Extreme Recycling

The Scots are legendary for their frugality. Scotch whiskey is distilled only once, whereas Irish whiskey goes through the stills three different times. But at the Strathnaver Museum near Bettyhill, we encountered what has to be the ultimate in frugality, or at least in recycling. The object pictured below is a dog-skin buoy. Fido. According to the museum description:

“The rope was attached to the head end of the buoys and as the net filled with fish the rear end would bob up and down in the water. When the catch was a good one it gave rise to the saying: 'The dogs are fair dancin' today!'”

Now I call that inventive and yet another valuable lesson we can take from our ancestors. Next time you look at dear old Rover, realizing that he is aging seven times as fast as you are, think ahead to what useful purpose he might serve in his next, um, incarnation. Of course, if you are a commercial fisherman given to traditional methods, this is easy. But if not, then consider...pool toy? scuba-diving marker? helium-filled balloon (smaller dogs)? The possibilities are endless. Help save the earth!

Please do not report this blog to the SPCA.