Peaceful for some, hectic for others.

A helicopter flew into the local army base last night. It must have been one of those large  twin rotor types with blades that make that deep 'thwump-di-dum thwump-di-dum' noise that sets your teeth on edge. Every rook within a five mile radius took to the skies. There must have been a thousand of them. The noise they made was remarkable. We took a glass of wine and stood in the courtyard watching them circle around us. 

The chapel bells announce the start of a new day.  There was a time when the bells would have been calling the townsfolk to prayer or warning them to gather together to face invaders. Now they're signaling that another round of graduations lie ahead. These days the invaders come in the shape of tour buses from Edinburgh.  Yesterday the town was filled to the brink with visitors from Japan. This makes a change from the legions of Italians and Spanish seeking relief from the heat dome that's settled over the south of the continent. The Japanese were dropped off at the golf course end of town, and then proceeded in a long and orderly line to the cathedral . At the old part of the university there was mild chaos as they came face to face with the first academic procession of the day coming in the opposite direction. The pipers were much appreciated. 

Some of the local gardens are open for graduation week. A way of letting people from far and wide know that they're welcome here. This is a little known but rather sweet tradition. Parents nervously awaiting the start of the ceremonies while away a happy half an hour smelling the roses.

Swallows down on the shoreline. They swoop low over the sea to drink. The pressure from their wings making the faintest of dimples on the water. The bats are also out . They roost in the towers of the old cathedral and thrive on the insects that grow in the abbey precincts long grass. They loved Covid when the usually trim lawns were left to grow wild and the insect life flourished amid the pandemic rewilding.

Town is hectic but for seven am walkers it is quiet and placid and peaceful. It rained yesterday afternoon but should be dry today. The firm that rents out academic hoods and gowns had sensibly supplied yesterday’s graduates with ponchos as proof against the elements. We shall go to see Alan Cummings receive his honorary doctorate and then head south to York for a few days.

One more day to go and then the students and the staff will be gone and the town will turn its attention to golf.

Nothing like a summers day.

It started off cool but when the sea mist burnt off turned out to be another warm day. Graduation ceremonies have - so dar - enjoyed dry, shower free weather.

At the beach cafe parents of soon to be graduates made the acquaintance of the local dog walking fraternity. I'd stand by my claim that this small town has the highest ratio of canines to humans of anywhere on the planet. Some folks say that the inhabitants of these islands can be shy and aloof. This observation clearly doesn't apply here where everyone is ready for a 'wee blether '. The dogs, hoping that a bacon roll will enter their immediate future, are well behaved.

The first fallen leaves seen by the trees near the town hall. Is it heat stress or the first hint that summer in these northerly parts is brief ?

Down where the golf course passes the bigger of the  5 star hotels  the rooks are busy sunbathing on the grass. They are enjoying themselves and completely untroubled by the stream of golfers flowing backwards and forwards across the turf behind them. In fact all the towns avian inhabitants seem to be enjoying the rare experience of summer heat.

 

Thought for the day :https://x.com/realism_fan/status/1939727311991185467

Back yards.

We're into the second half of the year. Where did the time go ? March, April and May seem to have been fused into the span of a long weekend. The worlds richest man seems to have taken to social media again. 

According to the Met office it got to 27 degrees here yesterday. Faced with the graduation crowds and the heat a neighbour in town throws open her back garden for an impromptu Pimms party. Retired dons make polite conversation. In the summer warmth simple things can have a sophistication all their own. Today is expected to be much cooler which will be a relief to those stuck in the airless graduation hall.

The cafe where William ( allegedly ) met Kate has become a gold mine. A labrador and a Westie eye each other up whilst their owners enjoy bacon rolls.

Day one of the summer school for teenagers. Mini buses that have collected the youngsters from Edinburgh airport battle with the golf and graduation crowds.

An 80 year old American lady golfer gets an honorary doctorate in Monday afternoons graduation ceremony. We squeeze onto the back of the balcony to hear her speak. Her observation about the 'little wonder in every eye' caught the moment :https://youtu.be/XApjt78jvsE?t=6615

AI revealed :https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/what-nonsense-reveals-about-chatgpts-understanding-of-language/

I'm not sure this take is entirely right but it's interesting :https://newlinesmag.com/first-person/the-spirit-of-tehran/

There will be dancing on the lawn.

A quick morning chat with the Manhattanites. Last week Iran was the big thing. This week its Senator Tillis and Zohran Mamdani. The Manhattanites are somewhat sympathetic to the former but consider the latter to be the be the harbinger of New York becoming  'Caracas on the Hudson'. To most Europeans he sounds like a middle of the road Social Democrat.

