Ian McKay

Tell us more Willie did you get it :emoticon-0136-giggle: :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Same to you and your family Fred :drinking-coffee-200:

Same to you Andy & Seona the kids and the zoo (dogs, pigeons, quails ) :drinking-coffee-200:

Yes Walter but I hope to be in University before I get to your age as I have donated my body (poor students) to research I admire you for your commitment to life Sadly I don't have that commitment Ian

Congratulations Gareth & Fiona I wish you all the happiness in the world Driven out of the sport he loved by some pompous prats who think they are important and badly treated by a lot of sour grapes in our sport !!!!!

Yes maybe but pain is the driving force now Fred :emoticon-0179-headbang: :emoticon-0179-headbang:

Having been of ill health for some years now I have had trouble lifting heavy even small items like a basket and it's worse when I put birds in I decide to try and install a system where I have an internal vac in my upstairs loft this has been done so my thoughts turned to freezing drinkers, upstairs I have a 25watt bulb underneath them as they are on grills and wanted my section downstairs the same, it came to a head a few weeks back when I tried to put the lights on upstairs and discovered when I put in a new socket to take the new freezers I had disconnected them (old age thing), so I decided to rewire them to a light switch in the downstairs so would not have to go upstairs to switch them on, at the same time I could wire up the 2 sections downstairs and I can control them all from the one switch so job done with a struggle. While thinking about it I thought how to get food upstairs and came up with the idea of using a Vacuum to do the job, but would it lift it to another level? Looked on the internet and found a grain vac £599.99 so asked for it for my Xmas won't tell you the reply, But being in the vac industry I knew I could build one a lot cheaper and already had Numatic vac on site, I went and got pipe and fittings and set about trying to install my plan, The idea was to create a vacuum into a wheelie bin and suck the food up things were going well until I heard an explosion and it stopped lifting the corn. I went upstairs to discover I had created too much suck and sucked the wheelie bin so much it split from the bottom to the top on one corner Hmmm plan no 2 and another wheelie bin later I was all set this time I reduced the suck in the thing and it struggled, back to the internet and discovered if you want to go further than 15ft it is better to use plastic plumbing pipe 1 & 1/4 so I had spare from the internal vac installation, so this morning I ripped out the flexi pipe and installed the rigid pipe connected it all up switched on went down stairs and the suction was good so good I shifted 3 & a 1/2 hundred weight of food in 15min with out a hitch so all I got to do now is tidy the installation up clean up and no more lifting On looking on the internet I discovered a grain cleaning contraption in the USA so have asked what the carriage to the UK will be. Wonder what my next bright idea will be !!! if I had known about my health problems when I was fitter and younger I could have had it installed for a lot less pain Hope you get a laugh at my expense Have a Merry Xmas and a good new year and remember we will have less BOP to contend with thanks to Mother Nature Ian

Happy Birthday folks have a nice one :santa-dance: George Steve's had a bus pass for a long time :blink:

That's OK just need a few sittings :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Where have you been Bob read post on Peregrine Falcon it's been running for a while Very Merry Xmas for all pigeon fanciers :emoticon-0136-giggle: :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Better get the table set Susan think you will have visitors :drinking-coffee-200: :drinking-coffee-200:

