* I looked carefully at the Scotsman’s free gift map of the Munros (mountains of over 3,000 feet / 914.4 Metres) and was able to count ten in the area of the Fannaichs. I had never realised that there are ‘Donalds’ too! These were listed by Percy Donald in the 1930’s, and compromise 89 summits of HILLS which are over 2,000 feet / 609.6 metres in height. You would need to go to the Lowlands to conquer these although they are mostly in the Southern Uplands.
* In Wester Ross, I hear, an increase in flatworms is causing a decline in earthworms which is bad news for Moles. This brings to mind an old joke:
Q: What travels underground at 100 miles per hour?
A: A Mole on a motorbike, of course!
But flatworms remain a serious problem and are probably bad news for Hedgehogs and Humans too. I wonder if Badgers eat both kinds of worms?
* An American digital textbook rental service has been launched in the U.K. to coincide with the London Book Fair. It aims to have 7,000 titles by the start of the University term in September of this year and will work as a ‘locker system’ online. The company works with 30 publishers in the U.S. and hopes to work with a many in the U.K. Before long.
(Regarding the above, I wonder whether the following were the result of online spell checks, Human error or misprints. The first - heavy, this one - has ‘lead’ instead of ‘led’. The second, more poetic, had ‘verses’ instead of ‘versus’.)
* A tip from Prince Charles via a letter to R.H.S. Magazine (2004) advises planting Hellibores, otherwise known as Christmas Roses, at the foot of an apple tree. They will double in size and have rich dark leaves. I wish we could all have apple trees...
* When I heard a Radio Scotland presenter inviting descriptions of “My favourite place” in less than a thousand words, I thought of Achanalt. Just now there are swathes of Primroses, wood anemones and violets. By the time you read this, there will also be areas dense with bluebells and attendant butterflies.
* I enjoyed my visit to the Family Festival celebrating Highland Community Archaeology. The event was held in Dingwall Academy and, as the Library there is open all day on Saturday, I was able to use their photocopier. The assistants in the Library are very helpful too, with this versatile machine. Judging by the joyful cries from junior would-be Vikings, I was not the only one having a good time!
* Now that the Post Office is gone in Achnasheen there is a very smart notice board under the shelter at the bus stop. There are some interesting notices on there too, though I hope passengers will not have to wait so long that they manage to read the C.C. Minutes!
* Having identified the thief who stole 40 Koi Carp, worth around £2,000 each, Officers declined to press charges. As the thief was, in fact, an Otter “No crime had been committed.”
* I heard a Radio presenter asking a Rugby coach “How are you going to do about beating to lose?” I was puzzled but the interviewer was actually asking “How are you going to go about beating Toulouse?”
* Do you ever make deliberate mistakes? In recent years, fixed percentage penalties have been imposed on what Farmers consider to be minor errors. European legislation of a proposed new scheme would see three degrees of severity:
Lowest offence - Negligence. In the middle comes Repeat offences. Highest, would be deliberate mistakes punished with a minimum of 20% penalty, plus a threat of all subsidies being forfeited. This formula could be used for managing wayward teenagers’ spending money!
* Heather-clad Uplands have for generations been used to graze sheep. An MSP said that proposed European changes to permanent pasture rules concerned him and he was calling for a government intervention. He remarked that ”...If the E.C. believes that sheep don’t graze heather then agriculture is being run by people who know nothing about crofting and farming...”
Seeking to reassure, a spokeswoman added, “only woody heather is ineligible for subsidies.”
* As I read the invitation to the Community Lunch party, I wondered what I was wearing at the
time of the Coronation. As a pupil at Sheffield Grammar School, aged thirteen, I would have been wearing a navy A-line skirt, green Gingham blouse, emerald and navy tie under a navy V-necked pullover.
On journeys to, and from, school, the wearing of the bright green beret was compulsory. Monitors would report girls seen without it on their heads.
I also remember that I stopped wanting to be a princess when I saw - on a neighbour’s television - the weight of the crown, as it bowed Elizabeth’s head.
* B.T. Have compiled a list of Bad dogs:
1 - Dachshund, 2 - Chihuahua, 3 - Jack Russell, 4 - Cocker Spaniel, 5 - Beagle and coming in at 15th and 17th ...Rottweiler and German Shepherd. First on the Good dog list is the Labrador, followed by Golden retriever, Poodle, Greyhound and Whippet... and yours, of course!
* Rail passengers using overnight trains between London and Inverness may be unaware of a sleeper service lounge at the Inverness station. An MSP was very surprised to learn about this and has written to Network Rail to point out that there is no indication in the station. I must take a peek...
* Lastly, forgive any fudging, generalisation and vagueness, it is a way round the problem of writing a month before publication is due.
I hope that June the fourth is a fine, sunny day for the Jubilee party and that young and old will enjoy each other’s company.
Pam Morrison
