Dervish like pillars.

This mornings BBC radio of the view that none of the parties in the Israeli elections has enough votes to form a government. We're told flights from London to Tel Aviv have been booked solid with folks returning for the election. Seems there's no such thing as absentee voting in Israel. Will the pollsters be wrong again ?

The worst of the storm has passed us by but it's still windy and two of the large offshore support vessels remain moored in the bay. The local gull population has also opted for prudence and can be seen bobbing up and down close to the shore in front of the old lifeboat station.

The farmer says he's seen a school of eight whales where the offshore rock shoals plunge down into deep sea. We stop and peer out towards the horizon but there's no sign of them. On a day of strong winds like this the sea breaking over the rocks is whipped up into dervish like pillars of spray. In the sun these refract the light like so many small dancing rainbows. The people who settled here three thousand years ago and had a small cemetery on the bluff knew how to choose a good spot.

The students are strangely absent. The university 'ap' shows that there are nearly 1800 of them in the library. That must be some sort of record.

The recognition that they're not here simply to make new friends and party seems to have hit home. The sudden understanding that exams are now less than six weeks away does wonders in concentrating the mind.

In the centre of town the roads are being dug up and new gas pipes laid. We wander by the wee house to make sure none of the slates on the roof have blown off in the gales. They haven't. A man on the radio informs us that 80 mph storms are likely to be much more commonplace as global warming accelerates. He also says Scotland will get wetter. I'd have thought that was physically impossible. 

Another of those things I'd never thought about :https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2026/why-animal-blood-comes-in-different-colors

The story behind Eisenhowers broken globe :https://danieldrezner.substack.com/p/american-foreign-policy-horror-story

The good thing about a university town is being able to pass on your recent reading matter to the library. Every two months or so I send them a photo of the thirty or so books we've read and don't have room for on our book shelves. The librarians e-mail me back to say what they want and I then drop the books off , half a dozen at a time, with the cheerful folk at the front desk of the library. Todays drop offs are all worth reading but 'From Sovereigns to Servants ' is a truly outstanding insight into modern Russia by a talented woman who used to work at the Central Bank in Moscow. Focused and brilliant. The other books being dropped off today are merely 'excellent' in comparison although the two 'plus ca change 'books on changes in Europe and Germany are stand outs in their own sphere. Tomorrow I'll drop off another six volumes which will help clear out the study.

Surprise elections and stormy seas.

We wake up to find that Lula has won the Brazilian Presidential election. It was another of those Brexit style 52-48% votes. Come to think of it these days all elections seem to be won or lost on a 52-48 split.  Bolsonaro has, of course, refused to accept the results. In Washington a certain someone, tweeting overnight , seems both surprised and unhappy. Elsewhere, the Serbian President has lost his re-election bid. Israel votes tomorrow and it doesn't look like any party or coalition will get to the 61 seats needed for a majority. It's going to be a busy week.

For much of Sunday the wind blew at 60 mph with gusts of up to 80. We venture out to the supermarket and for a walk down to the beach but apart from that we stay close to the house. Ships continue to shelter in the Bay.

The students - or at least some of them - are energized by the gales. The sand yacht franchise is doing a roaring trade with enthusiastic youngsters. Dog owners wisely buckle up their pooches and retreat from the mayhem that is unfolding on the beach. In 60 mph winds sand yachts and fun seeking teens become unguided missiles. A good, if chaotic, time is being had by all. A course has been set out on the sand with bollards. These are being ignored in favour of a general free for all.

A rather stylish little Renault town car seen outside the supermarket. It's surprisingly chic. In this colour you certainly wouldn't miss it in even the busiest of car parks.

Down by the harbour a group of local dog walkers are sporting 'sensible' clothing. This morning the topic of conversation is the strength of the weekend winds. The dogs are keen to get on with their walks and do a rather poor job of hiding their impatience.

After last weeks foam fights the little town is settling down into its quiet winter routines. These will briefly be interrupted by a weekend of 'push the boat out ' Halloween parties.

The Swedish 'Be ready' booklet is a little more detailed than the British version :https://rib.msb.se/filer/pdf/31523.pdf

Drunk all the time :https://www.lefineder.com/p/when-did-people-stop-being-drunk

Good things happen :https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx62y9j1zyjvo

Some unusual thoughts on Norway :https://www.mediaite.com/politics/norway-sucks-trump-adds-tiny-euro-nation-to-his-list-of-shthouse-countries-over-nobel-prize-beef/

Storm Boelo

Storm Boelo arrives around midnight and brings with it 80 mph winds and driving rain. Out in the Bay half a dozen large offshore supply vessels are sheltering from the gale. When this many ships anchor close in you know the weather's going to be 'memorable'. Peak winds are expected this lunchtime but the good news is the rain seems to have blown through. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2026/storm-boelo-named-as-strong-winds-forecast-for-northern-uk

The clocks changed last night so our six am walk down to the heron pond is bathed in the moody light from the sunrise. We make it to the corner of the cabbage patch before deciding the wind has the strength of concrete porridge and is too strong to battle through. We shall stay close to home today.

