Pre-semester calm.

Cloudy and humid this morning. Nature is shifting towards autumn and the university is gearing up for the new academic year. The two timetables seem to meld together naturally . The French call this glide into September La Rentree and treat it as a kind of mini New Year.  In France the seasons shift slowly. Here it's much more sudden. 

A few fresh faced early bird students can be seen dragging wheelie bags towards their dorm rooms. New faculty go to 'welcome and induction' courses where they learn how to navigate the peculiar complexities of educational bureaucracy. They don't look happy going in and they don't look any happier coming out. The area  around the golf course remains busy with boisterous Labor Day visitors but 300 metres away the university end of town is not just quiet but deserted.  We wonder how many visiting golfers even know there's a medieval cathedral here.

Three horses and their riders are heading back to the farm after their canter back and forwards along the sand. We wave politely . The usual cast of dog owners are out and about but apart from them we have the place to ourselves. The rhythms of summer are ending and the routines of winter are quietly slipping into place.

We pass a medical school classroom where the IT department are working overtime to get all the systems running smoothly for the return of the youngsters. Something ever so slightly apocalyptic about the sight of an empty lecture theatre with no one in it but all the lights  on and the screens flickering away.

An eclectic mix of books on a table in the book shop. This week I've read a book about the small ice age and the rapid fall in European populations during the 6th century. Climate change has always been a thing.  I've now started on the 'Blood Dawn'  book about Asia in the 30's and 40's which is a subject I  knew nothing at all about. This week there are book readings by authors on subjects as varied as Agrippa, Persian cookery, Galician mysteries and Celtic poetry. A former Prime Minister will be here next Saturday. This will attract a large audience and due to the numbers will be held in a local church instead of the bookstore. In a small university town there is always something to do.

The last of the bees hard at work on the lavender. I thought they might be gone by now but a few soldier on. We see two Swallows darting low over the beach but the House Martins and Swifts seem to have preempted them and already headed off on the long journey south. Gulls, pigeons and crows have settled in for the duration. We see a dozen partridges in the potato field. When the seasons turn they really turn. Three young deer appear in the courtyard which is a source of delight.  Life, as you can probably tell, is gloriously dull amid the pre-semester calm. These days I'm all for living in a place that's dull.

A psychic horse :https://theconversation.com/how-a-psychic-horse-named-clever-hans-changed-the-way-we-do-science-288745

Working in the cloud :https://vpostrel.substack.com/p/in-the-land-of-ai-and-bamboo-forks

Boredom :https://daily.jstor.org/not-all-boredom-is-the-same/

Surprise, surprise :https://www.npr.org/2026/08/27/nx-s1-5944328/the-real-cause-of-most-wildfires-people

Very solemn and  Norwegian :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afG6Im-8TlI

A noble sentiment.

Who would ever have thought that Lake Ontario would feature prominently in the BBC's morning radio broadcast ? I check to make sure it's not April 1st.

Parking spaces in the medieval heart of St Andrews are designed for small cars. Modern models are much larger than their 1970'e era predecessors and their rear ends jut out far into the road . Driving through town is an obstacle course of dodging  oncoming traffic and parked super long SUV's. This stretched Land Rover is enormous. There are rumours that car parking charges may be levied on the length of the vehicle although this won't address the underlying problem. 

The church is getting ready for the Harvest Festival. Anywhere else in the world I'd think this was a peculiarly old fashioned tradition but not here. A hiker from Tennessee ( here to trace her Scots forebears ) studies a war memorial while the organist practices ' All is safely gathered in '. We buy tickets for the Harvest  barbecue. A case of wine has already been donated to help wash down the Smash burgers that are being made by the young American woman using the farmers rump steak. Older villagers are unsure about the concept of smash burgers but are willing to give them a try. " It's what young people eat " says the lady selling the tickets through slightly  pursed lips.  

The part for the cabbage harvester hasn't arrived and the farmer has now started on bringing in the potato crop. His two sons are still at home so he's keen to get as much done as he can while they're still around.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

The church although old is a bright cheerful place and the baptismal font is a simple thing of great beauty. One story says it was commissioned by a local family after their four year old son got lost in the woods. He followed the sound of the bells back to the church and safety. Another story says it commemorates the same four year old but after his death in a flying accident in 1926. The bells and the Royal Air Force crest carved on the front tell me that two stories may well be intertwined. Scottish churches may not have the grandeur of their English cousins but they make up for this with their simple intimacy. The names of two more of the same family's sons, both killed later in the Battle of Britain , are carved on a different memorial. 

