Dethroned by a Scottish king

To the editor:
    The humble spud is a canvas.  Those who may remember or have some of the prints of Evelyn Kok well remember her wonderful efforts to combine art with a simple vegetable: The spud. As I am finishing my time here in Edinburgh, I came across an article about a Lebanese artist, Ginou Choueiri who uses the whole potato to create portraits of famous people. This is the Web site to see these creations. (ginou.mosaicglobe.com) This artist is interested in the ephemeral nature of the humble spud so the work will shine for just a moment and then decline.
    Originally I had another column elaborating on that item. I will save it for another time. However, hours after I penned the first paragraph above, I was injured in a hiking accident and spent a few days as a guest of the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
    I had been enjoying a beautiful late spring day in Arthur’s Seat which is a rocky knoll in the city of Edinburgh. Supposedly it has connections to some of the Scottish Kings named Arthur. After climbing to the top I was trying to come down and stepped on a step, lost my balance and my ankle paid the price.
    Because the accident happened near the top of the outcropping, I had to be carried off in a plastic basket. My cousin’s kids, Jeff and Mathilda, were very excited because this meant in addition to the ambulance showing up, four Lothian Fire Companies showed up to provide the manpower to carry me over the hill to the parking lot. Nothing like flashing lights, sirens, and big burly dudes in uniform to excite the imagination of youngsters.
    I was taken to a National Health Service hospital and the experience there was good and bad. Yes, England has universal health care. Its implementation leaves a lot to be desired. Nothing like being a specimen in a petri dish. Still, I now sport some additional hardware on my ankle and a pair of crutches. Hope to be home soon. Save me some strawberries.
Orpheus Allison
Edinburgh, Scotland
orpheusallison@mac.com