12 July 2006
Illicit Plunder
I promised Eric that I will tell this tale after he got falsely accused.
Many moons ago, when the littlest Pumpkin was a toddler, my wife and I, tired of suburbia, moved to a small farm.
With us moved Hagar and Bianca, our gorgeous Pyrenean Mountain dogs and the rest of our menagerie.
We did the new family, in the neighbourhood bit and met everyone, that on small farm's is now not close neighbours but people that lived between 100 and 150 meters away.
The dogs loved it and frolicked around the, for them, vast property.
People move to these small farms, not because they want to farm, but rather to lose close neighbours.
So after the first round of introductions we kept to ourselves.
And we loved it and the dogs loved it.
Three weeks into the bliss catastrophe struck in the dark of night while the household slept obliviously.
Our dogs went walkabout. In the morning mayhem ruled.
Chinese geese, love birds, doves, fancy chickens, common or garden variety of every kind turkey, normal chicken and Chinese duck strewn everywhere. Dead and torn apart, feathers and pieces were strewn about our property.
Our loyal guardians have brought back the trophies of their raid.
Besides the evidence in our yard there were tufts of white hair in evidence trapped where our dogs tore open the coops and fences where these animals were kept.
We had to face our neighbours a Greek Cypriot couple that adored birds.
These now dead birds were their pride and joy.
I was horrified. My wife was beside herself.
We met.
We wanted to settle the financial losses to ease their pain.
We tried to be businesslike and settle a price.
They were distressed but coping.
Negotiations were progressing ....
36 Chicken's ........at so much,OK
15 Turkey's ........ at so much,OK
6 Lovebird's ....... at so much,OK
7 Dove's ....... at so much, OK
11 Chinese geese ....... at so much,OK
4 Chinese ducks ...... at so much ..... Bwaaaaaa ... aaaa ...waaaaaail ....
Tears, snot and animal in distress signals abound.
It appears that in SA at that time Chinese duck chicks could not be bought for any price. You could only buy eggs and hatch them yourselves.
So our Cypriot Greek lady wailed "Hoow muuch for a duck that I bred myself" ... tears ... wail .. tears !!!
This is where all four of us started the laugh - cry cycle.
Update:
I wanted to include in here the fact that I have the stories, but can't write them down like ... well ... some other people.
And more.
From my comments.
Bonita said...
I can just see the Greek lady wringing her hands, then shaking them up to God, who shudda been there protect her doves, chickens,turkeys,and (sniff)LOVEBIRDS! Oh my. I hope she kept her faith in an all-bountiful provider.
I'm learning.
Thanks.
Many moons ago, when the littlest Pumpkin was a toddler, my wife and I, tired of suburbia, moved to a small farm.
With us moved Hagar and Bianca, our gorgeous Pyrenean Mountain dogs and the rest of our menagerie.
We did the new family, in the neighbourhood bit and met everyone, that on small farm's is now not close neighbours but people that lived between 100 and 150 meters away.
The dogs loved it and frolicked around the, for them, vast property.
People move to these small farms, not because they want to farm, but rather to lose close neighbours.
So after the first round of introductions we kept to ourselves.
And we loved it and the dogs loved it.
Three weeks into the bliss catastrophe struck in the dark of night while the household slept obliviously.
Our dogs went walkabout. In the morning mayhem ruled.
Chinese geese, love birds, doves, fancy chickens, common or garden variety of every kind turkey, normal chicken and Chinese duck strewn everywhere. Dead and torn apart, feathers and pieces were strewn about our property.
Our loyal guardians have brought back the trophies of their raid.
Besides the evidence in our yard there were tufts of white hair in evidence trapped where our dogs tore open the coops and fences where these animals were kept.
We had to face our neighbours a Greek Cypriot couple that adored birds.
These now dead birds were their pride and joy.
I was horrified. My wife was beside herself.
We met.
We wanted to settle the financial losses to ease their pain.
We tried to be businesslike and settle a price.
They were distressed but coping.
Negotiations were progressing ....
36 Chicken's ........at so much,OK
15 Turkey's ........ at so much,OK
6 Lovebird's ....... at so much,OK
7 Dove's ....... at so much, OK
11 Chinese geese ....... at so much,OK
4 Chinese ducks ...... at so much ..... Bwaaaaaa ... aaaa ...waaaaaail ....
Tears, snot and animal in distress signals abound.
It appears that in SA at that time Chinese duck chicks could not be bought for any price. You could only buy eggs and hatch them yourselves.
So our Cypriot Greek lady wailed "Hoow muuch for a duck that I bred myself" ... tears ... wail .. tears !!!
This is where all four of us started the laugh - cry cycle.
The dogs went to a friend on a real farm and lived out their natural lives.
I paid over a major portion of my monthly income for more than 90 birds killed.
Future dogs were better trained than these "town dogs"
Update:
I wanted to include in here the fact that I have the stories, but can't write them down like ... well ... some other people.
And more.
From my comments.
Bonita said...
I can just see the Greek lady wringing her hands, then shaking them up to God, who shudda been there protect her doves, chickens,turkeys,and (sniff)LOVEBIRDS! Oh my. I hope she kept her faith in an all-bountiful provider.
I'm learning.
Thanks.
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8 comments
I can just see the Greek lady wringing her hands, then shaking them up to God, who shudda been there protect her doves, chickens,turkeys,and (sniff)LOVEBIRDS! Oh my. I hope she kept her faith in an all-bountiful provider.
A tragedy surely.
But what a picture of Hagar! The nobility, the pride, that's one fine dog.
But what a picture of Hagar! The nobility, the pride, that's one fine dog.
# posted by 
: Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:50:00 PM
: Thursday, July 13, 2006 3:50:00 PM
Sad story. But dogs will be dogs. Bet they thought they were just the king shite when they brought all those birdies home....
# posted by : Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:16:00 PM
: Thursday, July 13, 2006 6:16:00 PM
I never blamed the dogs.
I was supposed to be the superior animal and I never trained them.
Those two beautiful dogs left offspring that are to this very day look after their charges, including poultry.
They were trained by humans.
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I was supposed to be the superior animal and I never trained them.
Those two beautiful dogs left offspring that are to this very day look after their charges, including poultry.
They were trained by humans.
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