Glen Orchy Bramblings

03/22/2005

We are still in the south/south easterly airstream, which brings mild temperatures and cloudy skies, with occasional showers. I spend much of the day in Glen Orchy attending to my duties at Diana Drummond where some important decisions have to be made about the new “Free From” range. The products have been finished after several years’ development; however, we have to decide about packaging and marketing, always as important as the product! In between sessions, I discover that Glen Orchy has seen the same 20% reduction in nut consumption by garden birds as we have in Glen Trollaigh this winter. We talk at length about the cause of this. The Glen Orchy beech trees have supported a huge flock of chaffinches during the winter and John claims that he is now host to a unique brambling that flocks with the chaffinches and is very fond of the buds on his cherry trees. Right on cue, these birds appear along with half a dozen gold finches feasting on cherry buds. I have never seen them before, and as you will know, small finches can present in thousands of local forms, at lunch we toast the recognition of the Glen Orchy Brambling. Back at the Tower of Glen Trollaigh I struggle with the “to do” list and manage to tick some items off, but seem to add several more tasks. The crows remain unshot, mainly because the evening brings a concerned chorus from the girls in Highbury over the delivery of several bulky packages for the Columbian Cousin, Herman Grenvaldt Trollaigh-Cortez, labelled “to await arrival”. I strongly counsel that they should be handed over to the police in Upper Street without delay. The girls (including dearest Dotty) are advocating a “wee peek”. I retreat to the library for an stiff Ardbeg. It will all end in tears, let alone imprisonment. Yours Aye, Archie, The Baron Trollaigh.