[The Tippler Shuffle]
(Internet Published) Feb 2000
It is known that I keep pigeons at a location 1/2 a mile from where I live.
The 10 minute walk--twice every day--seems to get longer everyday and the
up-hill return journey seems to get steeper. I also have to carry all water
that I need--about one gallon a day. They tell me that it keeps me fit. I
can't go to my place in the car because the final stretch of road is simply
a cart-track for 700 feet and not suitable for cars.
For an experiment, way back in 1964, I purchased a young kit of Macs from W.
Purseglove of Darnall--Sheffield. They were three pretty grey grizzles all
of which turned out to be hens. I raised them at home and kept them in a 3'x
3' box which has installed in an outbuilding. I soon had them established,
trained and settled. Then I took them down to my place in the valley and
after a while settled them there. In fact, I had a situation where I could
drop them both here and at the other loft. At that time I used just one very
old fantail hen and at which every loft I threw her down. I could drop this
here kit of Macs. There was no way that they would drop without clearance
from the old hen and my own coaxing.
This kit would tour the area between my two lofts at various altitudes.
Sometimes so high that they resembled tiny specks--other times not more than
100 feet high. I detained them at the age of 18 weeks old after a maximum
effort of 14 hours. The following year I trained them up for an Easter event
and did 13 hours 5 mins in real nasty weather. However, in late May, I got
18 hours much to my delight. However, this was a "one off" and the kit never
did very much after this maximum effort. Well, with tipplers that is the way
it often goes.
In 1950, I moved from my father's house where I had been keeping tipplers. I
moved to this address which is 3 miles away. I built a small loft right here
in the back garden and soon re-settled a kit of tipplers. I had to fetch
them back from my fathers shed a few times and then my father scared them
off from there and I dropped them here--with difficulty. This kit, two blues
and a black would shuttle between the two locations all day.
When I pushed them in June 1950--to try for 18 hours-- I actually got that
plus 8 minutes but that was the end of them. They were never very much use
after that. Nevertheless this shuttle style creates an easygoing tour, which
is of advantage if the wind direction is right. To be able to drop them at
both ends is rather amusing but obviously leaves some scope for cheating and
we must never never do that.
Competition?? to win, to beat somebody--to make another man look like a
fool, to find fault with another man , well, that is just human nature.
Nevertheless isn't it a rotten and childish attitude?? Me? Well, I'd rather
shake a man by the hand than by the throat. OK! OK!! Those of us who have
been bitten by the pigeon flying bug do have deepest sympathy.
Sometimes it isn't easy and nobody understands us. The best way is to read
and write and exchange saliva with as many pigeon men as possible. Me??
well, I'm always here. If I can't educate you then I'll make you laugh, OK??
There's a worldwide shortage of laughter these days. So much b. hate. After
all this time, I wonder why??