The Women Hunters

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photo from Parents on Flickr

Ok firstly, calm down! This is not a post about weirdo, stalkers of women, I’m referring to my viewing last night.

My mind is currently boggled! I’ve watched Women Who Kill Lions and I just don’t get it. I don’t understand why you would want to kill something defenseless, for sport or just for the craic! It’s not attacking you, it’s nowhere near you, yet you have gone, sometimes travelled thousands of miles and stalked it out to shoot it.

There were two women featured on the the show and both have suffered serious online backlash, with Ricky Gervais adding fuel to one fire via Twitter. I’m not going to name them, as the cockier one of the two, a Canadian, pointed out, not only does she not care what people think but the more people talk about how disgusting she is, the more famous she becomes. Bizarrely, AND I’M NOT AGREEING WITH HER ACTIONS, the American came across (to me) as the slightly nicer of the two (as in, if I met both women on the street without knowing of them, I’d probably take to the American more).

So the American, from Wyoming reckons that it’s part of their culture to hunt, being from the West and all. Maybe it is and it’s important to preserve our culture and heritage but is it really necessary to hunt as she does? I’m  pretty sure there are supermarkets now. It also really bothers me that from a young age kids are encouraged to hunt, hence encouraged to use guns… American gun laws are utterly ridiculous as it is. During the program, we’re taken on a gun shopping spree with the American, where we’re shown lots of lovely guns, some are even pink, you know, pretty for the girly girls. The bit that gets me most is where she lovingly strokes a smaller pink rifle saying it’s “awesome that they’re not just selling it to women but for little girls too”. WHAT THE JAYZUS?? THEY SPECIFICALLY MAKE GUNS FOR LITTLE HANDS!!!!!! This woman also seems to think it’s AWESOME for the kids to be outside rather than stuck inside on the computer. On this I couldn’t agree more but that’s where we differ, I’m quite happy and content with my son just going outdoors and climbing trees without throwing a gun and shooting sh*t into the mix! I mean there has to be 101 other things you can do to make the big wide “boring” outdoors more exciting than kill animals? Go and break a few neighbours windows if you really need a buzz!

Now the Canadian, much cockier and was pretty blatant about how little she cares about how anyone feels towards her for her actions. So far she has killed 29 different species, with her 10yr old son accompanying her on many of the trips (he’s currently gearing up for his first bear hunt!!!!) One of these kills was a lion, at which she seems very emotional about and by emotional, I mean pleased! I just don’t understand it….how are people allowed to do this? It’s not like lions are over running the world…aren’t they on their way to making it onto the endangered species list? I might understand if they were given free reign on something like pigeons, pigeons are a menace but not lions or zebras. I’m not sick of seeing zebras, I think I’d like to see few more to be fair. This woman’s next hunt will be a rhino, which she will graciously “greenhunt” (use a tranquilizer dart rather than a bullet). She then says an elephant will be next on her list, her friend asks why she can’t greenhunt that, to which she basically just says, nah mate don’t fancy it. She actually has no valid reason for killing an elephant….this astounds me!

Canadian woman sees herself exactly where we humans are meant to be…hunting. We are carnivores and it’s in our nature to hunt. Canadian also points out she did eat some of the lion, although I kinda feel like she’s just saying that, using the old “kill to eat” line to justify it a little. It’s almost a little strange that we do get upset by what these women do, as we raise animals to eat every day, maybe it’s just that the rest of us work off a fairly set list of whats acceptable to kill and eat and what’s not. I can see both women’s points a little on the “we are natural hunters” side of things, as without evolution I guess that’s where we’d be, but with evolution it’s where we’ve moved from too and killing animals for sport shouldn’t be acceptable. The thing is though hunting is big business in some of these places and thanks to governmental greed, if there’s money to be made then it’s unlikely to stop any time soon.