No Susan but will give it a try next time It came with an Orange marinade :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Hey you that's the cook your talking about :emoticon-0179-headbang: That's the Duck done and just taken the gammon out looks Brilliant but so is the cook :emoticon-0136-giggle: :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Brains By Margaret C H Murphy My name is BRAINS and here is my story so far….. I was born in the West of Scotland and was cared for by a nice man, who gave me good corn to eat, fresh water to drink and a clean place to live. One day, he picked me up and put me in a basket, which he then put into his car. It was exciting as I have never been outside the loft before. The car made a funny noise and as it went along I was shaken about in the basket. At last the car stopped and the basket was taken from the car and before long the nice man picked me out very gently and handed me to another man whom I will call Jay. Again I was put into a box and back inside a car and away on another journey. When this car stopped I was taken into the house to be shown to Jay’s wife, then I was put in beside his pigeons. This was quite strange as it wasn’t MY loft, where my parents and all my friends lived. Who were these other birds I was beside? They spoke funny and kept asking me where I came from and why was I in THEIR loft? Some of the birds were friendly but others kept saying I was in their space and kept pecking me and telling me to go back to where I came from. Every day Jay came in and cleaned the loft, he spoke to everyone and came back later and gave us our meal. But I was still getting bullied by one or two others and I so missed all my old friends I wished I was back in my old loft.. Freedom After a couple of days Jay came in and I made my escape, I jumped on his head and I was out of the door before he could say ‘Hello’. I flew out and sat on the loft roof for a while and had a good look around me. This was different from my old surroundings but it was wonderful to be free, the wind was blowing quite strongly but it was exhilarating. Where would I go? Jay was out talking to me and it would have been nice to go back into the loft but I wanted to be free. To see the world! Do things for myself. The wind blew and I flapped my wings and off I went. Oh this was exciting. I flew between houses just skimming over tree tops. this was magic as the wind blew me along and made me go quicker than I wanted to go but it was a great thrill as I hadn’t done anything like this before. After a while I became out of breath and was glad to sit on a branch of a tree for a while overlooking this new place I had been brought to. Jay noticed me and came over and spoke to me again trying to entice me back over to his loft. But hey I was FREE and I wasn’t going back into this new loft, I wanted to do other things that I heard the other birds in my old loft talk about which sounded ‘Great’. They had told me they were put into race baskets and taken on a lorry away to other parts of the country, even to foreign lands and they had to eat and drink in these baskets, (some of the food wasn’t great but when you are hungry you just have to eat it). Then one morning they heard a loud shout ‘Let them Go’ and all the fronts of the baskets dropped and all the birds were released at once, after flying about for a few times they then found the direction for home and all headed north. They also told me that on return the nice man gave them a ‘treat’ of small grains and they all said it was good to be home beside their partner and to get spoiled. Well…… I wanted some of that; I’m a racing pigeon and this is what I was bred for? After a while of sitting on the branch I decided to start my adventure and go for a fly. Up and up I went, darting about the sky, IT WAS WONDERFUL…I could go anywhere I wanted and do anything I liked so I flew and flew for hours. It was starting to get dark and I was beginning to get hungry and I didn’t know where to go to get something to eat or to drink, plus it was getting quite cold. The wind was blowing stronger and the rain had come on and I was feeling ‘miserable’ and needed to get somewhere to shelter and dry out. I landed on the ground and took a drink of water from a puddle it wasn’t nice but at least I had a drink then looking round I saw an old house that had a broken window and decided to go there for the night, I gave myself a good shake when I landed on a shelf in this house. I was cold, tired and very hungry by now and I had to go to sleep feeling quite sorry for myself. After an awful night as I did not sleep very well however the wind was not so fierce as I awoke by the noise of crows all shouting and screaming at each other. This was quite scary and they kept telling me to look out for Mr Hawk but I didn’t know who ‘He’ was or where he lives but they told me that if he caught me then it would be ‘The End’. I then thought ‘Maybe being free and on my own is not so great after all’. I kept thinking of the new loft where I had escaped from as the wind and rain didn’t get to me there. Plus I was always well fed and had fresh water to drink; maybe I should try and get back to it as I’m quite frightened to be out on my own another night. So I flew around for a couple of hours and then all of a sudden the surroundings became familiar. What’s that I can see down there? It’s that my new loft, I can see the birds in the aviary. So shutting my wings I decided to go down to have a look. Some of the birds started ‘cooing’ and asking where I had been and they seemed happy to see me. So maybe they were not as scary as I first thought anything is better than dealing with those crows. Jay’s wife noticed me sitting on the top of the aviary and shouted to him that I was back. He came out talking very gentle to me and ever so softly telling me that I was to be a good girl and come in the loft, where some of my friends were getting some food. My first thought was ‘food’ as my belly is rumbling. I think I will go in after all I’ve had a bit of freedom, experience life outside the loft and it is not all that’s it’s cracked up to be. It’s lovely in MY loft now; No wind or rain to make me cold and something nice to eat every day and lovely clean water to drink. Jay keeps telling me what a clever girl I am since I returned to the loft. He even said to his wife ‘That bird’s got BRAINS to come back here after only 2 days in the loft…..Now that’s my name BRAINS. Don’t let on but I’m glad to be back!!!!!! Family Affair I’ve enjoyed many days since my ‘escape’ but most of all I enjoy getting out for a fly where I can stretch my wings most mornings and night. However you have to keep your wits about you all the time as there are many hazards to hurt me. I remember one time when out for a fly and it was very windy and I was enjoying myself so much and not paying attention and a gust of wind blew me into a TV aerial and I got a cut in my breast which required a few stitches. In the loft there are girl and boy pigeons and we usually just sit on our own perch but one day I noticed this boy pigeon making eyes at me he is known by Jay as ‘Big Blue’ and we started talking. It was nice to have a special friend and Jay put the two of us in a nest box together and before long I laid 2 eggs. It’s a funny feeling having to look after the eggs as I have to sit on them and keep them warm throughout the night. I get out for a fly when my mate ‘Big Blue’ takes over looking after the eggs during the day and after a few weeks I feel the eggs moving and before long we have 2 fluffy yellow chicks to look after. It’s hard work, all the sitting, feeding and keeping the nest tidy and it is good when Jay takes me out in the basket for a short run in the car and allows us to fly the 20 miles home. There are about 30 of us, so it’s good to race each other home and see who is the first bird into the loft: A few weeks later something strange happens to me as I’m away from my new babies and ‘Big Blue’ for 3 days. This was different as we were in a big lorry with hundreds of other birds. I don’t like being here in this strange basket having to fight for some food and a drink. After a good night’s sleep the convoyer opens the shutters on the side of the lorry and it’s lovely to feel the fresh air blowing into the basket and he also gives us fresh drinking water. After a short while the sides of all the baskets are dropped and we head for home but things are different this time and it is a bit scary as we have been on the wing for a long time and are not near our home. We started off in a big batch but now this is down to 30 birds and we are all trying to race each other, some of the older birds are not able to keep up with us so they are lagging behind while others drop back. I just want home to my 2 babies and I’m starting to become tired as I have been flying for over 14 hours and it is starting to get dark. However I recognise some of the places below and there is the Forth Bridge and some tall buildings that are near my home. I look around me and there is only one other bird with me when all of a sudden I see my loft and start to dive down towards it. Jay is standing watching the sky and he sees me coming and I can hear him shout ‘Come on my Girl’ as I land on the top of the aviary. He keeps telling me ‘What a good girl I am and how glad he is to see me home’. Now all I have to do was walk over the pad and get into the loft and be beside ‘Big Blue’ and my babies. I didn’t know the technology of some things but when I walked over the pad I hear a ‘bleeping noise’ and the time is registered on the clock. It turned out that I was first bird back to the loft and I’ve won the club and federation which is not bad for my first race from France. Jay is so happy when he comes to see me sitting on my babies the next morning. He picks me up and gives me a little kiss and turns to his wife and said ‘I told you this bird had ‘Brains’. © Compiled by Margaret C H Murphy

