Not much going on with me these days so this blog is of more memories from the past. We hadn’t lived in Australia long when we bought a car. An Austin A40 tourer. My husband also bought a gun. A .22 Winchester long rifle, a 10 shot repeater, and fancied himself as a big game hunter (well a rabbit hunter at least). He and a number of mates often went out shooting, usually riding in a truck and using a spotlight which mesmerised the dear little bunnies, and then ‘bang’, another one for the pot. No contest really.
On the other hand the bunnies were pests for the farmers and so permission was always granted to do this, even encouraged.
One evening his friends weren’t available and so he said that our A40 with the canvas top down would be ideal for spotlight shooting and wanted to try it out, if I would be his driver. I supposed he asked me because there wasn’t anyone else. As normally I didn’t get asked I decided to take up the offer, thought it would be an experience. A girlfriend of mine came along for the ride and was also going to hold the spotlight for him.
We were driving through a forest, husband standing at the ready, leaning over the windscreen, my friend was shining the spotlight over the side of the car. Suddenly my husband shouted ‘There’s one, stop!’ I slowly brought the car to a standstill but by then the bunny had scarpered, and escaped being put into a pastry crust. The big game hunter was very frustrated and yelled at me ‘What were thinking? The rabbit’s got away. You were too slow, next time I say ‘stop’ stop!’ That wasn’t very nice of him to shout at me in front of my friend but I forgave him and said I’d do better next time.
Precariously leaning over the windscreen, balanced with rifle at the ready, spotlight shining brightly, suddenly he shouted ‘stop!’ so I did, I slammed on the brakes, brought the car to an immediate standstill, and there he went – sailing through the air, over the windscreen, gun and all, a*** over t** as the saying goes. Right over the front of the car.
With no thought about how disastrous this could have been, after all he could have been shot had the gun gone off, I couldn’t stop laughing. It was a very funny sight – you just had to be there. As he picked himself up feeling a bit bruised (as was his ego in front of my friend) the expletives were enough to make even the bunnies put their paws over their ears. I was called names I had never associated myself with, or thought myself as being. That night I knew for sure the honeymoon was well and truly over……
Have no idea why not but I was never asked to be the driver on another ‘hunt’, and anyway soon afterwards he gave it up himself.
On the other hand the bunnies were pests for the farmers and so permission was always granted to do this, even encouraged.
One evening his friends weren’t available and so he said that our A40 with the canvas top down would be ideal for spotlight shooting and wanted to try it out, if I would be his driver. I supposed he asked me because there wasn’t anyone else. As normally I didn’t get asked I decided to take up the offer, thought it would be an experience. A girlfriend of mine came along for the ride and was also going to hold the spotlight for him.
We were driving through a forest, husband standing at the ready, leaning over the windscreen, my friend was shining the spotlight over the side of the car. Suddenly my husband shouted ‘There’s one, stop!’ I slowly brought the car to a standstill but by then the bunny had scarpered, and escaped being put into a pastry crust. The big game hunter was very frustrated and yelled at me ‘What were thinking? The rabbit’s got away. You were too slow, next time I say ‘stop’ stop!’ That wasn’t very nice of him to shout at me in front of my friend but I forgave him and said I’d do better next time.
Precariously leaning over the windscreen, balanced with rifle at the ready, spotlight shining brightly, suddenly he shouted ‘stop!’ so I did, I slammed on the brakes, brought the car to an immediate standstill, and there he went – sailing through the air, over the windscreen, gun and all, a*** over t** as the saying goes. Right over the front of the car.
With no thought about how disastrous this could have been, after all he could have been shot had the gun gone off, I couldn’t stop laughing. It was a very funny sight – you just had to be there. As he picked himself up feeling a bit bruised (as was his ego in front of my friend) the expletives were enough to make even the bunnies put their paws over their ears. I was called names I had never associated myself with, or thought myself as being. That night I knew for sure the honeymoon was well and truly over……
Have no idea why not but I was never asked to be the driver on another ‘hunt’, and anyway soon afterwards he gave it up himself.