The shutter speed on the i-Phone is too slow to catch 'Puppy' and her older sister. They're  out and about and supercharged after being kept housebound in yesterdays heavy rain. The dogs arrive and then disappear from the back door in the blink of an eye. 

Roast Turkey crisps appear in the supermarket. A reminder that it's literally just two months to Christmas.

The cobblers robotron has a Halloween theme. We're not quite sure what it's supposed to demonstrate.

The bakers are also in full on Halloween mode.

We shall spend the rest of the day hunkering down out of the wind.

A bibliophiles heaven :https://substack.com/@agnesfenn/note/c-362422641

Things that are not recommended :https://www.groundedaf.io/p/7-things-you-should-never-do-to-survive

Wordle. Is it getting meaner ? :https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/its-not-you-its-wordle

Thoughts on passkeys :https://nonfunctional.substack.com/p/passkeys-are-a-trap-do-not-use-them

An evening to look forward to :https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/st-andrews/julia-harding-2026/

This too :https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/st-andrews/coinneach-macleod-2026/

Be ready.

Yesterday was cold with heavy, face stinging rain. Even the farmers wife ( and the dogs ) stayed indoors. Today the downpour seems to have blown through and there are patches of blue sky. More rain and even stronger winds are forecast for tonight. Our Indian summer seems to have come to an end.

Bunches of wheat and linseed for sale outside the cheese shop. To me the  prices seem surprisingly high. 

There's a group of a dozen or so identically dressed gentlemen in Starbucks. " We're Broncos fans " says one to 'The Font' by way of introduction. ' How delightful ' comes the reply.  He then asks " You gotta school in this town ?" On learning that we do he turns to his colleagues and announces " They gotta school here ". This seems to satisfy their curiosity because after that they go back to looking at their phones and lapse into silence. We are left in the dark as to why a dozen affable  men in matching windbreakers should be in Starbucks at break of day on a blowy October morning.

On Wednesday the Defence Secretary urged all citizens to stock up on their 'Be ready' emergency supplies. Yesterday the Prime Minister did the same. This morning a leaflet from the electricity company comes with the post and explains what to do if if the power goes off. Someone, somewhere is trying to tell us something. Later today we shall check on our 'resiliency' stores.  The torch batteries are all fully charged and the wind up radio works. There is no shortage of wine but we will need to order some more bottled water and tinned fish. The gas hobs will work ( for a while ) which means we can warm up baked beans although toasting bread will be more of a challenge.

Some theatrical music on the car radio this morning :https://youtu.be/7fLMEl6nPXk?t=165

Peculiar Scottish exams and why Scots go to university a year earlier than the English at 17 :https://alexanderhthompson.substack.com/p/exam-of-the-month-the-scottish-csys

Potato salad :https://theyorkshiregourmet.substack.com/p/the-glorious-indistinction-of-schlotzigkeit

A whale grave :https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-dug-into-a-weird-patch-on-the-seafloor-they-unearthed-a-watery-grave

Accents :https://news.osu.edu/how-much-control-do-we-have-over-picking-up-an-accent-a-lot-study-finds/

Change is both necessary and impossible.

The old mayor phones from the little village in France. Last nights local council meeting was a heated affair. When a Frenchman says it was 'heated' you know that things were really on fire. Anger management man stormed out after calling the new mayor ( who comes from Macrons party ) a fascist imbecile. He also said some other things that are perhaps best not repeated. The cause of the anger was a planned village budget that is 'merely'  set to rise in line with inflation. Some think this is austerity while others, aware of the debt crisis, think it's profligate. ' On en reste coi '. The old mayor doesn't think things are as bad as they were during the gilet jaune time six years ago. This was when tempers were even more frayed and the local farmers closed off the motorway and set fire to the coffee hut by the roundabout. The old mayors view on the world is very French - " Change is both necessary and impossible ".

This weeks Private Eye's front cover as wry as ever.

The Georgian entrance to one of the old medieval merchants houses is a thing of time worn, understated, beauty. On a grey, wintry morning the towns front doors are a source of warming colour.

The 'new' restaurant is doing well. The Halloween display at the front door has ( so far ) withstood the weather and partying students.

Why is it teenagers want to decorate their windows ? Is this a feature of all college towns ?

We are ignored by the flock of sheep with the exception of 'Ethel' who glares at us.

The weather colder and the wind has more of a nip. Rain and strong winds are expected later in the day. It's been a revision week so many of the youngsters have gone home to get their laundry done and rediscover what it's like to eat sensible food at sensible times. This does not apply to the four medical students in the flat down the road who maintain a party routine that would put Dionysus to shame. I'm guessing 'revision' has not been a priority.

