Folks,

Dux:

I fear that when I break the bad news to C51 regarding the Great Canadian & British Birding Boozeup having been summarily canceled he may well fall into a fit of depression so deep and so dark that it will take 3 or 4 nude nurses and several bottles of Guinness administered by IV to... raise his....ummm...spirits.

I am sorry to hear it too and thanks for telling me. I was about to go out and buy a small Union Jack and beef up my hospitalization policy to cover alcohol poisoning. You have saved me not only the mother of all hangovers but also what must be tens of dollars.

Scotland awake! Man the barricades. Light the bonfires along the border. Lock up yer female canines and chain yer wives ... wait, better make that... Lock up yer wives and....OK, then, considering Dux will be in the raiding party, better leave it the way I first wrote it.

Remember me lads that should you take on a pitched battle of any kind with those thrifty Scots that it is likely to be an all-day, all-night kinda affair. It is said that in ages long past a battle with the Scots took twice as long because when they fired their cannons it took ages for the gunners to go out, find the cannon balls again and bring them back to the castle before they could fire their cannon once more. It is not considered wise to challenge a thirsty Scot to a pub crawl either. I hear that if you blokes venture to take on a drinking battle with those hollow-legged, kilted fellows that it may take all night and several lethal barrels emptied before they finally pay for a round.

If I were planning the logistics of this campaign (and for some reason I have not been asked) I would choose a handy spot for crossing the Scottish border that is not only near a well-stocked pub but also near a hospital that specializes in both the treatment of war injuries, cases of near fatal bird pecking and serious ailments of the liver.

Bon voyage mes ami.