Private Alex Hampton was in B Company of the Highland Cyclist Corps.  What in heavens name was that ? On the memorial brass the words 'How sleep the brave who sink to rest by all their country's wishes blest' . A noble sentiment for Alex and the other village lads. 

But 'Remembering you we will be brave and strong and meet the last adventure with a song ' might be less polished but more heartfelt.

Almost all of the family names inscribed on the memorial still live in the village which may explain why the building and its fixtures are so spruce. The scent of Pledge furniture polish doesn't so much fill the air as permeate it.

A fiery woman :https://stevepabst.substack.com/p/how-julia-dent-grant-engineered-the

Logical :https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/if-we-knew-todays-mammals-only-from-fossils-wed-get-evolution-super-wrong/

Satellite congestion :https://www.supercluster.com/editorial/meteoroids-cersus-satellites-the-battle-brewing-above-our-heads

Allergies:https://www.the-scientist.com/why-allergies-strike-men-and-women-differently-74921

Ethel.

A Republican Congressman interviewed on the radio tells us that the American President is 'uncommonly shrewd'. This is an unexpected take but sounds remarkably lucid. He then goes on to say' We are winning very big everywhere ' which is less eloquent. I'd like to say that listening to this all encompassing statement I feel my cares about the world ebb away like dew in the morning sun, but I don't. 

The sheep in the field by the mouth of the estuary are enjoying life. The grass is long and the weather mild. They'll stay here for another six or seven weeks before moving to more sheltered grazing well away from the coastal gales. The practical men who look after the golf links have names for all the sheep. Can you guess which one they call Ethel ? This  discovery makes us laugh aloud.

Each passing day brings more signs that the new semester is about to kick off. This morning the gardeners are busy watering the grass and trimming the flower borders outside chapel . They're whistling. When was the last time you heard people whistling ?

The hydrangeas outside the Classics department look as if they've enjoyed a long sunny summer.

It's the start of the American Labor Day holiday . The town has a 51st State feel to it. Helicopters clatter above us bringing the 1% from their Gulfstreams parked in Edinburgh to the 5 star hotels. By the club house teams of excited golfers are lined up ready for the off. We chat to the two third year medics who live next door to the wee house in town. They've got summer jobs as caddies and are  sharing their secrets of how to play the treacherous fairways with a group of  hedge fund managers from Stamford, Connecticut.  The hedgies seem keen to listen and the lads are hopeful they will be good tippers. They have adopted a caddying style that combines the deferential with the cheeky. The start of a new term brings with it all sorts of unexpected costs. One of them tells us 'freshers week' has really, really cool parties. We nod knowingly at this although neither of us has any idea what a 20 year old medic might think constitutes a cool party. It certainly won't be a bowl of fruit punch and a party hat.

I pop to the bookstore to pick up a new title ( that's been highly recommended ) and then stop for a coffee at the fancy new hotel near the aquarium. It's not warm but it's warm enough to sit outside and watch the world go by. The bar man is an early returning Classics student who doesn't complain when asked to bring my coffee outside. This willingness is a rarity in the local hospitality industry which thinks a warm welcome is 'What do you want ?'. 

Things I didn't know :https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/calf-muscles-heart

A pessimists rational for moving to Australia :https://www.sciencealert.com/no-place-on-earth-is-safe-if-all-hell-breaks-loose-but-one-place-is-safer-than-the-rest

German bureaucracy :https://x.com/Bundeskanz50246/status/2091791181533311472?s=20

Highland mystery :https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/human-skeleton-found-inside-mysterious-stone-structure-in-scotland-archaeologists-still-dont-know-why-it-was-buried-there-180989391/

Dolly at the Palace :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvaBKRaEGs4&list=RDYZ76DYvA6m4&index=12

A change of scenery

Dolly Parton dies, the Ontario Premier gives as good as he gets and heavy rain with flash flooding is forecast in England. The BBC announcer informs us that some American commentators think the US is ratcheting up the rhetoric on Canada to divert attention from the lack of progress on Iran.

