September - Sep 19, 2023
September is a favourite month for many, as the trees turn their leaves in glorious colour, the grouse season well underway and with some wind and cooler conditions which tend to lift packs after sultry and humid conditions. Lowground shoots are underway with partridge and a sigh of relief, and stalking is busy up North for red stags.
Optimism is defined as “hopefulness and confidence about the future or the success of something”.
You may feel optimism is in short supply at the moment, with so many challenges in rural life and field sports. However, it can be seen everywhere and is tremendously uplifting if sometimes slightly misplaced. I say that because our house martins after a few broods having fledged, had a set back a few weeks ago. The storms washed out their nest and now they have just hatched a new brood in the middle of September! It may be wildly optimistic to hope that they fledge and are strong enough to set off on their long journey, but we are rooting for them and am in awe of their resilience.
Gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies love what they do and believe strongly in their belief that their work is worthwhile. This is really important because whilst there are many who don’t understand or don’t wish to understand, that you know what you are doing is right and makes a difference keeps you going in tough times. There are so many moments of optimism; when you see the beaters enjoying their camaraderie, the retired who live for their season, the young who learn, keep fit and earn important funds for college, university or their first car perhaps. Our own families too, generations enjoying the tradition, culmination of a year’s hard work and a shoot day or stalking day which ends with a sense of achievement and satisfaction of a job well done.
Hopefulness is a feeling which can feel transient but is found everywhere in small ways; hold onto the memory of a good drive even if there was a drive which didn’t work as well, pride in a moorland landscape which due to your good management, and those ground nesting birds which would not succeed without your intervention, the well feathered cock pheasants ready for the fray, the stalking surplus which are taken for the table and what a delicious plate it is -sustainable and healthy and affordable.
Our Granddaughter is out stalking this evening for venison to take to a YFC competition with her own recipe, shot, prepared and cooked. We are inordinately proud of her and all our young people from rural backgrounds (in farming, forestry and for us gamekeeping, stalkers and ghillies) who have optimism and the skills to take on the future and succeed.
A final thank you to everyone who is or has supported us - we are so grateful. We are delighted too that the Check in with a Mate has been so successful. Let's keep it going throughout the season. Helping each other and helping yourselves - all part of the plan to keep fit, well and our precious communities - leading the way and keeping the optimism.
Helen