The young eider ducks are now learning to fly. Eider ducks are not aerodynamically svelte. In fact they have the shape of small flying anvils. We stand and watch a group of youngsters launch themselves off the rocks on the shore by the harbour. Some manage three flaps of their wings before barreling into the water. Others manage six or seven. Mother eider ducks are big believers in the old adage " if you don't succeed .... ". Chicks are pushed back onto the rocks to try again and again.

There's a couple sunbathing on the storm wall down by the small beach. It's barely seven and although the sun is up the temperature is struggling towards double digits. The Scottish summer is short enough for people to use any and every cloudless moment to soak up a few rays. The BBC breakfast broadcast informs us that it may get to 34 in the south. Such extremes are unlikely to trouble us here.

A solitary Sheltie stands and stares at the ocean. It is completely lost in its thoughts. Is it overawed by the majesty of the ocean or dreaming about breakfast ? Finally the dog hears the calls of its owner and bounds off.

Outside the Catholic church a car towing a ridiculously small caravan pulls up. A woman gets out of the passenger door and runs inside leaving a young man to wait. Two minutes later she reappears and the car and caravan head off. 'The Font' observes that two people sharing a caravan that size would be acrobatically intimately cosy. Perhaps the young woman's popped in to do  some form of super quick penance ?

People in strangely formal attire up and about and strolling through town. Excited parents who've already had breakfast in their hotels. They haven't thought about what they're going to do to pass the time until the start of todays first graduation ceremony. Physics and astronomy kick off the season.

The lawn in Quad is looking very smart. It has been trimmed to perfection. For the last two weeks tourists have been chased off it by a tall man in a black tee shirt and trousers. At night the gates that lead to it from the street have been padlocked shut. It is the pride and joy of the university gardeners and groundsmen. Today , and for the rest of the week, it will be home to dancing. Even lawns have their moment in the sun.

The cost of a summer barbecue :https://politicalcalculations.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-cost-of-summer-cookout-in-2025.html

Helicopter cash :https://eu.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2025/06/27/witnesses-helicopter-dropped-thousands-of-dollars-onto-gratiot-avenue-detroit-michigan/84391286007/

This was interesting  challenging :https://www.codastory.com/rewriting-history/my-mother-tongues/

Cosmology :https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2025/05/adam-riess-hubble-tension/682980/?lctg=6050e2b7f98ec7553cab3a85

Ostensibly about peacock kings but there's a hint that the author is really writing  about current politicians :https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v47/n03/tom-johnson/who-plucked-the-little-dog

Good weather set to last ?

The old mayor calls from the French village  to tell us that the temperature there hit 41. This sort of heat is expected in mid-August but is most unusual at the end of June. Restrictions on topping up swimming pools will be introduced if rain doesn't arrive soon. A huge thunderstorm is expected on Tuesday night. In London, according to the BBC, it was a muggy 32. Here on the coast the sun pushed the mercury to a very pleasant 21 degrees. More of the same is expected for all of next weeks graduation ceremonies. 24 is forecast here today which the villagers consider to be a heatwave.

The number of European tourists milling around in town indicates that there are a lot of folk who will happily pay to go in search of cool summer temperatures. 

The auld kirks hanging baskets have been freshly planted out and have a particularly jaunty air. 

There's  hint of sea mist down on the dunes. Do the Hebridean sheep find these conditions hot and uncomfortable ? They seem happy .

Yesterday afternoon you could almost see the barley in the field that lies between us and the sea soaking up the heat. It seems to be growing by the minute.

20% of the students here are from North America. A quick back of the envelope calculation indicates that over the coming week 500 or so will be picking up their degrees at the ceremonies in town. We go down to the bar by the golf course for a pre-dinner drink. It's packed solid with parents and grand parents here for their offsprings big day and determined not to miss a single moment of the proceedings. Conversations with other tables flow. Soon to be graduates are introduced. 'You must be a smart cookie ' said to smiling youngsters. Mothers glow with pride. Fathers share their 'special' cigars and comment on the competence - or lack of it - of  golfers on the 16th. There are certain times when shared happiness becomes the common currency. In a large town such things would go unnoticed but in a place with a population of 15,000 you can't miss it.  The wait staff at the bar are completely swamped but everyone is too happy ( or polite ) to notice the 'leisurely' service and the faulty orders. The first bottles of Krug are spotted. Summer nights at the Old Course are special. 

Canada comes top :https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/04/11/which-countries-would-benefit-most-from-an-american-brain-drain

Graduation week. To top it off the kids are arriving for this :https://www.issos.com/  In the space of a few days the age profile in town has dropped from late 40's to late teens. 

More on Canada. Supermarket shelves :https://lenispooner822538.substack.com/p/the-unseen-hand-on-your-grocery-cart

Medical esoterica. Boerhaave syndrome :https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/06/man-eats-dubious-street-food-ends-up-blowing-apart-his-gi-tract/

An e-mail precis of the Big Beautiful Bill arrives in the inbox. Presume they meant whaling : 'Swing senators got legislative treaties, too. Alaska – Murkowski’s home state – got rewarded in the bill. The GOP bill now expands the charitable deduction for Native Alaskan subsistence wailing. 

