With four hungry children and a crop in the field

[johncorrigan]

As heard on popular tv. Blimey
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011w4g0

They were playing the trailer all last week, Paul - stopped me in my tracks first time and then I was lovin' listenin' out for it after that.

[Paul Sherratt]

I hadn't seen the trails as bbc 1 and this household are relative strangers - but the write-up sounded solid so
we gave it a go ! And it's not bad - the star being the tec's daughter of course ! Fantastic accent ...



PS
I love the Neville Skellys of this world ..

[Lateralthinking1]

It is all about the buzz words. They used to say that "Golfing For Cats" was a good book title as everything about cats and golf sells. Here, in the mysterious bike shed that is the FoR3 World Music Forum, the word is most definitely "mawkish".

Whoops. How did that creep in? Corrigendum. The word is most definitely "country".

You can write about anything on this thread. Tennis, hamsters, albatrosses, whatever. As soon as it becomes the most recently viewed, the figures just soar. Was that a six I saw at 10.43pm?

Many thanks for the subtle hint that I must do an updated summary soon.

Remember folks, behind every fan of Bach and Birtwistle is a Ronnie Milsap wannabe. And please - label all your future posts "Country -" for maximum cyber impact!

[Globaltruth]

The country mouse

We have mice. Well definitely 1 dead mouse. The cats are depleting the environs of mouse and vole DNA. I wish I could stop them. Occasionally they forget to polish them off, or perhaps they simply want a fresh snack later. The doomed creatures take up residence under the fridge. They hop merrily over sticks as we attempt to dislodge them, then when all is quiet in the world apart from Fiona T playing a Finnish Mazurka remaking they creep out and are nobbled by Fatso* who waits patiently for such things to happen.

This would all be ok and they are country mice in the Western World but the kitchen has filled up with all these people in check shirts scribbling about how it makes them feel to clean up a little mouse intestine whilst strumming a few simple chords on overstrung guitars. Mawkish. Fatso, a cat not a C+W lyricist, treats them with appropriate disdain. She prefers Russian folk music anyway. Unlike her sister who is a fan of music she hasn't heard yet.

Next issue - we discuss a better mousetrap and the world beats a path to our door.

It's not the play, it's not the game. This is the world of country.


*(I've been asked to point out that Fatso is not her real name, just her internet handle. In fact her real name is Minnie, after a certain Moocher. Now in her later years, she mooches somewhat less, had piled on the avoirdupois until recently put on a strict diet, but still possesses that raw, killer talent)

[One last thing - anyone got any recipes for mice or vole? Seems a shame to waste all that protein...]

[Globaltruth]

The mousetrap - dining with Apodemus

Another world of infinite choice - which is the best mousetrap? I decided to avoid the ones that glue their little legs to a paper, not due to particularly squeamish reasons more practical - how do you get rid of them? Toss them screaming into the bin? Feed them to the cats? Half of their fun seems to be triggered by movement. So I decided to avoid that one by a country mile (there, got the word in - now my post is legal)

I've ordered one that promises a multi-mouse facility.
I envisage a sanatorium where, once one small mouse takes up residence, then its sighs and gentle squeaks of approbation will call in, Siren-like, all the nearby mice (and hopefully voles) who fall over themselves to get wedged in and share in the delicious treats we will put in there.
‘Bait’ is too cruel a word – there will be Jaffa cakes, chocolate spread and delicious feta cheese.
I have some very small bottles of white port which I may be able to prop up at an appropriate angle.
After a delicious spread, and sufficient time for digestion and intelligent apodemine discourse they will be gently, ever-so-gently tipped over the wall to frolic in the bosky dell which leads down to the car park.
They will have to avoid the twin cat perils, but no-one ever said this was going to be easy.
And they should remember there is no such thing as a free lunch.
It will be our very own version of country cafe society for Apodemians. Hopefully we won’t be a victim of our own success and will be spared visits from both the Broad-toothed and Spiny field mice – they sound like unwelcome guests at any party.

That’s the vision anyway. Oh yes, the word ‘apodemine’ is a new one to describe interactions amongst the genus Apodemus

I'll let you know - on this thread of course.

(yes, it's going to be a...
Country and Western mouse pad

[johncorrigan]

Next issue - we discuss a better mousetrap and the world beats a path to our door.

It's not the play, it's not the game. This is the world of country.

Funnily enough - well I thought it was - I was discussing this very issue with a couple of guys on a committee I'm sort of part of. ( we had Orkestra Del Sol on Saturday night for outdoor evening entertainment in Blairgowrie and very good indeed they were indeed - though we hadn't counted on the Final of Opportunity Knocks on the TV, but hey that's another story). Anyway one of the guys said that the best and most humane mouse trap he had ( he's this kind of a guy, by the way) was a ruler, usually with some peanut butter on one end - said end is balanced carefully off the end of a suitable surface - underneath is a steep sided bucket - friendly neighbourhood mouse walks this plank to chew on tasty PB, overbalances it and falls into the bucket. The ruler needs to be attached with a bit of string apparently so it doesn't fall into the bucket thus providing an escape route for the mouse. Then take mouse and dump over the neighbour's fence. A bit Tom and Jerry but it made sense to me - of course Global, Minnie may be lying in wait for just such occasions and will thwart those best laid plans but that's moggies for you. Ours pulled a hare into the house one night and totally dismembered the catflap - any more brains she'd be dangerous.

