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The online diary
started life as a blog of my strange 'other life' with the dog. I
wanted to record some of the experiences that I had as a first-time dog
owner. To access the archive, click on the appropriate month.
The most recent articles are listed
separately.
You are most
welcome to send comments about any of the articles. Record your
comments via the Contact Me page.
SOMETHING IN THE AIR TONIGHT
Sun 01 Feb 2009
A visit to the
butcher is always an interesting experience for me. Ever since I retired
and took over cooking duties, I have been on a continuous learning curve.
My butcher has played a key role in this learning experience. Whenever I
ask a question about meat, its preparation and cooking, everyone who works
in the shop is able to give me very good advice and ideas.
‘Which beef is
the best for casseroles?’ ‘Chuck steak is the best as it has these veins of
fat running through the meat, which helps to tenderise the meat when cooking
slowly and has a beautiful flavour. We call that marbling in the trade.’
Now would your
average assistant at Tesco’s be able to tell you all that? I’ll leave that
one with you!
I was at the
butcher last week and noticed that venison was for sale. The conversation
turned to game and I was informed that the game season was coming to an end,
but that there were oven-ready pheasants and partridges available in the
freezer. For some time I had been toying with the idea of making pies, and
decided to take the plunge by buying a pheasant, a partridge and some
venison to put in a game pie!
Pleased with
my purchases, I found my pie book and there was a recipe for game pie using
rough puff pastry. Now I have never made pastry before, but I was comforted
by the assertion that ‘compared to flaky and puff pastry, this is much more
straightforward and I would recommend it for rich pies such as game and
venison.’ Pie Angela Boggiano p. 20
She was
definitely talking directly to me, and last Friday night I decided to make
my first pie!
It took most
of the day to prepare and bake the pie and during the afternoon I noticed
that Beattie was hanging around
the kitchen, sniffing the air, in that way of hers, nose held straight up
pointing to heaven! The new smells obviously had intrigued her and she
wanted to know more!
Her interest
quickened further as the pie was served and she stood right up on her hind
legs in an attempt to see what was causing such unusual odours! It looked
rather comical, but I said to A
that there was no way she could be left alone as the uneaten pie was likely
to disappear! On tiptoe, Beattie can just about reach the worktop in the
kitchen! Now, if she had enough motivation …
She needn’t
have worried, for she had her reward after we had eaten – a delicious
portion of game with her dried food.
If
Beattie could sing, the words of the old Phil Collins hit might be on her
lips!
‘I
can feel it coming in the air tonight, Oh Lord’ …
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Comment from Tracey Lilly
Where are the
photos of the pie?
Sad to say, no
photographs of the pie were taken. derek
Comment from
Gary
Derek - I'm very impressed, making pastry and
a pie! I usually leave that sort of stuff to Sheena, could never
seem to get away with making pastry!
Gary ...
Well, it's my role now
that I have retired, Gary!
Comment from James
Pie! Blimey very Jamie Oliver. I decided to
expand my range of homemade bakery products to two this week. Euan
made muffins at school and they were very nice, so I reproduced his
efforts for my team at work. Mine however weren't quite so yummy and
not received as well as my now famous banana cake.
You'll be able to start up your own
business soon, James! derek
Comment from
sablonneuse
Well, I'm
definitely hoping for an invitation to dinner next time I come over.
(If I promise to leave Bear at home?)
Just let me know when
you're coming over, Sandy! derek
TRACKING
Mon 09 Feb 2009
Tracking is
one facet of the sport of Working Trials. It began life as a series of
character tests for German Shepherds, but nowadays, any dog can take part.
Besides tracking, which is defined as ‘nosework’, the other two sections of
the test are agility and control.
AT has been
participating in Working Trials for some time now, and her dog,
Ba, has
achieved considerable success in a comparatively short while. There are
five levels of competence, starting with Companion Dog. When a dog has
achieved that standard, CDEX can be attached to its name. The other levels
are Utility Dog (UDEX), Working Dog (WDEX), Tracking Dog (TDEX) and the
highest level, Patrol Dog (PDEX). Ba has achieved his CDEX and is now
working towards the UDEX qualification.
Beattie and I
became involved because AT asked me if I would come over to lay tracks for Ba to develop his skills. It is better for him to follow an unknown scent
rather than AT’s.
Today was our
first session and although it was a miserable day, cold and wet, AT said
that these were perfect conditions for tracking! You have to be very keen
to participate in this sport as it takes place in all weathers and on all
terrains. A cold, wet, muddy field can be rather daunting in February!
Happily for
us, we were not to endure such conditions today, as it was a rough meadow
that we were to track over, and that was better than mud!
AT wanted me
to lay a track for Ba and after determining the wind direction; she stuck a
white plastic pole in the ground about five metres in from the edge of the
field. I was then to walk in a straight line for about fifty metres before
turning right, leaving another pole on the ground as a guide for AT (not the
dog!). I then walked a shorter distance before putting a tennis ball on the
ground at the end of the track. This was the object that the dog had to
find. In actual competition, the object can be anything at all such as a
two-centimetre square of carpet!
Having laid
the track, it was Beattie’s turn to do some work. AT laid out a short track
with treats every two or three paces, with a ‘jackpot’ of treats at the
end. The idea was to let Beattie work it out for herself and not give
directions. After all, it’s what Beattie does naturally! After the track
was laid, she was but into a harness with a long lead and I led her to the
starting pole. Here I said the word ‘pole’ followed by ‘track’ and the
command ‘find it’. Well, Beattie knows that command and off she set. She
soon had the idea as she tracked across the grass picking up each treat in
turn. As AT said, the exercise was self-rewarding.
She reached
the end and claimed the jackpot and my praise. Next, a longer track with
the treats spread more widely apart. This time the ‘banana route’ that she
took over the ground puzzled me. But AT provided the explanation as she
said the wind had blown the scent to the side and Beattie was following the
scent. Her final track was very short with just one treat in the middle and
a jackpot. AT said it was always good to end with success. The dog would
remember that next time!
Beattie really seemed to have enjoyed her afternoon even though she
was pretty wet through. We took her back to the van where she was
towelled down and put in a crate whilst Ba performed. The track was
over an hour old now, but AT said this was a good thing as the track
actually narrowed with time and was easier to follow. It was great
to watch Ba confidently pulling AT over the ground as he faithfully
followed my scent and claimed his prize, a ballie being thrown for
him to chase! He also practised his agility over the long jump and
high jump before finishing with a ‘sendaway’, which was not quite so
successful. All in all it was a very rewarding afternoon and I
arranged to bring Beattie back for another session.
Then it was
back to AT’s house for a big welcome from all her dogs and a lovely cup of
tea!
Thanks for an
enjoyable afternoon!
To find out more about
Working Trials click here.
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Comment from AT
Glad you enjoyed it...it means you'll come and lay some more tracks
for me!
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Photographs taken with a Fuji MX-2900
Zoom or a Canon EOS 20D
Copyright © 2009 Derek Cockell All Rights
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