Been away!

I’ve been laid low for a week or more. Worst cold I’ve had in years. Coughed and hacked so much I couldn’t get a good nights sleep. It’s finally settled down but not gone yet. My sister in-law calls it the 100 day cough, if she’s right I have another 80 days to go.

We had our first race last weekend from Gravenhurst. It’s a 249 km sprint to my loft. NE to E breeze and cool. We had 14 lofts and 344 competing at the Hamilton Central R.P.C. My training partner, Terry Humberstone flying as Skyway Loft placed 1st and 2nd, a nice way to celebrate his 77th birthday. Congratulations Terry. The shorter release had only 6 lofts compete with 56 birds entered. Bill Szucsko won that race, congratulations Bill.

We managed to do all right. Placed 25 of the 30 birds we entered in the first 20%, placed 19 in row on the result, beginning at 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th etc.They came fast and furious. Don’t know yet how we did at the Fed and Combine level. I know it’s only one race and a lot can happen over an entire season, but a good result even on the first short race does give a good indication of the health and condition of the race team and going by the number of birds flying in the points I think I’ve got them right.

Next week we go to Burks Falls, just over 300 km to our loft, another good test. Birds have been exercising well around the loft. Hens were gone, out of sight for over half an hour this morning. They circled the loft once or twice and took off for another half hour. Cocks rarely fly that long in one go. They come back after 10 or 15 minutes, land on the roof and go again.  If they keep this up for an hour or so, we don’t have any worries, they’re okay. I love to see them come back spread out all over the sky, like butterflies, just hanging in the sky, one or two clapping away on their own, the rest landing on the roof and BANG, take off again. Never get tired of watching the show, healthy condition widowers put on.

Just a quick word on the pigeons we fly. They are mainly Eijerkamp pigeons, Van-Loons and a touch of Heremans-Ceusters. I’ve crossed them on some top notch Verkerk pigeons. Results speak for the quality of the pigeons. A big thank you to Hans and Evert Jan Eijerkamp for the quality pigeons they have sent in payment for my translations. They are fanatic pigeon fanciers and true gentleman. Bas Verkerk, a young 39 year old racing pigeon virtuoso, works at the birds from 7 in the morning till 9 in the evening, driven, competitive, hard working and pigeon smart, thanks for the opportunity to fly with your birds Bas.

I’ve got our loft summary for this weeks race entered under  RACE RESULTS in the menu bar, will enter the Fed and Combine loft summaries as soon as I get them.

Nick