10 October 2016

Hunters, grapes, and leaves

Yesterday afternoon I took Callie out for our walk at about 5:30. It was Sunday, and at this time of year, that means there were hunters out there. I could hear gunshots off in the distance. As we went out the back gate and started down the hill, I saw a little brown dog, a terrier of some kind, just disappearing between two rows of vines. I told Callie to stay close to me.


Our relatively new neighbors have a little brown dog like that, and I figured he was out there, maybe having escaped from their fenced-in yard. And then I saw a hunter. He was dressed in camouflage — a real costume, right out of central casting. He was carrying a rifle and it was not "broken" — not open but, I assume, loaded and cocked. Most hunters don't carry guns around like that when they're in the vineyard. With this hunter was a little boy, maybe 10 years old.


I was close enough to the man and the boy to shout a big Bonjour! to them. The hunter looked at me and almost scowled. That's never happened out there before. Most hunters flash and smile and return the greeting. They chat, and they are curious about Callie. What kind of dog is she? A hunting dog? No? And so on. This surly hunter just turned and walked away. I didn't enjoy the encounter. It's strange having unfriendly people carry and even fire guns just a hundred yards of so from our house.


Meanwhile, the vines in a lot of vineyard plots and rows all around us are still heavy with big bunches of purple grapes. This is the latest harvest we've seen since we came to live here in 2003. The grapes are beautiful, and you really are tempted to pick some and take them home. Of course you don't do that. But you can pinch one here and there and taste the differences between different varieties. At this point, they are all sweet and juicy.

18 comments:

  1. Really fantastic pictures!

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  2. There were hunters with dogs, horns and guns quite close to our house yesterday. Having just collected Daisy from the cattery we decided to keep her in. The prospect of her being frightened and chased by a hunting dog worried me.
    I hope the neighbour's little dog found his way home ok.

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    1. I wonder if it was what they call a battue. I don't mind those so much, because you can see the groups of hunters and hear the packs of dogs. It's the solitary hunter I worry about.

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  3. I got myself a bright orange cap from the hunting aisle at Decathlon to wear when I go running. Just in case!
    We usually hear lots of blasts early in the morning on the weekends--and lots of dog barking, too. But yesterday, somebody was firing away in the evening. I am glad we have tall walls around our place!

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    1. I bought myself a bright red coat a few years ago, but it never was comfortable to wear, so I got rid of it. I don't wear camouflage out in the vineyard, though. We have a tall hedge around our place but I'm pretty sure it's not bullet-proof.

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  4. Your heading reminds me of what's been said about the Australian wombat. It has been described as the most selfish and chauvinistic of marsupials. It eats, roots and leaves.

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    1. Our American version of that is about some animal that "eats shoots and leaves." You can put in the commas.

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  5. Beautiful photos :) Nice to offset the uncomfortable images of the scowling hunter. I hope the little dog is safe, too.

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  6. Oh, and, p.s., glad to read your comment on yesterday's post, that MA is fine, and all is well in Morehead City.

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  7. A little off subject but... The Potee was great! I'm glad you and your family is doing well.

    -craig-

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  8. I am sure you will remember this, growing up in North Carolina, my dad would get his rifles out and he and his brother in law would go out hunting. God bless her, my Mom told him if he killed anything, don't bring it home, she didn't want to know about it.
    I think sometimes this might be why it was so easy for me to quit eating meat when I was 20.

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    1. A couple or times, our neighbor here has given us pheasants he shot when out hunting. The first one I took to the market and asked the poultry vendor to pluck and clean it. They did it for me, and didn't charge me a cent. Very nice. The second pheasant I ended up putting in the garbage because I couldn't pluck and clean it and I didn't want the poultry vendor to have to do it again for free.

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  9. It is illegal to carry a primed, ready to fire gun and to discharge it within 500mtrs of any property!
    The gendarmes are getting quite active on this!! There were three convictions locally last year....
    As for the scowl, you probably spoiled his hunting... nice one!!
    I wouldn't want him wandering around ours either!

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    1. I suppose I should mention this incident to our mayor.

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