Within Scottish enclaves around the globe there will be the traditional Burn’s Night celebration of the poet with the eating of haggis along with tatties and neeps and the drinking of good Scotch. With luck, there will be a piper to provide the music. The authentic beast is on the banned list for importation into the US, so we will have to make do with a pale imitation. Somehow a dish of lamb sausage with potatoes and rutabagas, eaten whilst a CD of the Band of the Scot’s Guards is in full flow, doesn’t evoke pictures of the highlands and the lochs even if the good Scotch is authentic and in liberal supply.
While Scotland is in the grip of its literary celebration, the good citizens of South Wales are getting organized and planning for a Spring rush of lustful toads in April. They are putting up road signs to warn passing motorists. I do hope that won’t result in motorists trying to avert their eyes. The locals are working out a rota where volunteers will go out with buckets to help the toads across the roads, but it can’t be a 24/7 effort so some toads will be rushing off to give their all for nothing. In mid-Wales they built toad-tunnels for last years rush and these were a considerable success. Why not in south Wales? Perhaps the economic crunch would mean that they would have to be toll tunnels for Mr.Tod.
Toads rushing around over south Wales looking for love are making epic journeys, but none are quite as remarkable as that reported for a female polar bear in the Beaufort Sea (http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9369000/9369317.stm). She swam for nine days looking for a suitable dining establishment. To cover 460 miles, non-stop in very cold water, is a remarkable feat. Her radio collar didn’t tell her followers if she had managed to pick up a snack on the way or what she thought of the new ice flow, though. Hopefully the Ringed Seals were plump.
Let's have a nice Cragganmore and toast to the toads and Burns, too bad about the haggis! (and those South Wales toads who don't get the crossing assist)
The haggis has been banned for 40 years this year but we soldier on!