I found it kind of funny when the American woman spoke about the famous giraffe picture that instigated the Twitter assault. Apparently there were lots of valid reasons for killing this particular giraffe…he could no longer produce the goods to make a baby, he’d been kicked outta his gang, this lad was ready to die, not a bean worth living for so he may as well be hunted. Shur if he wasn’t he’d just go to waste! I just kept thinking of a little old grandad…oh shur listen lads, Grandad’s just a dried up old fossil now and we don’t really like hanging out with him anymore so lets just do him in! Could you imagine if that’s how we treated each other?? My God!! American woman also pointed out that it was good for that particular community, the economy even, that she’d shot the giraffe rather than him just dying and rotting out in the bush somewhere, at least this way they got some use out of him!

I also find it a bit weird that the American went hunting whilst pregnant with her daughter and took her young son along with her, after (I’m assuming) a bout of morning sickness! I feel strange in that, she was pregnant, growing a life and knowingly going out and taking a life…killing a life. It’s just weird and a bit unsettling. I guess it’s just hard to imagine a life giving woman as a life taker. Weirder still, is that I’m a little annoyed with myself for feeling this way, as doesn’t it seem a little sexist, almost like saying women can’t be hunters?

Did any of you see the show?

Donna x

 

 

Dream It, Do It…home of Inspiration!

On the 20th of May, my bestie took me to Dream It, Do It as a birthday present. Nicola, a.k.a The Naked Blondie had mentioned it on Snapchat. She was hosting it along with Fiona Dillon (Hunters Lodge). I’d followed Nicola for a while on Snapchat, then stalked her out on Facebook and Instagram. I love her story and think she’s a real inspiration, after losing over 7stone and now has her own business derived from her new love of healthy eating and a bid to be happy and healthy for her son. I’d briefly mentioned to Ash that Nicola had an event coming up, that I’d love to go but didn’t really think any more about it.

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#8ambabes

It was such a nice day. Ash picked me up at 8 and we headed to the Airfield Estate in Dundrum. It was so weird being so dressed up at 8 in the morning. I text Ash before we left…are you wearing proper make up? Yep! Ah ffs!! Gimme 10mins to paint me face! Well we were going to a fashionable, motivational event, I suppose we needed faces to match. Sadly we didn’t get to look around Overend House, which Corrina from Stone Travel gave us a brief insight to. It was so weird going in and seeing  these people we only watch/chat to through SC….it was like meeting ‘slebs. One of my favourites, Sue Jordan a.k.a CherrySue was also speaking that day…delira! Ash’s fav’s Tom & Jeeny from My Nutrition Ireland were also there.

Oooh we got goodie bags filled with loadsa stuff…well we got a goodie bag and a COOLER bag filled with Glenisk yogurts, which were amazing!! After trying to calmly nose through our bags, I saw a familiar face come in…omg…omg…it was Jen from Jensgymlife. Or was it? I was used to seeing Jen in her gym gear with hair pulled back, I almost didn’t recognise her (no offence Jen). She was here just like me, to be motivated.

160611123458_wmNicola was lovely, she seemed taller on Snapchat though and her eyebrows looked well…if you follow her you’ll know of her constant battle with them…although she seems to be on a winner these days. She’s constantly cooking up a storm with some really om-nom-nom recipes, she even has own own brand of sausages! I really can’t tell you enough how much I’m impressed by her journey, if you don’t know her look her up on FB or SC. She really makes me feel like I can achieve my goals…well weight related anyway…my head is still a muddled mess regarding life goals. I’m not sure how anyone will sort through that.

 

I’d heard Nicola mention Fiona from Hunters Lodge a few times but still hadn’t

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Fiona & Nicola (pic from The Naked Blondie)

checked her out, after hearing her story, I was in there like swimwear. Sixteen years ago, Fiona and her family went from, I guess (seemingly) having it all to losing it all and she went back to basics. They moved from the city to the country and Fiona basically learned to be a farmer. She started with chickens and now has a whole array of animals including one Mahatma Gander. The woman even learned to be a bee keeper!! Fiona is the CEO of her company, she’s written the Freddy Buttons series of kids books, she reviews restaurants, she writes for Farmer’s Journal, she’s a radio correspondent, a Mammy of four…..she’s some kinda superwoman….like how would you not be inspired?

