Fibreglass lions.

 

It poured last night. I mean it really poured. One side of the house was pummeled by wind and rain coming from the sea, another by wind and rain coming from the mountains. We fell asleep to the sound of a stereophonic gale.

It's dry, or at least drier, this morning. The filming of Borges and Me almost over. Alan Cumming is spotted on the street by the castle. We think it unlikely that he is usually up and about this early . This is the second actor we've literally bumped into this year. Standing outside our hotel in DC Martin Sheen rushed out of the front door and into us.

The college golfers are playing the Old Course. The presence of television cameras bring out the local 'characters' who dress as if they're on the set of  Brigadoon.  We watch a tall gentleman in a kilt and a tartan bonnet with a wee red bauble on top position himself on the 18th hole in a spot where the cameras can't miss him.

A beagle on her morning walk turns on her back and dozes on the sacred turf. The beagles owner knows better than walk on the green to retrieve her. Students and dogs ensure St Andrews will never become entirely self satisfiedly smug. 

Down on the sand a group of horses and a small crowd of extras have gathered . Local dog walkers detour around them. Some dogs are intent on seeing what's going on and are chased to prevent them appearing, unexpectedly and prominently, in the scene.

The fibreglass lions put up by the film company are still in place behind the exam halls. They look rather grand.

Life in India :https://www.strangeloopcanon.com/p/life-in-india-is-a-series-of-bilateral

Music gives us the strength to carry on. A short movie premiered in London tonight :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3GGx-B1lvw

These youngsters are so lucid :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buIPHj7IQCo

Cars, movies and an iconic Argentinian poet.

Yesterdays trip to the lawyer didn't fill me with optimism. Seems that German car makers have been cutting back on production due to parts shortages. BMW have wisely ( from their perspective )  decided that the delay in delivering our car is not down to production problems but rather to a 'safety ' issue. Cars can't be manufactured or sold until this is resolved. 'Safety' is of course force majeure and removes the manufacturers and the dealers liability. This is also why the garage think they can lower the trade in price. A thorough search on Google finally unearths this story :https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=2091629  The garage have known about this for ten weeks. After the disaster with the Volvo in France we had been super cautious when signing the purchase agreement. Angus is slightly miffed that 'prudence' failed to prevent problems emerging.

Some really bizarre colours in this mornings sunrise. Heavy rain is expected later in the day.

In town the filming of the movie continues. We ask a man in a day-glo jacket what the film is called. " I'm telt it's called Burgess and something but I dinnae ken any more about it " he informs us cheerfully. 

The day-glo jacketed mans job is to stop people moving the parking cones that are blocking off the residents parking spaces so the prop cars can park there. This, as you might imagine, is a thankless task. Some of the local residents are not amused.

There is filming in Quad ...

.... and filming  down by the castle. A slightly manic feel to the proceedings  may indicate the crew are trying to get as much 'in the can' as possible before the weather changes.

A row of faux stone lions are being painted and a group of young women in 70's period costume are traipsing backwards and forwards into a lecture hall. The director doesn't seem at all happy with their performance. It's repeated ad nauseum. .Finally, the director has a not so small melt down. He expresses his opinions 'vehemently'.  Such things are rarely heard in this most 'reserved' of towns.

A passing third year student stops to let us know that the movie isn't called Burgess and something  but is actually  'Borges and Me' which is based on this story :https://www.thedailybeast.com/that-time-i-chauffeured-jorge-luis-borges-around-scotland

Back at the Last Wee House before Denmark the Amazon guy delivers this.

Having just had some dental X-rays this was of interest :https://arstechnica.com/health/2024/10/do-you-really-need-those-routine-dental-x-rays-probably-not/

Car delays and period costumes.

There's a thick frost on the Volvos windscreen this morning. Thank heavens for the pre-warm setting that de-ices the windows and heats up the interior.  I'll bet the young college golfers from Arizona will be surprised by the weather when they head out onto the fairways. There's no doubting that they're not in Tucson now.  

The car dealership has informed us the delivery of the new vehicle has been delayed until the end of November. They also want to revalue the trade in price we'd agreed on due to the delays. Angus will speak to the lawyer in Edinburgh this morning to see whether the contract allows them do this.

The first of the college teams are due to tee off at 8:45 but there's already a small crowd down by the first hole soaking up the atmosphere. There's also a group of local caddies sharing hints on how to deal with the fast running greens and wishing the youngsters well.

