Isakat

I think I killed a pheasant on the way back from school. I drove up the hill which is part of Parco Castelli and at first we were stuck when a flock of sheep invaded the road. I was worried they might damage the car, while my son said that they probably will give it a clean brushing past.Soon after that, after a blind bend, I hit the bird and stopped by the side of the road. Tried to find it and hopefully to take it to the local vet. Two men saw what was going on and said it was a female pheasant.They also said they taste delicious?
I love birds, I love to see the hoopoo birds feeding on the lawn and calling for each other, the cuckoo in the trees...
Could not find it and went home. I wonder if they had a good look after I left and are having roast pheasant tonight?

On the other hand, I was lucky it was not a deer.

duffer

There are people who go looking for roadkill - tastes fresh and earthy!

duffer

What do you call a deer with no eyes...

Lorna at Vicenza

They won't be eating it tonight. You have to hang pheasant.

TestaRossa

Oh dear! This was part and parcel of driving in Sussex and just let it go! Like duffer says people pick the fresh kills up - in the UK if you pick up that killed by the car in front it isn't classed as poaching and is legally yours!! A pheasant took my windscreen wiper off in Sussex!!! Just think it probably died quicker than it would have done being shot in a shoot. Tends to be the only reason you see them here - they are imported for "British" type shoots. Apparently Americans pay big bucks to shoot on estates in Tuscany etc. My indirect landlord even has a British gamekeeper on his estate in Tuscany!! So not pleasant, but it happens....and yes, you were lucky it wasn't a deer, you could've ended up worse than it!!

duffer

no eye deer

davehornet6

dont think you will need to hang it, it was probably dead on impact with the car.

TestaRossa

Hiya dave, where've you been?? Any news on your compensation yet??

davehornet6

hi TR. been real busy for last few weeks.
read a few posts but not been online much at all.
photographed gf's daughters wedding 3 weeks ago, took 500+ shots, so been editing them to send out to thier family/friends. done couple of dozen every night and finished on thursday!!
also went back to work full time 2 weeks ago. had no choice really as SSP finished (6 months) and benefit claim was refused as im "fit for work"?
maybe if i was working in an office or something, but gardening which entails looking after every aspect of a 200+acre estate in surrey with 70,000 summer plants going into over 100 beds,then ripped out again 2 months later!!
im supposed to be back on light duties, but in thier eyes light means weed killing with a 15kg knapsack sprayer on my back and walking over 10 miles/week for 3 weeks around fields and gallops.
glad to be out of house but gone from doing nought to busiest time of year for gardens
compensation not looking good for this year
might need another op! new senior physio has inspected wrist, found tendons not working/broken/missing?? which is why wrist is dislocating. she applied for specialist in london to have a look and see if he can repair.
no idea how long as waiting list to see him.
but not too upset bout that as if another op is needed, compensation will be higher again
maybe retire out there before i hit 40
hows you and the OH/kids?

davehornet6

OH DEAR!! i can see that your staggering sense of humour still has the smilies roeling around on the floor in hysterics

TestaRossa

Dave, we are all fine thanks! Wow, didn't realise that was your job! At least you should get fit pretty quick! Could do with you over here spraying my weeds! We live on an estate near the centre of Florence, about 20 acres, so small fry, (not just us but would be nice...) The garden is split into two, so the gardener on our side probably has around 8 acres of grass to look after and then all the bushes etc. He still manages to miss bloody big nettles sticking out of our gravel in the front of the house though! If you find a job like that here it is pretty cushy as you get housing with it normally and his wife is the door porter.

davehornet6

20 acres isn't small!! the estate i work on is probably 80 acres fields(most of which mowed by big tractor with gang of mowers on the back)20 acres of woods which needs a little bit of clearing up inbetween main gardens, 30 acres of paddocks for horses, 5 acre clay pidgeon shoot, 60 acres of formal gardens and the rest is not so formal gardens.
not really planned what to do when i come out. not sure on amount of cash to set up with. olive grove i hope! but might look for part time work gardening(maybe self employed) just to make sure regular money comes in and i dont put on too much weight doing not much. your estate sound perfect though. can sort 20 acres in 2-3 days/week no worries!
whatever happens im coming to italy in september for couple of weeks to case the joint not sure how much i can cram into 2 weeks though.

TestaRossa

I was meaning compared to the big estates in the South of England, but this is a private city garden, so on that basis no it's not small. It is the biggest private garden in Florence, as people can go in the Boboli, whereas here it is by appointment. Most of it is formal, in fact the guy that designed it in the 1800's was a freemason, so everything is done on their compass. Means there are a lot of follies and strange things but all good fun! I know the guy that inherited the place a couple of years ago also has an estate down in Chianti where he employs a full time gamekeeper to manage his pheasants ( I wrote about it earlier up the thread!) and he is Scottish, so there really is a lot of interest in English gardens etc. In fact this garden is known as the English garden because of the way it has been designed...So I think there is definitely the opportunity there if you needed to work, it would also give you some contacts, which are always good here!

davehornet6

going to work on some contacts out there for sure. also sounds like people are finding it hard to get decent compost out there. may import some!! and bacon and cheese and cider and sausages and ????

Isakat

and Cadbury's chocolate, Reggae reggae sauce, chappati flour, chinese wok sauces,PG tips,maltesers, custard creams, bourbons,, M&S Pecan pies, Ribena, Walkers crisps, Jordans muesli, cheap clothes, Clarks shoes for kids bread flour with seeds and wheat...........