Our favourite time of year.

A Japanese bird watcher is standing stock still in the barley field when we head off on our morning walk. He's still there , in the same place, when we return half an hour later. We peer at him from the window of 'The Fonts' cabin. I'll try to have a chat and find out what's brought him to this remote spot. Could it be corn crakes ?

The poppies having one last fling. The field verges all the way down to the heron pond now lined with them. By next week they will be gone. They're fun while they last.

Town suddenly busy and bubbly. People arriving from far and near. Range Rovers with personalised number plates much in evidence. Graduates are allowed to get married in chapel so not surprisingly this  is peak season for the ' he graduated in '23, she graduates next week ' crowd.  Parking spaces have been blocked off by yellow cones to allow large bridal limousines to arrive and depart gracefully.  One of yesterdays brides set off to the reception in a vintage Aston Martin. Getting her , and the groom, into the back seat after the wedding was a challenge.  Bridal trains do not lend themselves to the rear of 60's era two door convertibles. They drove off, smiling, amidst the cheers of friends and a large group of bemused but delighted Italian tourists who fully entered into the spirit of the moment. La vita e bella.

I would like to go to Qom but have a feeling the chance has gone. However, demand to learn Farsi seems to be robust. One of the villagers, a professor of Iranian politics, gives an excellent summary of the regimes succession crisis on Radio 4 this morning.

One of the fish and chip shops is offering a 'Filthy Breakfast'. It's arrival comes just in time for the pre-graduation parties or post wedding celebrations. The concept  is designed for a younger audience with cast iron stomachs :https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/in-the-news/the-stunning-scottish-coastal-town-where-you-can-get-a-pure-filthy-chippy-breakfast/

This is our favourite time of year. The town is filling up with cheerful youngsters, serious looking fathers wondering if they need to 'feed the meter'  and proud  mothers determined to wear the broad brimmed hats and 'outfits' they've brought with them. Broad brimmed hats and Scottish wind can surprise the unprepared. Husbands or teenage children are despatched to collect hats that become separated from their owners by particularly muscular gusts. Restaurants and hotels are full. In the evenings the buzz from outside tables is almost Parisian. 21 degrees forecast for today. Even the weather is smiling.

Stawberries and cream :https://theconversation.com/how-strawberries-and-cream-were-a-rare-and-exciting-treat-for-victorians-and-then-became-a-wimbledon-icon-258629

Why would you want a house built and furnished by a car company ? :https://www.carscoops.com/2025/06/aston-martin-private-residence-tokyo-n001-minami-aoyama-house/

Change is coming :https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/the-dawn-of-the-posthuman-age

You can now stay at Londons hippest Indian restaurant :https://www.permitroom.co.uk/stay/portobello/

Gulls and Jaffa Cakes.

Sun and scudding clouds as we head down the path to the sheep field. We spot two linnets. 

The potato plants are coming into flower. Soon we shall be surrounded by a tapestry of blue fields. The farmer is happy with the recent rains that should swell the crop and boost his yields.

We get to the fishmongers just as the morning delivery from Stonehaven arrives. The herring gulls are out and about and excited. They don't need to go hunting for breakfast. Room service has come to them. The noise they make is remarkable.

The gulls line the roof of the fish warehouse watching the trays of fish being moved from the truck into the cold store .The more adventurous flit in and out of the open tarpaulin at the side. Overhead the less brave form a vortex of squawking, circling birds. Hitchcock fans will know the feeling of being in a car park surrounded by large numbers of hungry birds.

Marks and Spencers has still not recovered from the major denial of service attack. Most things have found their way back onto the shelves but today the local store has received an enormous delivery of Lemon and Lime Jaffa Cakes. Seems the computer system still has some glitches. Boxes of Jaffa Cakes fill the aisles and every empty space. Where are the PONs when you need them ? 'The Font' wonders if Lemon and Lime might be too sophisticated a flavour for sheepdogs.  A nanosecond of reflection dispels this thought.

A first :https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/the-first-non-opioid-painkiller

Another lost civilization I've never heard of :https://thedebrief.org/scientists-discover-ancient-temple-from-lost-civilization-that-mysteriously-disappeared-over-1000-years-ago/

The aliens did it :https://www.livescience.com/space/space-exploration/zombie-nasa-satellite-emits-powerful-radio-pulse-after-60-years-of-silence

Oregano claims :https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/oregano-snake-oil/

Carnegie's take on the weeks events :https://carnegieendowment.org/emissary/2025/06/iran-strikes-us-impacts-iaea-nuclear-weapons-monitoring?lang=en