The excitement never seems to stop. Parking cones have been put out on the main street. A film company is in town shooting scenes for a new movie. Student extras are parading around dressed in 1970's era clothing. A group of them are being checked by a wardrobe mistress to ensure that their 'period' costumes are correct. We both find it rather salutary that 1970's clothing is now treated as 'period' . 

Uninspiring piles of Pumpkins in the supermarket.  Carver pumpkins are £2 each. In the box next door Carver pumpkins ( Conv ) are also £2. No one seems to know what the ( Conv ) means. 

The Squash in the farm store looks the part but is on the small side for a pumpkin display. The farmer has just harvested some cauliflowers and brussel sprouts. Their arrival on the shelves solves the problem of which vegetables should accompany tonights dinner.

The camera men are already hard at work beaming the golf into homes far away. We watch as a small forest of camera mounts ascend, one by one, into the sky.

The secrets to happier dogs :https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-happier-dogs-5-tips-to-help-your-canine-friends-live-their-best-life-236952

So it wasn't the wine :https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-on-food/202410/4-reasons-why-you-wake-up-feeling-tired

Evolution :https://news.cnrs.fr/articles/was-toumai-a-biped

This ain't the student golf I remember.

NBC have arrived in force to set up cameras for the college golf championship. One of the camera men informs us that they'll be broadcasting live for three full days. American college golf, which used to be an innocent low key affair, is now a billion dollar business . The Saudis and the UAE are big investors in the sport which may explain the sudden appearance of a brace of brightly coloured Lamborghinis in the practise range car park. This is the second year the championship has been run in St Andrews although we seem to have missed it altogether last year. All the hotels are once again full.

Out by the barns we meet a happy lady with the back of her car loaded with jars of honey. She's on her way to a Christmas market and is pouring herself a cup of coffee from a thermos flask.  You'd think that Christmas markets could wait until November but there seem to be enough shoppers around to make it worth her while.  'The Font' is delighted to discover the woman and her team make bees wax candles. The sort of thing we could find easily in France but more difficult to source here :

https://www.cloverleaapiaries.co.uk/our-story/  

The water in the harbour calm enough to reflect the uninspiring 1960's block of flats .

We detour past the cathedral towards the Italian coffee shop for a restorative espresso. Away from the crowds of enthusiastic teens ( and their corporate sponsors )  gathering at the golf course this end of town is completely empty.

The flags are out.

 A muted sunrise as we leave the courtyard on our way into town. The weather is now somewhere on the spectrum between chilly and cold with 'cold' having the upper hand . Tickets to play a round of golf on the Old Course become much cheaper after October 16th when only the hardiest of golfers are willing to suffer being buffeted by the North Sea winds. The tickets, unsurprisingly,  get even cheaper in January.

By the time we make it onto the beach the muted sunrise has turned into a glorious one.

Three youngsters rush hollering out of the dunes and onto the sand where they  strip down to their underwear. I'm guessing they're not so much early risers as late to bed Saturday night party goers . The youngsters had planned to go for a bracing dip but think better of it when they realize the  strong wind is whipping the sand in their direction. Even eighteen year olds understand that wet underwear and wind blown sand make for an uncomfortable combination.

The student golf tournament is to be televised. The area by the club house already filling up with American teens soaking up the vibe. From the number of youngsters walking around it would seem that this tournament is a big thing. Around them technicians are  setting up cameras. One youngster from Arizona is sitting on the steps that lead onto the first tee and saying ' Wow! Oh wow !' over and over. A real 'Mecca' moment.  This morning the caddies are running up flags. The US flag at one end....

....the Scots flag at the other. In between the banners of the four  universities battle the wind. The stand that had been put up for the Womens Open has finally been taken down. The residents in the hugely expensive flats behind it must be pleased to get their view back.

We stop off at Starbucks for a coffee. The few locals out and about have dropped any sense of stylishness in favour of a dress sense that's more appropriate to the sudden onset of frigid conditions.

Sunday morning links

'New' jobs :https://people.com/texas-mom-heather-torres-porch-pumpkins-thousand-dollar-business-8723502

How weird is this ?  Wouldn't it be better to print the resume on the inside of the lid ? :https://mossandfog.com/pizza-hut-will-deliver-your-resume-printed-on-a-pizza-box-to-prospective-employers/

One very determined lady :https://x.com/Blesma/status/1844676339699241335

French 'hip' :https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3IyQgj50fI8&list=RDAMVME4agkiTNA0M

Monkfish, Arizonans and sunshine.

