Relaxing in our Jacuzzi mulling last week's newspaper, our attention was drawn to a photograph at the bottom of the last page but one which we took to be Willie McKenna, Cairngorms National Park Authority board member and local philosopher, wearing an unlikely orange coloured muscle top.

Imagine our surprise when, reading the caption, we discovered it was in fact the Dalai Lama, in his usual robes, promoting his next gig in Inverness entitled, "Be the change and not an escapee from an easyJet cabin crew".

It just shows that all these deep-thinking theorists have a similar look. We assume the topic 'Be the Change' is something about coppers.

WE TWO go to great lengths to research our stories and news bites, in order that we may report back in an accurate and concise fashion.

Suggestions in the past that we have made things up are simply not true and actually quite hurtful. Delicate souls that we are, the very thought makes us reach for the bottle. To be fair, most thoughts make us reach for the bottle.

However, if we were to make something up then we feel that it would only be fair to be open about it and declare it as a work of fiction from the start.

This leads us neatly to an organisation known as "The Economic Development Association Scotland" (EDAS) - quite exactly what they do and how they do it we don't have the strength to find out - but we can, however, announce that at last we have discovered an organisation which is entirely honest and open.

How do we know this? Well, EDAS recently sent out an invitation to their AGM. In it they state quite clearly that they "welcome the Scottish Government's attempts to radically reshape public expenditure in Scotland through preventative spend, ensuring a more efficient use of public funds, and beginning to usher in a cultural shift across the public centre" (No. We don't know what it means either).

The meeting is to be attended by John Swinney MSP. And how do we know they are being honest?

Well, the location for the AGM is the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh.

How apt.

WE SPOT a few signs that the year has turned and that the first hint of spring is in the air!

Although still cold, some bright, sunny weather has been noted and, of course, sporadic falls of snow in time to make the scenery look better for the weekend's husky races although it doesn't do much for the track.

One obvious sign that the gloom of winter is passing came to our mole, who mused as he sauntered carefree down the street in Aviemore the other day, with the snow melting off the pavement as he passed.

He heard the sound of some happy soul tap-dancing along behind him - must surely be dancing in the certain anticipation of spring sunshine he thought - who could this blithe spirit be?

He turned to look - and behold! - who else but Aviemore's intrepid man of the hills, explorer and endless if obscure raconteur, Tommy Bishop, resplendent in boots with wee crampon tips tapping out a cheeky rhythm, roughly syncopating with his metal-tipped walking sticks!

With that disturbing picture now stuck in your minds of Tommy tap-dancing through the streets of Aviemore like some demented Gene Kelly, we must move swiftly on.

NOW THAT the A9 two-plus-one stretch at Moy has reopened without cones or apparent danger, the bard of Tomatin, Donnie MacAskill, has turned his attention to other matters affecting the road.

He has possibly taken inspiration from a recent "Strathy" report when an Aviemore resident, Jennifer Lobban, had an unnerving experience while driving to Inverness.

Here we give you Donnie's latest work, and no doubt those of a certain age will immediately know the tune:

A9 TOMATIN POTHOLE

"There's a hole in the A9,

Dear Transerv, Dear Transerv.

There's a hole in the A9,

Dear Transerv, a hole."

"How did you find it?

Dear Driver, Dear Driver.

How did you find it?

Dear Driver, explain!"

"With a wheel at the front end,

Dear Transerv, Dear Transerv.

With a wheel at the front end,

and then one at the back."

"There are 10 damaged motors,

Dear Transerv, Dear Transerv.

There are 10 damaged motors,

Dear Transerv, so far."

"Our pothole inspectors are guilty,

Dear Driver, Dear Driver.

Our pothole inspectors

have let us all down."

"Their eyes were too bleary,

Dear Driver, Dear Driver.

Their New Year too happy,

their vision unclear."

"But we've filled up the potholes,

Dear Driver, Dear Driver.

Then we'll fill up your pockets

by the end of the year!"

We feel sure that our bard will keep an eye on the A9 and report, in rhyme, the transgressions of Transerv on a regular basis. He certainly won't lack topics to exercise his art.

IN LAST week's blatt we noticed that there was a degree of anger regarding Forestry Commission Scotland's new car parking charges.

People are up in arms about the charges that the public agency is introducing around Glenmore, "..to bring it in line with other sites around the country".

The Forestry people rightly point out that they have been charging for parking at Glenmore for some years.

What our readers may not know is that a close acquaintance of this column held back parking charges for several months at the time of the original introduction, many, many years ago. Probably around 30 years ago when this column was just a boy.

The person, who will have to remain anonymous for reasons that will become clear, was driving a crew-bus towing an empty canoe trailer on the day that the Forestry Commission introduced a parking charge at the Loch Morlich car park near the boathouse.

In abandoned mood he swung into the car park without much thought, and heard an almighty crash.

The canoe trailer had caught the ticket dispenser and caused the machine some damage, removing it from its position on the fence where it was obviously proving to be an unnecessary obstruction.

Possibly they thought it was a terrorist attack on their money-grubbing scheme, or maybe they only had one machine and had to order another, but whatever the thought processes, it took another six months - by which time the summer was over - to replace the offensive box.

Oh! You will be anxious to know. It took only a few moments to straighten out the bars on the trailer.

IF YOU have any stories or salacious bits of info send them to foolscap@btinternet.com