Elder sister arrives, unannounced and uninvited, in the kitchen. Her younger sister, imprisoned in the farmhouse garden, can be heard howling in the distance. Our visitor gives us a tried and tested ' I know I shouldn't be here but if you could spare a biscuit I'd be eternally grateful ' look. She gets half a ginger hobnob. This sets the tail wagging.

More geese heading along the coast.They pass by in a never ending conveyor belt. The geese fly down from the Arctic in search of warmth. Some will over winter here, others further south in Northumberland.  Their honking is one of lifes transient pleasures. The telegraph wires are empty this morning. A sign that the well fed and rested swallows have finally set off on their long journey to Africa. 

The bee numbers continue to fall but a hardy cohort  still beaver away in the lavender. By the end of the month they too will have gone. In Scotland September is a time of the year when all the stage scenery changes.

No action in the cabbage field. The replacement part still hasn't been despatched.

Two paragliders take off from the sand and head towards town. Look carefully and you can just see them. They are soon up at a thousand feet. There's Russian activity out towards Norway so four jet fighters come hurtling across the sky on their way to deal with whatever's going on. 'The Font' wonders if the paragliders have logged their flight path with air traffic control .

Our old Fermob table and chairs from France have been repainted.  I can't remember the original colour being that strident. They get their first christening in a surprise shower.

Timely. Heard this at the Fox theatre in Atlanta 50 years ago :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixrje2rXLMA

Rediscovered :https://e360.yale.edu/digest/spinach-pipefish-rediscovered

Unloved wild dogs :https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/africa-wild-dogs-most-hated-carnivores-continent-heres-how-conservationists-saving-them-anyway-180989287/

History can be strangely prescient  :https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/benedict-arnolds-invasion-of-canada/

The criticised house.

Sunrise. Two of the villages rather polite ( and usually apolitical ) seventy year olds are heading off in their little red Volvo. He a retired professor of economics, she a designer of fabrics for Harrods. They've prepared a packed lunch and will be joining  a protest against the building of a data centre in a village on the road to Edinburgh. Scotland is an ideal location for these things. It has lots of wind power and no shortage of water to fuel and cool the servers. This combination has attracted droves of resource hungry AI companies. What is only now becoming apparent ( and generating unhappiness ) is the size of these things. The one they're protesting against will cover 60 hectares and be 12 metres high. That will dwarf the wee place.

We tread carefully around an army of small snails heading across the garden path towards the safety of the flower borders. A light sprinkling of rain in the wee hours seems to have brought them out in force.

Dubai chocolate is hard to find in Scotland. Marks and Spencer produce something with pistachio cream but it's a very distant relation to the real thing. We shall go to Glasgow next week to see what's on offer there.

The gardens at one of the local 'houses' are being opened to the public. You wouldn't know this if you missed the sheet of paper with an arrow and the words ' Garden open today' posted at the 'Y' junction by the falconry centre. This is a very minimalist and Presbyterian form of advertising that hints that the organizers would be happy if no one showed up. 

The building is controversial. The owner has taken an old tower house and brought it kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

The ochre lime wash on the harling is well done and the moon gate under the arch a thoughtful touch.

Two pavillions with rills have a 'French' air although on closer inspection it's clear that they are new.

We're both less sure about the large Celtic cross that's been laid out before the front door. It's certainly a statement but is possibly just a tad too religious for most tastes. On a stormy winters night with the lightning flashing it would have a Boris Karloff feel to it. Perhaps it's just too large ?

The place is huge fun and having owned a huge old Scottish castle we wholly approve of anyone that battles with the eye watering costs of keeping the structure water tight in a cold and windy climate.

The weather perfect. It's almost too hot. After a day of blue skies and architectural criticism it's time to end the day with a bottle of Sancerre rose which (despite being a 2022) is still lively and provides some gentle companionship as the sun sets. We stand by the garden wall looking out over the sea as the Orkney bound cruise liners twinkle like gin palaces in the gloaming.

The secret to visiting Scotland is avoid early and mid-August and aim to come here either in May or September when the weather patterns in the North Atlantic are docile if not dormant. Whether next years  El Nino changes that advice remains to be seen. 