 

A wonderful sunrise this morning. The clouds have a peculiar 'finger print' look to them . Last night the Northern Lights did their thing  - again. For a while the reds and green  were reflected in the sea which was an almost 'psychedelic' experience. 

On our start of day walk we pass 4 runners and 8 dog walkers and their companions. We speak to the lady with the Pomeranian  and ask Archie the arthritic Labradors owner how her daughter is getting on at university in Seoul. " She says she's fine " the reassuring answer. Two students run across the sand , leap into the water and scream as the impact of the October North Sea makes itself felt.

The fishmonger  sells fried egg flavoured crisps. This is a first for both of us.

A large Monkfish greets customers with an ice filled smile.  We buy Lemon Sole, a Salmon tail, some dressed crab and two Halibut tranches.  The langoustine wave at us which Angus feels is mildly disconcerting. 

We stopped off at sunset for a drink in the Old Course Hotel to celebrate  another sunny, cloud free day. Come mid-October the nights start drawing in quickly so now is the time to enjoy the outdoors while we still can. The view from the fifth floor towards the sea and across the links to the clubhouse is arguably one of the golf worlds greatest. Next week there is a college golf championship with St Andrews pitted against Arizona, Howard and Northwestern. The University of Arizona youngsters have arrived early to acclimatize  and are standing at the window commenting in deferential tones on the sight before them. The young males settle in the bar. The young women head off to the practise range.

MIT on superweeds. The garden here is full of them :https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/10/10/1105034/weeds-climate-change-genetic-engineering-superweeds-food/

A song with a history sung in the European Parliament when Hungarys PM came to speak :https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=E4agkiTNA0M

Climate change and voters . Little interest :https://rogerpielkejr.substack.com/p/the-clean-energy-transitions-voter

Desperate Dan look alike.

A humdinger of a sky last night. Barely a cloud in the sky. Jupiter beaming like a headlight low above the horizon to the East. It's so bright we have to double check to make sure it's not Venus. Behind it the shimmering greens and reds of the Northern Lights. The clear skies and strong wind make star watching a cold proposition so we're out and back inside within five minutes. The BBC says the aurora will be back tonight.

A few golfers around this morning. Two gentlemen from Arkansas stop and ask us which way they should go to find the first tee. They're heading towards the cathedral so have to head back the way they've come. Somehow they've managed to walk right by the Club House. The hotels on the fairways are still busy with folks hoping to get a round on the Old Course now that the summer rush is over and things are 'quieter'.

It's that time of year when youngsters have to start  deciding which universities they're going to apply to. Groups of fathers and sons are being shown around the campus.  Bleary eyed professors are giving lectures on the attractiveness of their courses to wannabe students. Despite the early hour the lectures are packed with eager 17 year olds and their serious fathers. Who knew that father-son days were a thing ? Of course it's possible that the mothers are all sensibly in the warmth of their hotels and will surface later in the day. A small army of students in their red gowns are on hand to answer any questions. Everyone - apart from the 17 year olds -  seems slightly stunned by how early their day is starting. The timetable is presumably set by the need to fly into Edinburgh the night before and fly south again the following afternoon.

Overnight the leaves have fallen.  The pavements suddenly carpeted in them. What a difference a day of strong unrelenting North Easterly wind makes.

Progress on the refurbishment of the hotel next door to the golf clubs continues apace.  The lead that was audaciously stolen from the roof has now been replaced and the internal fit out is under way. The foreman tells us they hope to be open by Easter.

Our first chance to see the new statue of a famous golfer. I'm not sure that the management of the Royal and Ancient have remembered they're in a university town.

The statue's been set on a low plinth. This may be a mistake. How long will it be before some bright first year student places a traffic cone on Tom Morris' head  ? Soon  it will be  a tradition and the retired colonels in the Royal and Ancient will be in a semi-permanent state of apoplexy.

It's never a good idea to criticize municipal statuary and it may be heretical to say this but the new statue reminds me of a now extinct Scottish comic book character called Desperate Dan. 

A frightening insight from a school of engineering :https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/2024/10/viruses-are-teeming-on-your-toothbrush-showerhead/

5, 6 & 7 seem to be Scandinavian staples, 6 should be outlawed  :https://x.com/Thomashornall/status/1843992828843806987

Last nights sky this far North was 'electric' :https://www.livescience.com/space/the-sun/severe-geomagnetic-storm-to-slam-earth-thursday-with-auroras-possible-as-far-south-as-california-and-alabama

Engelsberg always interesting :https://engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-beginning-of-a-reckoning-the-middle-east-after-7-october/