 

 

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Pic from The Naked Blondie

Now lads listen, the food, the FOOOOOD alone is worth going for! OMG!! The sandwiches were sooo yum! You got three different types on your plate…maybe bread, maybe a roll, maybe a wrap and the fillings were scrum. There were little pots of Glenisk yogurt based desserts too…all I can say is om nom nom!! There was three to choose from….I had two!! 🙂 One was like an Eton mess type and the other a banoffee effort! #salivating! During the break we got to have a mooch about. The Dotty Lemon had a stand there full of gorgeous bit and pieces, Ash won a fab mug in the FREE raffle.I took selfies with Jen  (who fyi, at

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Myself & Jen

43 is training for her first bodybuilding comp!!!). We also had a great chat with Tom and the gorgeous Jeeny, who were so nice and more than happy to take pics til we all looked great in them. These guys are so passionate about what they do, I lovvve the fact that they’re really pushing for food awareness to be instilled into children early. I don’t mean cut out all the sweets and stuff but you know, just for kids and even parents now to be aware of what we’re all eating. On another note, who couldn’t listen to Jeeny all day? I’m pretty sure the live on the borders of Tir Na nOg too!

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Jeeny, Ash &Tom

160609085322_wmCherrySue, saying Sue Jordan seems weird now, is amazing! I love listening to her, I feel like she tells me the truth all the time and there’s no bullcrap. Sue chose to bring up son, single handedly and miss out on college but that didn’t stop her. She knew where she wanted to be and she got up and got there. I actually felt a little bit scared going over to say hi, as I didn’t feel “big” enough and I don’t mean in height, but she was really nice and had time to talk to me about my little bloggy woggy and how to become a Snapchat queen (still a serious work in progress). Sue loves her beauty products and seems to be an infinite fountain of info on them….actually on a lot of things really! Her sister Corrina (of The Mammy Van) also spoke at the event and had some brilliant advice on travel (which she shares on Sue’s blog)…as she says having a “prada holiday on a penneys budget”.

Jen from Too Dolly Make Up then gave us a makeup masterclass and turned Fiona’s already gorgeous daughter even more gorgeous. Not only is Jen gas but she can wing eyeliner with her eyes closed! Jealous.com!160609085448_wm

Ooh I should also mention the only other man at our event, Keith from Wicklow Rapeseed Oil.Rapeseed oil, has a higher smoke point than most other popular cooking oils as well as being the lowest in saturated fats.

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All the gang.

Dream It, Do It ended with us all gathering around Tom so he could brown his friends with a picture of him and 50 women. I say it ended there…it didn’t, there was loads of time at the end to meet all of the speakers and take selfies. I came out feeling a mix of positive and filled with questions to myself…like what the hell am I doing? Where AM I ACTUALLY going and what to I want to achieve from the “one hit wonder” that is my life? I think if you need inspiration or an inclination that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, then I’d recommend attending DIDI, there’s alot of hope and positivity knocking about in that room. For now, I’m working on building up and being more frequent my blog, here, on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. (I tweet now and again and although I’m on Bloglovin, I haven’t a clue how it works).

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Pic from The Naked Blondie

To end the day, Ash drove us out to Bray for fish ‘n’ chips. We didn’t really need them after our fab lunch but when you’re at the seaside with just your bestie, which is a rare thing, it would be rude not to. (I know…it makes no sense when you’ve come from somewhere about clean eating! 😀 )

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#babesontherocks

Head on over to snappy chatland and check these people out ;

Nicola – Thenakedblondie

Fiona – hunterslodge

Jeeny – mynutrition1

Sue – itscherrysue

Corrina – stonetravel

Jen – toodollymakeup

Jen (gymlife) – jenser01

Tata for now peeps,

Donna xx

P.S as my phone died, Ash and Nicola were kind enough to let me use their pics too…thanks Ladies xx