Strange story of the week. Mushroom visions:https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/tiny-people-mushroom

Norwegian research:https://www.sciencenorway.no/language-marine-animals-whales/linguist-maybe-well-be-able-to-talk-to-whales-within-20-years/2700360

Addictive foods :https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-and-nutrition/junk-food-addiction

As ye sow so shall ye reap. Letter from Ukraine. Interesting to see which countries didn't attend the independence day celebrations :https://michaeljudge.substack.com/p/sergey-maidukov-habits-of-war

Still relevant 3 years on. Tom Hanks speaks wonderfully at Harvard ( and note the man in the top hat behind ) :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz32lq_iZfI

Influencers and the North Sea.

The summer doldrums and the media are desperate for news. This morning the saga of Harry and Meghan dominates the six am radio broadcast. There now seems to be some uncertainty as to whether they're coming home for good or just for a year. Why they want to leave California still hasn't been explained. It also seems that Meghans return to acting might not now be taking place. After sating our interest in the junior royals the news reader moves onto Trumps trade war with Canada and more Russian attacks on Kyiv.

The cabbage harvest was in full swing until the new - and hugely expensive - machine developed a fault. Further work has been suspended until a 'part' arrives. There is some uncertainty as to when this might be. It has to come from the Netherlands  which means clearing customs.

Three middle aged gentlemen swimmers can be seen in the fresh water pool below the castle. We meet the retired pilot out walking his dog. He tells us that taking a dip in the pool has become a big 'thing' on Instagram. A couple of years ago the number of swimmers willing to brave the North Sea could be counted on one hand. Now, in the summer at least, there are scores every day. This says a lot about influencers and the power of Instagram.

There's a couple walking a Westie along the pier. They're watching a  man in a Zodiac shouting to a mate on the sand. In these parts that counts as excitement. From the cloud patterns I'll wager we're in for one of those highly changeable Scottish days when we get all four seasons in quick succession.

Twenty minutes later , our ten thousand steps done, we return towards the car. There's a group of youngsters lifting a canoe onto the beach. This seems to be a more complex manoeuvre than you might imagine.

They join a dozen or so boats that have been taken onto the sand by the rowing coach and his team. It would seem that eager student rowers are already returning in readiness for the new semesters team trials. A marquee has been put up to enable the officials to keep out of the sun. This might best be described as a triumph of hope over the local climate.

On the other side of the harbour a small fleet of foreign camper vans are parked up against the old abbey walls. In the evening the passengers sit out on deck chairs, cook and chat affably to each other in a mix of languages. I'd like to think the pilgrims who came here in the middle ages would recognize their successors.

Elvis doesn't cut it any longer :https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/economic-growth-makes-graceland-less-impressive/

I'd never seen the chart in this piece :https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/debt-and-tax-cuts

Friday night is no longer a 'thing' :https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/23780231261478215

A unique sound.

Out here in the village the local farmer has started harvesting the cabbages. A team of a dozen or so hard working Somalis and Turkmens operate a huge machine that cuts , prepares, grades and then weighs and prices them. A fleet of tractors then haul the cabbages to the back of enormous flat bedded trucks which, when fully stacked and laden, head off to the storage barns. The whole process is surprisingly automated, highly efficient and should, weather willing, be completed by Wednesday. This Stakhanovite drama provides great amusement for the walkers on the coastal foot path who stand and stare. The farmer must be a good employer because many of the same crew return year after year.

In town the good weather has brought with it hosts of happy golfers. They clog the pavements. This bunch, seen outside Starbucks,  are hurrying to the Old Course for a seven am start time. The jiggle and clanking of their clubs gives golf towns a sound that is unique.

Down by the fourth tee the sheep ignore a group of hearty American gentlemen players who shout 'Fore!' with surprising - and possibly uncalled for - gusto. This is golf as theatre.

The beach is pretty much empty bar two huge dogs who are being taken for a walk. St Bernards or possibly Newfoundlands. 

They are being kept on a lead which is just as well as there's a horse and trap whistling along the sand.

It's quickly followed by two more. 

So starts a quiet Sunday morning in a small town on the North Sea. Soon September will arrive and with it 10,000 fresh faced youngsters. 

Required reading for anyone visiting the UK :https://englishmanmike.substack.com/p/the-british-etiquette-rules-nobody

Great photos :https://substack.com/@alldaycake

Scottish cannibals :https://theconversation.com/the-enduring-mystery-of-scotlands-medieval-cannibals-289249

Life without a smart phone :https://ktklp.substack.com/p/do-you-really-want-a-slow-life