Hello Blossom The Merry Month of May Into June

Hello Blossom
​ The Merry Month of May Into June

Blimey where has the time gone, here we are just starting June, it only seems like yesterday I was writing the last monthly article and now here we are, the blossom is in full bloom on the trees here in Somersetshire.

Last month I wrote of becoming a local councillor, wow what a month it has been so far in my new role as a pillar of our wonderful community we have here, I have attended my first council meetings with oh so many more to come, this has really opened my eyes to how things really work, I will say if more people understood local or even national or international politics correctly, what a better world we could build, I am not going to get all PC or Political on you that's just not my bag, all I will say is I am going to try and be one good man trying to make a good positive effect on my local community, let see what this rough ole country boy can achieve for the greater good, mind you I think I look quite dapper in my suit no matter if its my tweeds or Freemasonry suit.

Freemasonry in general has been very busy this last month, as were coming to the end of this Masonic season and break for our summer break its a good time to look back on this season and plan for the season infront  of us, all the lodges across the Somerset Province have been so busy with so much money being raised for local charities here in this Somerset Province/County, I love charity work and helping people who really need it, I head up the Somerset Branch of The Masonic Fishing Charity (MTSFC) www.mtsfc.org.uk this is a national charity, here in this pic I am receiving a cheque from the WM of Gordano Lodge, read all about it on the Somerset Province link button below, you will also read of a wonderful night where we initiated my dear friend and now Brother Jamie into Freemasonry, he is my initiate and right hand man on my pest control company, what was even more special a lot of the boys there were my initiates and personal friends of Jamie and mine from this province and other provinces, do read the article its wonderful, if you would like to know more about becoming a Freemason click on this Somerset Province Website link www.somersetfreemasons.org you will find all you need to know there.

A Wonderful Nights Freemasonry for Jamie Article link

Somerset Branch Masonic Fishing Charity Baytree School article Link

Masonic Fishing Charity Somerset Branch Ravenswood School Link

My game calling demos and lessons are flying out, excuse the pun, I am literally almost fully booked out with gigs, the more that people realise game calling is an ancient craft and really works, native American Indians would use a call for all manner of hunting and tracking, if you want to book me contact me via my website.

My international tracking and field craft lessons are also fully booked out, both here in the UK and on Foreign shores teaching this art and craft, again as with the Game Calling that often becomes part of my demos and lessons, I am so booked out I don't know how much more I can squeeze into this year, I am now looking at bookings for 2024, but again contact me via my website if you would like to book me.

Now I work hard 7 days and well nights a week, my weekly hours are almost as many as most folk do in a month, I always say I would rather be busy than bored, my Pappy (grandfather) always said you don't find moss on a rolling stone my boy, he also said if you sit still too long they will put you in a box in the ground, I work so hard for all I have, I do so much to help everyone I can and my charity work takes up a lot of my time, my passion is making a better place for our young folk, many of you know I head up the awesome international Youth Organisation Pass It On Young Sports www.pass-it-on-young-sports.org.uk take a look if you fancy becoming a sponsor or volunteer, something I realised recently I actually take no time at all for well just me, so I have decided to take some time to drink the wine and smell the roses myself, in this vain I have had a new hat this month, a bit of a jest really but I do love the Crocodile Dundee films, So I now have a Mick Crocodile Dundee Hat, so now this ole squirrel wranglers new name is Squirrel Collins, this has made me chuckle so much, I look more like a cross eyed Mexican train robber in my new hat, I have also been learning to play the acoustic guitar for a decade now and have reached my physical limit of what I can do with this guitar, I felt like a change so I have gone over to the dark side and got myself an electric guitar set, well it was either this or a set of bag pipes as I love the pipes, not sure my poor neighbours will like them as much, as they would sound like I am killing a cat, I went for the electric guitar instead, you know I didn't do too bad for my first jamming session, even Goose my Cocker Spaniel Howled along, hmmmm what about those bag pipes.

Now I have not had a saloon car in 30 years since my son Ryan was born in 1993, I have always loved Jaguar Cars, yes you guessed it I got myself a new car too, well an old car but new to me, I finally got the car I have always dreamed of, well except a Trans AM like Smokey and The Bandit but lets do what's reachable and realistic, I love driving this car, its as smooth as silk and don't she have some poke, so if you see me driving around in this wonderful car just know I earnt the right to have her with the sweat of my brow and the blood and blisters on my hands and tears on my face, so beep out and wave, for this is proof that hard work, sacrifice and dedication pays off in the end, I have not reached the top of my mountain yet, but the view is getting better the further I climb, so I say this take some time to smell those roses and drink the wine at your table you earnt it.

This last couple of months I have set a task for one of my under keepers, they needed to learn a lesson for they were not listening to what I was teaching them, so I gave them full charge of a small stand alone woodland on the estate, one pen with only a couple of birds in it as holding birds and layers, a bit of a project really, they just did not fully understand the amount of hours and best practice I put in on my trapping lines etc, now I know I had this particular wood well under control for Grey Squirrel Management, this last couple of weeks something was hitting my feeders there, the under keeper said its not squirrels he never sees any there at all, hmmmmmmmm really, I knew this was not true and he had not been keeping on top of the trapping or shooting as I had taught him, age and experience over youthful knowing it all, I went to investigate and knew it was those dastardly tree rats, I put a squirrel feeder up and fed it with wheat for a week, then one afternoon with the young under keeper at my side and Goose my Cocker Spaniel at my other heel we sat in a hide and waited, two hours produced nine squirrels all nine I shot stone dead with perfect head shots with my ole Air Arms S510 TDR in .22 with non toxic pellets, two of the shot squirrels I could not retrieve as they were stone dead right on top of the big bramble bushes, these were later mopped up by my buzzards, the under keeper shook his head and has now started to listen and learn, lets see how he gets on over this next month shall we.

I am so fully booked on my Lantra accredited Grey squirrel management and red squirrel Conservation training courses, I have a waiting list for cancellations as long as my arm, I think I need two of me, other trainers are doing more around the country so get in touch.

Finding time to go in the studios for radio appearances and filming for the various TV programs, book signings and now writing magazine articles etc, its most definitely  getting very difficult as my time is in such demand, I suppose with success comes even more sacrifice, but I do all I can to represent country sports and conservation well and help as many people as I can, its the way the lord made, I am often being told I must slow down your taking too much on, well that's just me I suppose.

Also this month is a very nice month to announce its my/our National Secretary at Pass It On Young Sports birthday, Margaret (Mags) is 72 years young, she is a very special lady who keeps us all in check, she is who you will speak too first if you call head office, or see her on our stands at shows or running the reception at our Air Rifle Ranges etc, she works so hard for us volunteering all her time, the Young Sports and Families love her, as do all us other volunteers, the lads fondly call her the Jack Russel Terrier for she bites if you press the wrong buttons, she is a wonderful woman and as with everything a good secretary is the back bone of all organisations/clubs/committees etc, so it was decided we would do her a surprise party at a recent Pass It On young Sports Air Rifle Range recently.

I conscripted the help of another wonderful woman to help me hatch this plan, Julie is the mother of one of my Young Sports Ambassadors, we had a summer buffet laid on with cream teas, nibbles and not one but two birthday cakes, watch the you tube video that is attached to this article this will show you better than I could ever write.

Well I hope you have enjoyed my humble scribbles all bout my adventures and more, tune in next month to see what we have been up too, all that's left to say from a God Fearing Man is to wish you all to be stay safe and well, God Bless One And All.
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Hello Blossom
The Merry Month of May Into June
By The Ole Hedge Creeper
www.theolehedgecreeper.co.uk