, Patch, who was so cute.

I had been invited to stay and to go to the local hunt ball.  It was a splendid black tie affair and I had a fabulous evening, eating, drinking, dancing and playing Blackjack.  I enjoyed the company of the farmers, land agents, vets and others I spent the evening with.  People who know and understand our land and who want to protect and look after it or earn a living farming from it.  It was an interesting and fun evening which ended rather late.  So Sunday started fairly late and quietly.  My wonderful hosts provided a lovely cooked breakfast, with eggs from their own chickens.  This was eaten with a slice of buttered toast and several cups of tea.

We were treated to some wonderful piano playing.

The weather was so perfect, we headed off for a walk.  Quick biscuit first for those of the group who had been up early.

Then off for a bicycle and tricycle ride,

and a pony ride.

That made someone happy 🙂

Our merry little band travelled through the village,

to what must be the world’s smallest but cutest art gallery.

Yes, inside this phone box, is a little art gallery where the children in the village display their art work. It even has a visitors book, which we wrote in.  What a brilliant use for a redundant phone box.

BJ’s beetroot grew much better than mine did so I was given a large bagful to take home.

The last thing we did before lunch was learn how to clean a gun.  Yes, we really did.  BJ had been shooting recently; pheasants and partridges.  Hold them up Harvey, Patch wants a nibble!

So we assembled to see how to take apart and clean a gun.

It would never even have occurred to me that guns do need cleaning.

Harvey and Henrietta listened, watched and then helped.

Job done!  Time for lunch which was home made lasagne and salad.  The lasagne was delicious but I managed to serve it so the lovely baked cheesy top was hidden by the lower layers.  A good lasagne is a treat and this really was a treat. Yummy.

Then it was time to bid farewell and head home.  Thank you for a lovely weekend and I enjoyed learning a bit more about hunting and shooting.