Echo - Haggis - Barley - Stella

A group photo by Jal Duncan (rights obtained).

Look into my big brown eyes

CH Joywood’s Thrill of the Chase CD RN ME is known around the house as Haggis.

Most cairns are fairly happy-go-lucky but you could use this guy’s tail as a fan. As a puppy he wagged his tail in his sleep. He’s the best little pal a person could have.

In addition to being an AKC champion Haggis is a natural at earthwork (a fearsome worker, he).

With a racing style reminiscent of NASCAR Haggis was a one-time Fastest Cairn Terrier in the Northwest.

He’s a Dad and a Grandfather. Of course the other haggis has fans, too.

At the age of 12, Haggis gave Rally Obedience a try and earned his “nurse” title (RN).

Haggis

Haggis is typically served on Burns Night, January 25, when Scotland celebrates the birth of their greatest poet, Robert Burns, who was born in Ayrshire on that date in 1759.

During the celebration, Burns poems are read, and the haggis is addressed by a member of the party, ceremonially, in the form of verses from Burns’ poem, Address to a Haggis.

A typical meal for Burns Night would include Cock-a-Leekie, Haggis with Tattie-an’-neeps (and before you ask, that’s potatoes and turnips), Roastit Beef, Tipsy Laird, and Dunlop Cheese.”

Delicious! (.wav)

Traditional Haggis

• The stomach of a sheep
• The pluck — ie, the heart, liver, and lights (lungs)
• Half a pound minced beef-suet
• Two teacupsful toasted oatmeal
• four onions
• one pint of the pluck boilings (no other liquid)
• four teaspoons salt
• one and a half teaspoons pepper

Wash the bag well in cold water, put it into hot water and scrape it; then let it lie in cold water all night with a little salt.

Wash the pluck well; put it into a pan, letting the windpipe hang over the side into another pan to avoid mess; cover it with boiling water.

Add a teaspoonful of salt and let it boil for two hours; then take it out of the pan, and when it is cold, cut away the windpipe.

Grate a quarter of the liver (not using the rest for the haggis), and mince the heart and lights with the suet and par-boiled onions.

Add to all these the oatmeal, which had been dried and toasted to a golden colour before the fire or in the oven; also the pepper and the salt, and a pint of the liquor in which the pluck was boiled. Mix these all well together.

Take the bag and fill it little more than half full of the mince; if it be too full, it will burst in boiling. Prick the bag occasionally with a needle to prevent it bursting.

Boil this for three hours, then serve it on a hot plate.

from the Edinburgh College of Domestic Science © 1952, courtesy of Jo Hewat Olmstead.

Address To A Haggis

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
[415K]

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hrdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’ need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve,
Are bent lyke drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
“Bethankit!” ‘hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ View
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him ower his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle.

Ye Pow’rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer,
Gie her a haggis!
[667K] ]]> http://www.robinsend.com/2010/03/the-other-haggis/feed/ 0 http://www.robinsend.com/2010/03/chillin/ http://www.robinsend.com/2010/03/chillin/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:27:11 +0000 bradl http://www.robinsend.com/?p=64

Look into my big brown eyes

Haggis trying to look suave for the ladies.

Still life

Haggis attends mime school, studying with the renowned Clay Stone.

How'm I doing so far?

Hole inspector

Haggis doing important work. Hard work. Satisfying work.

This earthdog needs no hard hat or lantern

Cairns are all about the rocks

Haggis wasn’t doing any winning at the Redmond dog show, but he had fun goofing around on the grounds.

He pretty much has fun everywhere he goes.

I'm packed and ready to go!

Haggis hates the thought of anyone leaving without him. If we take out a Sherpa bag, he will be into it in short order.

Haggis models his harness

Will pull for food

We practiced team obedience at a facility that also hosted weight-pull events.

We never tried it formally, but we outfitted Haggis with a custom-made harness and gave it a try one night before  practice and the proprietor gave us some tips.

In the second picture Haggis is pulling a large cart, a cinder block, and a large, friendly man. We never had another lesson because our host was killed in a car accident.