Kettles, Flora and Buzzards

9 October 2005
A relative died fairly recently and I have been clearing his home. He was a delightful fellow, but never threw anything out, making the clearance a lengthy process. The men at the Council rubbish tip on my 21st trip to their facility (yes, it was the 21st - I'm not exaggerating) asked me if I was clearing a house.
Perhaps they couldn't believe that one house clearance would yield twenty burned out kettles. (Okay, I am exagerrating, it was only eight).
I found some interesting old books, including an ancient biography of Flora McDonald who assisted Bonnie Prince Charlie to escape after his failed attempt to reclaim the Throne in the mid 18th century. The Prince remains a romantic hero in my country's history and Flora is seen as an amazingly resourceful and brave woman. This account suggests that Flora saved the Prince's life several times during the escape to Skye. This was basically done by giving him very sound advice and insisting that he take it. He, for example, wished to take a companion with them who would have exposed his wherabouts. He also wished to conceal a pistol under his petticoat (he was disguised as Flora's spinstress) which she also refused. This prevented his cover from being blown when they were later shot at by enemy guards.
Buzzards are very prevalent around my area. Whenever you see a large bird, it's typically a buzzard. They have distinctive white lining to the under-side of their wings, which easily distinguishes them from other large birds in the area such as owls, falcons, eagles or ospreys. Most people would agree that it's easy to recognise a buzzard when you see one. Indeed, as there is generally no part of them missing, they are complete buzzards. Keep a look out yourself, I'm sure you'll find one or two complete buzzards near you.
There endeth this blog. Stay tuned!