Assorted bits of nonsense!

In Galicia, I read this morning, there are 63 communities where there are more cows than people.

In Galicia as a whole there are about a million cows, which amounts to one cow for every 2.7 inhabitants.

More than 8,400 families run farms that produce more than half Spain’s milk. And there I was thinking that Asturias was the milk producing region of the country!

And so, to remind people of their milk-producing importance to the country, La Coruña has allowed one of its pedestrian crossings to be painted black with white splodges, like a Frisian cow, instead of the usual black and white stripes. The district, they say, has more in common with cows than with zebras! "A los gallegos las cebras no nos representan, pero las vacas son parte de nuestra esencia", says Jessica Rey, the marketing manager of Casa Grande de Xanceda, thebplace that came up with the idea and proposed it to La Coruña. She hopes other places will follow suit. "No queremos que este paso de vaca se quede como una anécdota, sino que se exporte como idea para las calles de otras ciudades y pueblos de Galicia. Este primero solo es el prototipo".

On the other side of the world, in New Zealand to be exact, in a place called Omaui the local council proposes to ban cats. They want to put in place something called ‘Pest plan’ which means that when a domestic cat dies, Omaui residents would not be permitted to have another. They want all domestic cats in the region to be neutered, microchipped and registered. This is all to protect native birds and animals.

Not everyone is happy with the idea but it fits in with a wider New Zealand plan to rid the country of artificially introduced species of rats, stoats and possums. Ambitious!

Meanwhile, closer to home, Brittany has been having trouble with dolphins:-

 “A mayor on France’s Brittany coast took the rare step of banning swimming for several days after a solitary frisky dolphin tried to get too close to bathers. Roger Lars decided last week that it was safest to ban swimming and diving on the coast near Landévennec, where the over-friendly dolphin had been spotted.

He banned anyone getting closer than 50 metres to the rutting three-metre dolphin, whom locals nicknamed Zafar. The dolphin was not aggressive, but he had taken to trying to rub up against swimmers and boats, the local paper Le Télégramme reported. Zafar had enthusiastically sidled up to several swimmers who he had then prevented from reaching the shore. One had to be rescued by boat.

“Several swimmers were very frightened,” the mayor told the paper Ouest-France.

One local lawyer told Agence France-Presse he wanted to lodge a legal complaint against the ban because it was excessive. “How many dolphin accidents have there been in Finistère since our two species have co-existed? None.”

He said it was unfair to dolphins to present them as dangerous or unpredictable. Local media reported on Monday that the swimming ban had been lifted after Zafar moved away from the coast.”

This is clearly the silly season for animal stories.

I went into the centre of Oldham for a few things today. No problems with animals but I was astounded to see that the Thornton’s shop has a full window display of advent calendars.

Now I am still of the opinion that advent calendars should not have bits of chocolate behind each door you open. I can remember when the most excitement you got from your advent calendar was a picture. But I have given in and accept that no child expects to open a door and look at a picture of a star or a lamb and eventually of the baby Jesus. They want their sugar fix!

But really, what is going on? It’s August 30th, for goodness sake! Surely even the most organised and forward-planning Christmas lovers don’t start yet. And what state will the chocolate be in by the time December comes along?

 However, Thornton’s shops are not alone in starting Christmas early. At Tesco yesterday I spotted jars of mincemeat.

When will the first mince pies appear?