Life in Bendigo.

[Andy]

Drove a few miles today.

Took a quick trip to Echuca /Moama on the Murray river to collect a couple of my pigeons which had dived for cover when the falcons attacked the race last weekend.
About a 200 kilometre round trip, and the countryside is looking fantastic

Hundreds and hundreds of acres of Canola crops, yellow as the sun, and as tall as a man. Wheat, barley and oat crops, in fields too big to see the other side of, and too thick to walk through.

We have lived in this bit of the Land Down Under for nearly 20 years, and we have never seen the whole bottom quarter of Australia look like this, for three years in a row.
Massive crops. Crops which are overwhelming the infrastucture to transport it.

Next time anyone tells you there is a global food shortage, you can with confidence tell them it its a lie. it's part of the climate change agenda, and they make that up as they go.

All sounds good Murray. When do you harvest over there? Sounds early in your year for the corn to be so far on. We wouldn’t harvest corn here until July/August in a normal year. That would be January/February over there.

Quite right Andy.
These are winter sown crops, and harvest is months away. But the season has been so good the crops are massive. It's a beautiful sight, yellow canola going off into the distance on one side of the road, and wheat, knee high and vivid green, as far as you can see on the other.
The sheep have spring lambs, and they are fat and white.
Having seen years of drought and low rainfall, to see this part of the country so healthy and productive is a joy.

Haven’t heard of yellow canola, what is it?

[Andy]

All sounds good Murray. When do you harvest over there? Sounds early in your year for the corn to be so far on. We wouldn’t harvest corn here until July/August in a normal year. That would be January/February over there.

Quite right Andy.
These are winter sown crops, and harvest is months away. But the season has been so good the crops are massive. It's a beautiful sight, yellow canola going off into the distance on one side of the road, and wheat, knee high and vivid green, as far as you can see on the other.
The sheep have spring lambs, and they are fat and white.
Having seen years of drought and low rainfall, to see this part of the country so healthy and productive is a joy.

Haven’t heard of yellow canola, what is it?

Just had a look for canola. It’s what we know as rape seed. Our fields around here would be masses of yellow in our spring.

[Murray]

Canola was bred in Canada, hence Can Ola, from rape seed plants. Canola oil is different and better than traditional rape seed oil.
A lot of it is genetically modified these days, but so is everything.
It's like when you read that a food contains "modified corn starch". It was the corn that was modified, not the starch.

[Andy]

Canola was bred in Canada, hence Can Ola, from rape seed plants. Canola oil is different and better than traditional rape seed oil.
A lot of it is genetically modified these days, but so is everything.
It's like when you read that a food contains "modified corn starch". It was the corn that was modified, not the starch.

Thanks for that info Murray. Sounds like it grows taller than our rape seed.

[Murray]

I sent 8 pigeons, 4 cocks and 4 hens, to today's race. It was about all I could find. It's like a hospital out there. Three of the birds that went last week are injured from hitting things, 4 came home during the week and really need another week before they go back, and a few are blue and scaley on the breast and not right.

I nearly made a bad mistake. One yearling cock who came back the following morning last week was on the sheet to go again. I tossed him on Friday, just a short one, and he went okay. He's feeding big babies and starting to look at the hen again. He seemed alright, but something about the way he stands niggled at me. So I gave him a good going over, and when I blew the feathers away from his breast I found a big yellow bruise down one side of his chest. When the falcons hit them last week he must have flown into something. So he's home for another week.

The race is only 101 kilometres to me, about 63 miles, and it would be too easy to just stick them in and hope for the best. But they have to spend a night in the crate, then fly through the falcons to get home fast enough to have a chance of a placing. So if they aren't spot on, I can't see any point in sending them.

[Andy]

I sent 8 pigeons, 4 cocks and 4 hens, to today's race. It was about all I could find. It's like a hospital out there. Three of the birds that went last week are injured from hitting things, 4 came home during the week and really need another week before they go back, and a few are blue and scaley on the breast and not right.

I nearly made a bad mistake. One yearling cock who came back the following morning last week was on the sheet to go again. I tossed him on Friday, just a short one, and he went okay. He's feeding big babies and starting to look at the hen again. He seemed alright, but something about the way he stands niggled at me. So I gave him a good going over, and when I blew the feathers away from his breast I found a big yellow bruise down one side of his chest. When the falcons hit them last week he must have flown into something. So he's home for another week.

The race is only 101 kilometres to me, about 63 miles, and it would be too easy to just stick them in and hope for the best. But they have to spend a night in the crate, then fly through the falcons to get home fast enough to have a chance of a placing. So if they aren't spot on, I can't see any point in sending them.

Good luck for the race. Hope it turns out better than last week for you and returns are good.

[Buster121]

Good luck Murray hope returns are good

[Murray]

Good luck Murray hope returns are good

Thanks Buster, returns were satisfactory, 6 from 8.

I got one bang on the speed, then realised I was in trouble. . It was a little young hen having her first go. She was all excited and took forever to drop in. Like 5 minutes.
By the time I got her I didn't rush to clock her as I knew we were well beaten. Which we were. From 100 kilometres you cant waste a second, let alone 5 minutes.
Then I got some more back, including 2 cock birds that soared in from the opposite direction and clocked like, clockwork!
These things are very fit, but have no idea. Most of the other pigeons have race experience. Mine are tearing along and getting carried past or getting lost then finding their way home. Sadly I have too many with purple wound spray on them.
After 2 races we are in the middle of the table and within reach of the top. Several flyers have dropped out.
I lost too many good pigeons in the first race, which was a smash. Half the ones i have back are injured.
It's a good game if you don't weaken.

[Buster121]

Good to see mate hope others turn in safely, how did you finish

[Andy]

Good to see they done well. I hope the missing ones return and the injured recover ok.