Go away Ludwig. The adults are trying to chill out :)

Thanks for that lovely response, pelican. I can identify with just about all your pastimes and interests, except for the cats - I'm a dog person... and I have an ongoing war with feral cats, who occasionally want to eat my ducks and chooks, not to mention the native birds that I encourage.

Now that I think of it, occasionally we're visited by the odd pelican, to whom I don't begrudge a yabby or 10. That's life. We only have a small house dam that has become a nice little ecosystem since we put it in about 10 years ago.

As I said, to each their own. My fishing is probably cruel, but no crueller than what these creatures do to each in nature. C'est la vie.

Awww CJ, sometimes I think you are just a big kind-hearted cuddly bear underneath that prickly exterior!!
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That all sounds very nice Pelican, ‘cept perhaps for the two cats! (:>)

I wish all the best with your book.

BTW, thanks for your kind words on the ‘3000 1500 1500’ thread:
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3253#77176
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“I am very pro environment but not a greenie”

Hmmm. So, TheMissus what do you consider a greenie to be then, if not pro environment?

CJ

To be serious for a moment, would you ever consider starting a Men's Shed in your area? A place for you to apply your knowledge and skills and chill out at the same time? Get the locals involved, it will keep them all young and vital.

http://www.mensheds.com.au/

Fishing - circle hooks make catch and release sport without damage to the fish. More harm to the fish's dignity than anything else. Maybe you already use them.

http://www.gamakatsu.com.au/products/circlehooks.html

Feral cats, foxes, rabbits - use my mother's (and my grandmother's and great grandmother's) recipe, a .410 shotgun or a .22LR. But do get a licence first. Conservation hunting is much more humane and selective than poisons (although poisons are still needed unfortunately). We have Bush Stone-Curlews close to us that have not raised chicks in the last several years through cats and dogs. We are seeing the permanent loss of a beautiful bird whose plaintive cry, once heard, is never forgotten.

http://www.fnpw.com.au/OurProjects/Plants_Wildlife/Bush_Stone-Curlew.htm

Cornflower - this thread's about chilling out, not social work. Just about every bloke I know in my community has at least one shed anyway. You're not very familiar with small rural communities, are you?

While what you suggest would likely be useful for those in provincial cities or metropolitan suburbs who need such artificial companionship, I don't think they're needed where I live. Hell, here they can join the SES, the town or rural firies, the railway preservation mob, the fishing club, the RSL or golf clubs etc etc. They all struggle for membership.

Thanks for the somewhat redundant tip about 'circle hooks', but that's pretty well the design I use anyway - except on lures, which aren't usually swallowed. I can't remember the last fish I killed that I didn't eat.

I'm not sure that sure that shooting vermin is any kinder than the methods I use, and it's so much of a hassle to have a gun these days that I really couldn't be bothered. Keeping feral animals down is to me an onerous chore by whatever means, in any case. Sometimes I think it would nice to pot a bunny for the table, but as I said it's really too complicated these days.

Incidentally, I'm sometimes the happy recipient of venison from mates who shoot the feral deer that are common in my area. Roo too, but shooting's not my thing these days.

I certainly wouldn't do it to chill out. How do you like to chill out?

CJ

Heh, heh, I have been taking you for someone who lives on an acre or few on the fringes of a struggle town like Ipswich and I don't think I'm very wrong. That you misconstrued the intent of two cows engaged in 'lesbian humping' as you saw it (another thread) proved that. A farmer straightened you out.

All country towns differ and in some the inhabitants grow as mean as the curs they let wander the streets. Dubbo has grown to be like that. However as they say, you can take the boy out of Ipswich but you can't take the Ipswich out of the boy and that applies to a few other burgs as well.

Personally, I reckon there is no better way to find happiness than to be of service to your fellow man, but perhaps that knowledge will continue to elude you.

How do I 'chill out'? Well I'm not so hip that I need to chill out, but I do find great enjoyment and relaxation on the board of a historical cottage and meeting the constant stream of visitors. Then there is music and art, although since the better digital cameras and the growth of the Wisteria that blocks some of the natural southern light to my special room, photography is taking over from the acrylics.

Apart from that I rather enjoy the people at the clay pigeon club - there would be few people around who are as generous and convivial as one meets there.

However this thread was aimed at image-making for CJ and to cater for your fondness for talking about yourself, wasn't it? Hence the length and needless detail of the introduction and your lack of response to the interests of others. -Sort of like your lack of motivation to respond to the needs of your local community, huh?

What a miserable old sourpuss you are, Cornflower. All you want to do is pick a stoush, it seems. Silly me for trying to have a civil conversation with you.

Go away - some of us are trying to chill out here.

BTW, I don't live anywhere near Ipswich, fortunately for me. I also do lots of voluntary stuff in my community, but I have much better things to do with my time than pander to the few losers here who beat their wives.

Do try and cheer up, old thing.

Ludwig - sounds familiar... I seem to be hearing that a bit lately :)