Were crows ever scared of scarecrows? I doubt it. Crows are pretty intelligent creatures. Between themselves, they probably laugh or caw about pathetic dummies flapping about in farmers' fields. Besides, even if they were scared of them, an acre of farmland would require at least fifty scarecrows to make any difference.
Visitors seemed to like the keyworker scarecrow image I showed you yesterday, so here are two more members of Laxton's army of scarecrows:-
Finally, here's another real life scarecrow from Number 10 Downing Street. He is Dominic Cummings, the prime minister's senior adviser. This odious weasel broke the country's strict lockdown rules to travel 260 miles north one night at the end of March. He headed from London up to his parents' farm in County Durham with his wife and four year old son.
When spotlighted about this flagrant breach of the guidelines, what did he come up with? Weasel words of course. No apology. Just weasel words and what is more - the big blonde scarecrow - Johnson himself - has so far stood by Cummings in spite of a tsunami of criticism that has seen Johnson's popularity plunge like a lift in The Shard.
Ironically, Cummings is responsible for the government's pandemic slogans - "STAY HOME/ PROTECT THE NHS/ SAVE LIVES" and later "STAY ALERT/CONTROL THE VIRUS/ SAVE LIVES". And yet he could not follow his own instructions. The reek of hypocrisy is very disgusting.
The postie is great. He looks a little like our real one.
ReplyDeleteAre you saying that your postman is a dummy?
DeleteI'm loving the scarecrow photos. I totally agree about Cummings. I watched that car crash press conference where the press crucified him and still he would not apologise. I can appreciate his dilemma at the time, as I can recall a time two decades ago when I was so sick one day, I had to ring my husband to come home from work to look after my then 3-year-old. But so many people have been in this dilemma in lockdown, so many people have lost their income and businesses because of lockdown, so he flew in the face of that by changing the advice to suit himself. Advice that he had written!! If he won't resign, Boris should sack him, or they will lose any support the public have and the easing of lockdown will be damaged, causing another spike in cases.
ReplyDeleteYou have summed it up well ADDY but the truth is that Cummings was simply heading north as a birthday treat for his wife and his son got to see his grandparents, auntie and cousins too. His reasoning is a complete fiction.
DeleteIf Cummings is a scarecrow he certainly has done a fine job to keep his critics at bay.
ReplyDeleteWonder what Cro will say here, after yesterday's exchange on his blog on the subject of Cummings and his goings. What is interesting to me that, a few days ago, Cro advocated no one travelling or, heaven forbid, holidaying in his near vicinity, anyone visiting a second home in the country side. What with the virus, and all that. Yet he justifies Cummings and his goings. Indeed blaming the media for stoking a fire when it's Cummings & Co who have poured the oil.
What is this when members of the populace are being hounded, and fined, for sitting on some beach all by themselves, for five minutes, in the middle of nowhere, being told to go "home"? There is a law, or call it rules, for most of us. The actual rule makers seemingly exempt from observing same.
The reek of hypocrisy is disgusting indeed. Hand me a peg to clamp my nose. Thanks.
U
Obviously Cummings's parents don't feel the same as I do. Personally I would have told him to keep clear, but if his people were happy, then good for him.
DeleteIf Cummings departs he can always bag the starring role in an updated Worzel Gummidge series. But who will play Aunt Sally? Sorry Ursula but my vote goes to Ann Widdecombe.
Delete"Do as I say not as I do".
ReplyDeleteOkay, I will go and split some plants in a minute.
DeleteIn Mexico they make what look very much like scarecrows on New Year's Eve to represent the old year and then at midnight, they burn them!
ReplyDeleteI have nothing to say about your Cummings. I doubt that would even be noted in the USA. "Back to normal" seems to be the new thought process. Wish it were possible.
I wonder if Bob Dylan or indeed Bruce Springsteen might write a song for the 1,000 dead Americans. After all, there were many songs about the tragic war in Vietnam.
DeleteTry 100,000 dead Americans ... in the space of 3 months!
DeleteSorry Marcia. Yes of course - one hundred thousand.
DeleteCrows are way too smart to fall for scarecrows. They can remember individual human faces for years and years and are far and away more intelligent than people give them credit for.
ReplyDeleteCan't you get Marco a date with a crow? I don't mean Crow Magnon.
DeleteI could not agree more about Cummings. Odious weasel is right. My favorite part of his story is how he drove 30 miles for a day out at a local beauty spot in order to "check his eyesight."
ReplyDeleteI pity any pedestrians or cyclists who might have been out and about that day - between Durham and Barnard Castle. Blind Cummings could have easily killed them.
DeleteWe've had the same in Canada - those who make the rules have broken them, always with some excuse that sure wouldn't be considered if they were ordinary folks. To be honest, I've had to be closer than six feet to my elderly mother but it wasn't for a birthday or Mother's Day - it was out of necessity (hers). That seems different to me - or am I indulging in exceptionalism myself now? What I can't understand is how public figures think they're not going to get caught!
ReplyDeleteSend me a hundred Canadian dollars and I won't tell the Nova Scotian authorities that you were so close to your mother. It is funny how during this pandemic some people in leadership roles have demonstrated that they think they are above the law - Trump and Bolsonaro being the prime examples.
DeleteMy favourite remark (from my assiduous reading of the comments in gutter press) is that next time I've had a few beers I'll go for a 60 mile round trip to check that I'm not too drunk to drive.
ReplyDeleteFor you I would say do the test after a small bottle of "Babycham" - the genuine champagne perry.
DeleteIt's about time some idiot says a scarecrow will scare covid 19 away.
ReplyDeleteHey, don't give that fellow in The White House yet more dumb ideas!
DeleteJust like paths, we have "leaders". Ours no smaller than yours.
ReplyDeleteThey say that Trump has very small hands - like a baby's hands. It's always fascinating to watch a baby having a tantrum.
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