As for recipes, the obvious one is Chocolate Moose!.......or you could try swiss vole....voley poly pudding anyone?

[Globaltruth]

Funnily enough - well I thought it was - I was discussing this very issue with a couple of guys on a committee I'm sort of part of. ( we had Orkestra Del Sol on Saturday night for outdoor evening entertainment in Blairgowrie and very good indeed they were indeed - though we hadn't counted on the Final of Opportunity Knocks on the TV, but hey that's another story). Anyway one of the guys said that the best and most humane mouse trap he had ( he's this kind of a guy, by the way) was a ruler, usually with some peanut butter on one end - said end is balanced carefully off the end of a suitable surface - underneath is a steep sided bucket - friendly neighbourhood mouse walks this plank to chew on tasty PB, overbalances it and falls into the bucket. The ruler needs to be attached with a bit of string apparently so it doesn't fall into the bucket thus providing an escape route for the mouse. Then take mouse and dump over the neighbour's fence. A bit Tom and Jerry but it made sense to me - of course Global, Minnie may be lying in wait for just such occasions and will thwart those best laid plans but that's moggies for you. Ours pulled a hare into the house one night and totally dismembered the catflap - any more brains she'd be dangerous.

As for recipes, the obvious one is Chocolate Moose!.......or you could try swiss vole....voley poly pudding anyone?

ok, this is helpful; hunting space is the prob.
The mice & vole tend to congregate under the fridge - I don't blame them, but it makes it tricky to get a bucket into their vicinity; I may well introduce PB onto the menu thanks for the pointer - and I'm surprised we've got this far without this feller making an appearance...
Ika M

[Lateralthinking1]

Mouseaka, Vole-au-Vents, Ratatouille, Ham Stir Fry, Creamy Mice Pudding and Toad in the Vole.

[Lateralthinking1]

Love this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNjK5kaVCag&feature=related

[Globaltruth]

I think I'm going to love this...

12 nice plump field mice, cooked & deboned
2 lbs mixed vegetables
1 med. onion part-fried
1 lb potatoes, cubed
1 lg. pinch salt

Cook all ingredients together and place in a casserole lined with pie dough. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 375 degrees. If no field mice are available, equivalent weight of voles may be used.

But there is one part of the mouse which they (the Feline sisters) always leave that I need to be sure to remove before I begin..

I've checked out http://www.mouseinternals.com*

and
http://www.disassemblethatrodent.com *

but their forums are full of YouTube clips of people with bad haircuts and ill-fitting denim clothes singing songs about losing their best mouse at the hoe-down. Useless.

I shall keep searching..


* to find these you need to include the Magic Door add-on to your browser and you only ever get one chance to install it...from Wellsian Ink

[johncorrigan]

You could try this one Global - but don't get lackadaisical - not safe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iP8WjXE3FU

[johncorrigan]

PS
I love the Neville Skellys of this world ..

Cerys has been playing it Paul - brand new it would seem and very good indeed.

Thanks for the Mickey Newbury - I had been reading about the record but knew nothing about him - very fine indeed. For the second time lately (can't remember who the first was about) I found myself thinking that Tom Waits must have been listening very intently to him, eg 'Juble lee's revival' among others. A bit from the Cash show!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnJ73LbgnYM&feature=related

And that was a cracker by GJ too.

[Paul Sherratt]

John,

I might if I remember, invest in the new Newbury box that's coming around ... and that Jones was a new one to me which I noticed from someones Desert Island selection. My snotty impression of scanning those choices is how relatively insular they generally appear to be !

[Globaltruth]

2 more mice today.

and a vole.

OR DOES NO-ONE CARE!!!

By the way, someone posted somewhere about having to listen to iPlayer through your PC.

there are other options - if you have a Freeview box you will find iPlayer on there for example. Just remember that you need to stick a wire in the back of your box that connects it to your internet router.

And, while I'm thread hopping in a single post - I enjoyed those Max Miller posts on the Chain. We are honoured by your presence Paul.
Did you ever attend a meeting of the Max Miller Appreciation Society in Brighton? I used to live near the street where he was borne.
Which is presumably the name of a country track?
(Phew - back on track, close)

[johncorrigan]

if you have a Freeview box you will find iPlayer on there for example. Just remember that you need to stick a wire in the back of your box that connects it to your internet router.

Any particular kind of wire Global - I have got a freeview thingy and I think I have a router - it looks a bit like this.

http://www.t2retail.co.uk/newstore/Products/Product_Images//7701880.jpg