Marlene has to cater for 7 for Xmas lunch and 1 pensioner on Saturday so we have today lit the barbecue Put the fresh turkey crown in at 12.15 almost ready then the Duck and Gammon are next We cooked the roast beef yesterday in the oven Hope they appreciate it roll on Sunday :santa-dance: :santa-dance: What have you got planned :smiley:

Happy Birthday folks have a nice one :drinking-coffee-200:

Only 1 reason PRICE :emoticon-0179-headbang: :emoticon-0179-headbang: Transferrs are free :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Aye but they are easy to read :emoticon-0179-headbang:

Yes and it's got a big Ape looking after it :emoticon-0136-giggle: :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Marlene has me Fred and says the same thing :emoticon-0136-giggle:

You would be skinny if you were gutted :emoticon-0136-giggle: :emoticon-0136-giggle:

How many on site keep fish for a hobby Not you Froog :emoticon-0136-giggle:

Happy Birthday guys have a nice one especially Arty :drinking-coffee-200: :drinking-coffee-200: :drinking-coffee-200:

Yes Ian it's a lot to digest but as I see it we are not carriers or it does not affect our birds I know you can never say never but it is looking good for our birds I also know they may carry it if venturing into some contaminated area but unlikely at this time of year I do believe DEFRA are flexing there muscles and we can expect a lot more interest in our transport systems and crates / panniers and as the rules have been in place since about 2005 we the pigeon fancy have had tme to make sure our transporters are DEFRA compliant but alas a lot of organisations are just plain ignorant or unwilling to accept the rules and the power DEFRA have.

Brilliant give us more Hiv y any needing rehoming :emoticon-0136-giggle: :emoticon-0136-giggle: