As part of my downsizing/ upgrading I bought my scrimshaw grips a new gun (1911 .45 of course), a Kimber Ultra Carry II with night sights. Mel at Ron Peterson’s threw in an ingenious holster that can be used right or left side, cross or regular draw, with no alterations.The design is based on a …
Month: March 2011
Cool
From “Max”:I believe I know that guy (;-); (pic is from 1998 but I have plenty more). He IS cool, and can out- drink me:
Xigou
Sir Terence Clark has just returned from China. He writes: “I was in Shaanxi Province of China in October 2010 with the Xigou (pronounced See-gow) hunters, one of whom had previously asked me whether I thought his hound was a Saluki. After examining a whole range of these hounds, I can only say that superficially …
The Fragrance of Grass
Guy de la Valdene’s new memoir The Fragrance of Grass (title from a line in a Jim Harrison poem) is out, and it is wonderful, even better than his earlier good books I think. It is an unusual combination of almost Proustian (but rural) memoir and sporting reminiscence, perhaps with echoes of Turgenev’s “notebooks” as …
From the Commonplace Book
A poem by Gavin Maxwell. He doubtless did others but this one imagining wild Iceland from home is the only one I know. It resonates for this traveler stuck at home at least for the present… Slowly through a Land of Stone So although no ghost was scotchedWe were happy while we watchedRavens from their …
Three Small Falcons, and Thoughts on Speciation…
Anne Price of the Raptor Education Foundation flies the excellent taiga merlin Tish, who has been drawn by Vadim Gorbatov “bulldogging” a starling (Cowgirl Tish). We were discussing Cheetah who is half taita (or teita) falcon. The species lives in the river gorges of eastern and southern Africa– I have seen nests near Victoria Falls. …
Two from the Commonplace Book
I can’t die yet. There are many men I must kill first!-Yojimbo On the door it says what to do to surviveBut we were not born to surviveOnly to live-W S Merwin, The River of Bees For the record, I think the first at least is hilarious…
ID Query
Tom McIntyre sent this photo his friend Keith Benoist snapped in Mississippi last weekend. Suggestions include Swainson’s and broadwing which I doubt– slighter and migratory– and Harlan’s which is possible though ours tend to be more “speckly”. I call darkish (for the east) redtail. What say you?
“Horned Rifles”
Central Asia is full of archaic survivals, which include old technologies (should that be “technologies” with quotes, to include animal memes like hawking and various “old ways“– thanks Liz Thomas!– with dogs and other animals as well as actual “tech”?) China controls guns but Tibetans actually still hunt with matchlocks (and tazi- like dogs though …
Links
Got so many I may split them! Peculiar links (scroll down) to a wonderful little film on Black Sea sparrow hawks in falconry– for Turkish TV? High point is as he says throwing them overhand like baseballs at quail, but the “pubs” and characters are amazing– must get there! Thanks to Paul for pointing me …