festival of insects

02-08-26 And a fantasic trip to Saltoun Big Wood. Things are beginning to kick off there but still a little less than full gas as the devil's bit scabious is only starting to bud. That is the purple flowering stems that line the back trail on either side and lure all the insects in the place out, to put on an exhibition of butterflies that I rarely see elsewhere in Scotland.red admiralI like to put festival in the title of a blog around now to remind readers that the 17 Edinburgh Festivals are going on at the moment. They are generally for problem drinkers who like to booze late into the night and sometimes attend amateur shows by naked or narcissistic students or poetry recitals by jugglers on slack-lines. It is a long time since I went near town in late July and August and almost never go to shows, mainly on principal. Mostly its just for trust-fund party-pushers and London-based (insert abusive term here) who love the sound of their own voices. I believe the slum landlords and…