Mass immigration

Every year it's the same around spring time even when there's snow on the ground these immigrants arrive.  They don't care too much for borders and certainly they don't carry documents.  Around forty thousand  of them usually.  They live off the fat of the land and care not what the locals think.  They're blatant too, they set up their homes in farmers yards and barns and no one says a darned word.

Now why would folks allow this to happen.  Well maybe because these immigrants are loved.  Why is that?  Well you see they've come a very long way to help the farmers on their lands.  They've come for thousands of miles from Africa.

You see these immigrants are Storks and they're much loved by all the people of Poland.  They await their coming with eagerness.  Every year they turn up from their huge journey to the same nest to make a new family with their mate.  The nests are big and heavy and they're perched on rooftops, telegraph poles even the electricity company builds a special platform on the pylons so they can build the nest firm and secure.  They soon produce their family usually of four and soon the nest becomes pretty crowded as the youngsters grow.

In August the families of storks can been seen following behind tractors as they plow. Late into the month they all group together as the older storks ready the young for their momentous journey to Africa. I've seen them in far off Iraq as they ride the thermals in their thousands.  In Africa too where they lead a more solitary life. That is until they get the urge to travel

As every year passes I watch their progress not without a little envy. They're truly free!

There are some things in life just too good to miss.  I have a 41 year old MGB and we needed a break.  So I bundled my lady into the navigators seat and we took off.  Sun was shining so the top was down and as usual our Black Beauty immediately began to get those glances.  Usually a double take when they catch sight of that shiny chrome. We did around a 150 miles before we stopped for our first nights rest.  Right beside a huge lake in an area once only reserved for goverbment ministers. oh how those Commies knew how to live huh!  But now they're gone and folks like us get to enjoy the forests and the lakes. This one covers around three thousand acres and is but one of a group of 1000 such lakes all interconnected.  Once this was German but now it belongs free and clear to Poland. Next stop the Baltic coast and those endless white sandy beaches. Time for fresh fish cooked on the grill and conversation with a very nice German man who was on holiday.  And time to do some driving and let the folks take their pictures as they always do. Then after three days we head for home stopping only to buy fresh wild mushrooms and blue berries from villagers at the roadside.  Safe home having done around 800 miles a truly nice weekend.  Isn't life strange sometimes?  I met a chatty lady in a supermarket queue and by the time we got to the checkout I found that she was Brazilian and her hubby is a film director. Next weekend they're coming to our home with their two young sons for a barbecue and no prize for guessing. Yep a ride in that car!