Other hobbies besides collecting militaria?,

[Reynard]

Reynard, congrats on your milestone! I'm not familiar with the subject matter you're writing about but it must be interesting to have written about it for this long. You have kept Bic Pens in business single handedly and they owe you a box!

Hah, I use the ones they give out free in the bank. I haven't bought a biro for years LOL. I've just enjoyed working with my characters. Some are easy to write for, others have to be dragged kicking and screaming through the plot (the Human characters mostly)... Have just finished a scene with a cantankerous one-legged mess hall steward.

Yep, I enjoy photography. Have been known to inhabit race car meetings as a one-woman press corps. You name it, I've shot it, from F1 testing through to 750 MC via BTCC, short oval and 24 hour races. Oh yes, and I also photograph cats. They're just as unpredictable as race cars...

[Adrian]

Nice owl Ralph, I look forward to seeing the mount when it's done! I recently took a trip to the taxidermist, I've always wanted a woodcock mounted as they're a very beautiful bird and a challenging shot. I hadn't had the chance of one for nearly twenty years but over the Christmas break I did so I'm having it mounted as a flying mount which will hang off my wall. I also took a green woodpecker in which I found dead at work a couple of years ago. I should have them back by mid March.

Interestingly, the taxidermist I use does alot of film and television work, notably in recent years, the Harry Potter movies. He provided the snowy owl that the title character has in the film.

[rbminis]

Nice Ralph, I love the snowy Owl...but of course have never seen one in the wild or up close. Shes beautiful.

BTW does anyone else enjoy Photography? I recently entered the world of DSLR cameras, and have been loving it! Now that my work has slowed down, Ive been taking alot of wildlife pics lately....ducks, deer, landscape shots/etc. These cameras are incredible if you know how to use em'!

This is before I knew how to use the manual settings....

Thanks Bill!
I take many wildlife photos even though I don't have a DSLR. I will post some when I have them resized
Ralph.
Nice photos by the way!

[rbminis]

Nice owl Ralph, I look forward to seeing the mount when it's done! I recently took a trip to the taxidermist, I've always wanted a woodcock mounted as they're a very beautiful bird and a challenging shot. I hadn't had the chance of one for nearly twenty years but over the Christmas break I did so I'm having it mounted as a flying mount which will hang off my wall. I also took a green woodpecker in which I found dead at work a couple of years ago. I should have them back by mid March.

Interestingly, the taxidermist I use does alot of film and television work, notably in recent years, the Harry Potter movies. He provided the snowy owl that the title character has in the film.

Thanks Adrian!
Like I said, I have been actively searching for one of these every winter for 15 years. Last week while on a road trip for work, I spotted 3 of them on light posts along the way. Another fellow at work went out today and came back and said he saw 8 on a round trip.
My taxidermists's shop does not smell very good, luckily I have a terrible sense of smell. Either that or it just does not bother me. I have another hawk and white weasel being done in one mount right now. I go there and help him making the bases for some of the mounts that he does and he does my birds for free, (they just seem to take a long time).
Your woodcock should look great as a flying mount! I look forward to seeing it.
Interesting info on your taxidermist!
Ralph.

[Greenhorn]

Nice Mark, unfortunately no bass up here.
Although I have seen a school of very large whitefish playing on the surface. Tried to throw a hook into the middle of them but , no luck, they didn't want to have anything to do with it.
Ralph.[/QUOTE];


Ralph, I know the feeling. I don't fish for Stripers but they tend to also feed on the surface as you describe and they are catchable.

fish joke.jpg[QUOTE=rbminis;772728]

[rbminis]

BTW does anyone else enjoy Photography? I recently entered the world of DSLR cameras, and have been loving it! Now that my work has slowed down, Ive been taking alot of wildlife pics lately....ducks, deer, landscape shots/etc. These cameras are incredible if you know how to use em'!

This is before I knew how to use the manual settings....

Hi Bill,
Here are a few photos taken in our yard at work. They are standing about 25 yards from the building that I am in.
Ralph.

[rbminis]

Here is another regular visitor to our yard at work. The tree he is in is about 12 meters from our control room window.
Ralph.

[Greenhorn]

Ralph

Pretty good climber, always thought they were ground dwellers. Nice pictures!

[rbminis]

Ralph

Pretty good climber, always thought they were ground dwellers. Nice pictures!

Thanks Green!
I thought so as well until my friend and I were out hunting and he pointed one out to me.
Ralph.

[Adrian]

Mule deer Ralph?

I always get these and the Whitetails mixed up but these have bigger ears right?