Orange for danger!

Now you may or may not be aware that the wild boar hunting season, which reopened in September, is now in full swing. Each Wednesday and weekend groups of shotgun and rifle toting locals, each with a load of dogs, can be found lurking amongst the vines, in the hedgerows, and down in the forests. What you also may not be aware of is that the majority of these heavily armed hunters are generally in their 50’s or 60’s so with not the best of sight and hearing (especially after all those gunshots), and have usually spent the previous hour in the local bar breakfasting on red wine.


I hasten to add that we do NOT take part in any hunting, but with these facts in mind, dad and I have decided that discretion is the better part of valour and that we should take great care to ensure that we are both very visible and easily heard during our morning walks on those days. Lots of fluorescent orange and jingling bells are therefore the order of the day so, after a trip to the local rural supplies shop, we have equipped ourselves accordingly, as you can see from the photo. I’m sure that I would never be mistaken for one of those ugly boars but I am not going to take the chance.

The only good thing to come out of this is that I have made friends with one of the hunt dogs – a lovely lady called Aude - who comes from the same place as me and my (doggy) mum and who probably knows her as they are of similar ages. When we meet we usually have a bit of a chase around, much to the dismay of Aude’s owner!