Bartimaeus

I was ahead of myself for Burns Night with a vegetarian haggis purchased much earlier and with a long date on it. I could have kept it for next month. I had noted it was nut free, as some in the past were not, so would be suitable for Nye but it wasn’t big enough for four people and I wasn’t sure he’d like it. I had also managed a burns theme to the week when a little hot oil splashed on my wrist a few days before, while cooking. It was nothing serious. 

Nye was going shopping, before the day itself and after discussion about types and quantities of haggis, he picked up a meat one so we all had a choice and there was enough for all, and some over. While he was out he picked a variation on a Scottish favourite.

Nye and I really liked them but Bryn was not so sure. He likes the cheese ones but didn’t like the aftertaste of marmite. 

Nye is no stranger to the unusual food purchase. He can be adventurous in his tastes and once when he was a wee strip of a lad, I handed him money to visit the fishmonger and bring me something back for tea. I expected haddock or salmon, but in stead he returned with a live lobster. I barely had a pot large enough. I tried a thermidor sauce recipe but was not happy with the result and there wasn’t much on a small lobster for four. Still he has grown up enjoying cooking himself so I have benefitted from that.

The day before Burns day, there was a red warning for Scotland and we all stayed in as our phones had instructed. Burns did mention the wind in January a couple of centuries ago but this was something being described as stronger than ever before in my lifetime.

Our monarch’s hindmost year but ane,
Was five and twenty days begun,
‘Twas then a blast o’ Januar’ win’,
Blew hansel in on Robin.
Extract from “There was a Lad” by Robert Burns

I was worried about a tall evergreen with a relatively thin trunk in the back green. I took a video in the relatively calmer time earlier in the day. It was to get much gustier and wetter later. The tree survived. Some didn’t.

It was still a bit windy the next day when it was actually Burns Day. It was also birds day for me. It was the weekend of the big Garden Bird watch and I was hoping the birds would be hungry, as they hadn’t had a chance to settle the day before, but it was a disappointing hour with just two bluetits, though they came a few times. I was winding down to think only one type of bird had visited when Nye said he wanted to go to the shop but didn’t want to disturb birds if I was counting. I said there was nothing to disturb, so he headed out and at the gate he turned and called “blackbird” and pointed. One was in the bush and far from being scared off, it sat tight as he walked past it, pointing and talking! The event is a tally and not a competition, therefore a nil return is a welcome report as it contributes information about the decline of numbers. I put in my count. 

The pair of haggises and adding some extra root veg (carrot parsnip) to the traditional neeps and tatties, gave our family more options and more than we could eat. Nye offered to pop to the shop for a traditional accompaniment. I turned down the offer of him buying whisky. He returned with Iron Bru – ‘it’s ‘yer other national drink’! He’s a handy lad at times.