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Bubble Has a New Pal . . .Meet Butty!

Have you noticed that our mute swan, Bubble, now has a young pal?  Butty, a nine-month-old male came to us in March all the way from Chicago.  Butty still displays some of the dusky brown-gray feathers of youth.  When he matures, he will be entirely white.

Why is he called Butty?

As many of you know, Bubble’s brother was Squeak.  They were named by Innkeeper John Mellor for the famous British dish, Bubble and Squeak.  And also because the noises they make sound like bubbles and squeaks.  When we lost Squeak to natural causes, we were anxious to get a companion for Bubble.  But what to call him?

A Butty is an informal term for a sandwich in the United Kingdom.  Typically, butties have hot, savory fillings.  The most common are chips (French fries), bacon, sausage, and egg.  Bacon butties were a great favorite of Innkeeper John.  He made them for his children when they were small.  (His recipe was white bread, bacon, and ketchup!)

The first time Jack to me to England, we went to the theater in London’s West End.  We had a light supper afterwards at a nearby restaurant.  The post-theater menu was promoted as Bubble and Butty—champagne and bacon sandwiches!

So the name honors John and brings back a wonderful memory of his homeland.

Fun fact:  I had assumed the Brits named bacon sandwiches after pork butt.  But according to Better Homes and Gardens http://www.bhg.com/chip.butty, the term is actually a shortened form of bread and butter.  

The picture below was taken by our own Eddie—a handy guy with a camera as well as other tools!  We hope you will stop by soon to greet our swans.  Don’t forget to ask for a bag of lettuce in the office to share with them!

Bubble and Butty explore Buckhorn Inn Pond.