To me 'Sleekit' and 'Cow'rin' were terms of contempt, describing the very worst qualities in people. Sly and cowardly in a single person falls short of anything approximating a compliment. It struck me as odd that the ploughman would describe the wee mouse he had just made homeless before winter as Sleekit and Cow'rin, but he does.
Two Little Birds and Other Islands in the Hebrides
Canaries and budgies have long been favoured pets by ordinary people all over the place. In times gone by canaries were a favourite in the coal mines where they would act as an early warning system for the miners – by alerting them to the presence of poisonous gas by falling off their perches dead. … Continue reading Two Little Birds and Other Islands in the Hebrides
Another Brilliant Adventure of Skye the Parakeet
Follow @UrFhasaidh Skye has been uncharacteristically sociable of late. On his escapes from his cage he has taken to landing on the desk and playing with pens and assaulting the laptop screen. He hasn’t behaved like this since before he got himself a girlfriend. At first I thought that this was a sign that he … Continue reading Another Brilliant Adventure of Skye the Parakeet
Adventures of Skye #1
Follow @UrFhasaidh At this stage Skye the parakeet pretty much has the run of the house. It doesn’t bother him that Ambrose, the porky Jack Russell, also has the run of the house. The world exists in three dimensions for Skye and Jura. They have all the floor space and when wee Ambrose comes along … Continue reading Adventures of Skye #1
He’s a Belly with Teeth
Ambrose, the Beagle-Jack Russell, who shares a house with me, is a well fed dog. Every evening at seven o’clock he gets a bowl of lamb and rice dry mix with water, he eats as much as he can find either in the kitchen bin through the day and on the street when he’s out … Continue reading He’s a Belly with Teeth
Birdwatching and Dog-Sitting
I’ve been on my travels over the Christmas, and this means that Ambrose and the birdies have been on their travels too. Ambrose has been to Scotland once before, and after that experience I decided that life was too short; or rather it meant that his life would end up being shorter. So Claire said … Continue reading Birdwatching and Dog-Sitting