Radio Scotland in a reflective mood this morning :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL7HkwnzENo

Halloween :https://www.britannica.com/video/origins-of-Halloween-explained/-287163

Why necks evolved :https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/why-did-animals-evolve-necks-study-reveals-it-wasnt-turning-their-heads

The papers here agree that this is quite remarkable ( but not in a good way ) :https://popular.info/p/the-corporate-cash-behind-vivek-ramaswamys

Eco-friendly tyres :https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/10/the-case-for-a-more-sustainable-tire-that-comes-apart-on-purpose/

A concise take from Yale Law :https://www.justsecurity.org/159847/servant-law-president-chief-prosecutor/

Todays word cloud.

The sight of the sun rising over the cabbage field is almost bucolic - or as bucolic as a view of a field of cabbages can be. The farmers crew of cheerful Tajiks and Somalis have headed home for the winter so cabbage harvesting will need to wait until the two sons are back for Christmas. Sometimes the crows perch on top of the cabbages which is a peculiar and humorous sight.

Based on the morning news todays word cloud would have 'Humanitarian' and 'Mendacity' stamped in large letters in the centre.

It rained on and off yesterday so this mornings bright skies and mild breezes are welcomed by both humans and the local gull population. The gulls thrive in a university town where students leave half eaten burgers and the remains of fish and chip suppers in easily accessible waste bins. This is a text book example of humans and nature working in perfect harmony.

All the local lobster fishermen are out resetting their creels after a hectic tourist season. One of the local restaurants is already advertising Christmas Eve lobster dinners delivered to your door. Lobster pricing is all over the place. At the fish and chip shop in town you can get lobster and chips for £25. In the fancy golf restaurant with a panoramic view of the 18th tee a less fresh lobster will set you back £84. Add on the ever present Koffmann fries ( £12) and service charge and you're getting close to £110.

The morning peace is disturbed by a group of 'them' partying on the brae above the harbour. We don't recognize any of the din music that is being played. I think it surprising that they're up so early. 'The Font' thinks it more probable that they haven't gone to bed yet. On reflection this seems a more likely explanation. This is what happens in a town where a large portion of the population are barely a quarter of your age. 

Marie Antoinettes last letter :https://x.com/CeJourHistoire/status/2111033673386770613

The first 'scientific' Ghost Hunter :https://theconversation.com/the-17th-century-british-scientists-who-investigated-hauntings-294526

Nubian history :https://thedebrief.org/an-ancient-temple-in-sudan-is-challenging-what-we-thought-we-knew-about-egypts-powerful-neighbor/

More important than Darwin ? :https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/selfish-gene-50-124500760.html

A democracy in peril :https://www.persuasion.community/p/ukraines-cities-are-dying

The leaves fall.

It's suddenly darker in the mornings. It's also colder and wetter. Overnight the leaves on the trees in town have started to fall. The lines between the parking spaces completely covered in a carpet of orange and red. It's as though someone has flipped a switch.

The Halloween window display in the outfitters window more upmarket than the ones you usually see.

A poster in the window informs us that Greggs will soon unveil their Festive chicken bake. This is somewhat deceptively oddly advertised with two alarmed looking turkeys rather than chickens. At this time in the morning Greggs is busy with local painters and roofers buying sausage rolls. In an hour or so the clientele shifts towards students on their way to nine am lectures. Town and gown run parallel lives.

The local paper informs us that prices at the local cattle auction were 'reasonable'. Logie Lochnagar may or may not agree. How quaint that livestock auction prices are still quoted in guineas.

A busy night in the skies overhead. This morning the postman tells us that the local airbase is crammed with fighter jets. Seems we're sending aircraft and advisors to help the Saudis. It looks as if the Iran thing may suddenly kick off again. As the postman drives away  a couple of those large RAF cargo planes appear and start a long slow lumbering descent over the bay. 

The farmer is bringing in the hay bales from the field by the heron pond. There's nearly 300 of them needing to be shipped to a farm on the Borders where there's a shortage of winter cattle feed. He's getting £100 a bale which makes it a profitable days work. A fleet of large flat beds from a haulier in Hawick are already waiting, engines running, by the potato barns. 

A shrinking Iran :https://x.com/sinatoossi/status/2112198648909939173?s=46&t=fSypFxt84bBHId-do9r5Ag

Self driving cars :https://www.acsh.org/news/2026/10/16/why-are-trial-lawyers-afraid-self-driving-cars-50394

'The Font' tries to engage me in a discussion of this article. The conversation is brief and one sided :https://www.quantamagazine.org/ai-proved-the-quasi-riemann-hypothesis-what-happens-now-20261019/