A slow start after another late night visiting Robert Ward at his 250acre Manor Farm at Molesworth which I can use for dog training. A trial run revealed several hares and then to Bedford with Diana and the girls to see the new film "Cool Running".
A mad attack by an ex-American Israeli settler extremist has jeopardised the PLO peace talks after he killed over fifty religious worshippers at a mosque.
I was very late to bed last night again and therefore carrying some accumulated tiredness as I was reluctant to wake up this morning, In fact I broke one of my own rules by falling asleep with the electric blanket switched on. I was slow to breakfast and then out with Sam. A fairly short walk and then, whilst feeding the doves, I found a mallard in the riverside garden and culled it with my air rifle; hanging it for use in retrieving later.
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I was able to leave for Molesworth in good time to arrive at Manor Farm to see Robert Ward for 10.00am. They offered me coffee, gave me a map of the 250acre farm layout and we then had a good chat about all manner of subjects, putting the world to rights in the process. They adjoin the Molesworth military base that was the centre of much controversy a few years back as the peace campaigners protested about the installation of lethal cruise atomic missiles.
The missiles and their launchers are now gone but the huge site, with its massively fortified bunkers, is now turned over to radio listening and intelligence on the lines of G.C.H.Q. The farm is laid down to "set-aside" for the last few years and is just maintained and mowed for E.E.C. grants to keep its capacity out of the market. I tried a section of it with Sam afterwards and, despite being assured that no hares had been seen in recent years, Sam soon took off in pursuit of up to three of them and got another beating for his pains until he settled down and quartered much better. This place will be vitally useful in Sam's training.
On to Peterborough after to stock up on dove and dog food and then back for some soup to form a very late mid-afternoon lunch. Just time to strip another bucketful of shower-room tiles of old adhesive and then out with Sam for the afternoon session, getting him to retrieve my mallard without damage. An early tea of macaroni cheese and then to Bedford with Diana and the girls to see the new film "Cool Running" relating the true story of the Jamaican entry in the four-man bobsled competition of the 1987 Calgary Winter Olympics.
It was both funny, sad and then exhilarating. Home to make some telephone calls to my dog-training friends and then my journal and bed-time drink before a slightly earlier retirement. A mad attack by an ex-American Israeli settler extremist has jeopardised the PLO peace talks. He killed over fifty religious worshippers at a mosque.