The village horse.

The UK has won 3 gold medals in the winter Olympics. Considering UK winters are wet rather than snowy this medal tally is something of a surprise to all concerned. The UK rarely, if ever, appears in the rankings.  The news reader does her best to sound on the right side of excited.

Here it's another grey morning although the rain has, for now, stopped. It's that time of year when the fourth year students wake up to the fact that final exams are two months away so there is a hint of diligent purpose in the air. People scurry towards the library. For some you have the feeling that the library is not their natural stomping ground. Younger students do not share this sense of urgency.

The village horse watches us from behind the fence. Tomorrow we'll come out with some carrots. Village people pause to talk to the horses as they head up the hill towards the bus stop. In rural parts like this with a large pre-schooler population the definition of 'villager' is not solely human centric. The same held true in France. There is always time in the day to talk to a horse.

A half hearted sunrise. Regular as clockwork the Frankfurt to San Francisco and Los Angeles Lufthansa flights leave their contrails high in the sky above us. For the passengers there will be breakfast over Scotland followed by lunch somewhere over Alberta.

It's 2,000 steps to the cathedral from where we park the car. By the time we get there the sun is up . The first coach of the day arrives from Edinburgh and deposits a group of sensibly dressed Spaniards on the pavement near Starbucks. There is soon a long line waiting to use their wash rooms.

For all of two minutes the castle ruins look almost Caribbean in the sunshine. It doesn't last. A bank of cloud drifts over and plunges us back into February weather.

Balloons in the window of a student flat indicate someone is waking up to a 20th birthday. Is any decade as exciting as your 20's ? What adventures lie ahead.

Coming up to four years next week. One mans simple dreams :https://x.com/i/status/2022728972983808252

Chicago in 1883 :https://birdhistory.substack.com/p/how-about-a-game-dinner

Idiocy:https://econofact.org/the-economic-costs-of-brexit-on-the-uk

All I needed to know about WalMart although the term techno-fascism is a bit jaded and could be improved on:https://www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/the-beast-of-bentonville/

Changing views on China :https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-52/the-intellectual-situation/sinophobic-sinophilia/

A substack gem :https://gallery98.substack.com/p/whats-your-greatest-fear-long-island

A victory.

Scotland beat England 31-20 in the Saturday afternoon rugby match. The joy this unexpected victory bestows cannot be understood by non-Scots. A bottle of champagne is opened.... and consumed.

Sunny this morning but the sky has that leaden look that tells us we shall soon be acquainted with snow. Thousands of small starfish have been washed up by the tide. A dozen young couples are sitting in the shelter of the dunes watching the sun rise. They chat with that peculiar intensity that is the hallmark of the late teen. Last night there was a big student 'gig' and these seem to be the hardy, late to bed, stop outs : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsFpWcR2zns . Young love is oblivious to the cold which may , or may not, explain why they're not wearing coats. Local dog owners , wrapped up to the nines, scurry past.

The cafe by the fountain still has a large heart shaped wreath in the window. I guess it will soon be taken down. Easter Eggs have arrived and are stacked up in readiness to take up the post Valentines Day slack.

Bikes a sure sign this is a student town. Some are padlocked others aren't. A few of the cars parked by chapel have fresh snow on their bonnets. This tells us the weather inland is 'challenging'. 

In Starbucks a small dog keeps a wary eye on anyone that gets too close . A small sharp yap is emitted if anyone tries to sit at a table near her mistress. The barista brings over a small cup of whipped cream. The yaps cease.

An unusual story on the six am farming broadcast. Why this should interest local farmers is a mystery. In fact the whole story is a mystery. Perhaps we've overslept and it's April 1st ?  We both agree this is the weirdest thing we've heard all week :https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/14/world/bannon-epstein-take-down-pope-francis-latam-intl  It has a certain elitist arrogance to it.

London 1924:https://x.com/FXMC1957/status/2022723089659011239

We buy tickets for this. His style is what used to be called 'devastatingly candid'  :https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/lucian-freud-drawing-into-painting

Future uncertain:https://nautil.us/the-long-history-and-uncertain-future-of-us-weather-forecasts-1266805/

The first rap song ever made :https://x.com/historyrock_/status/2022264488834269309

Things I didn't know about :https://theconversation.com/boofing-why-taking-illicit-drugs-rectally-is-so-risky-274690

AI in the news again :https://substack.com/home/post/p-187880412

Sunshine at last.

The sad death of that actor from Dawson's Creek the third story on the morning news. The show seemed so worldly wise and uber chic and boundary challenging at the time but would probably appear searingly tame to todays teenagers. 

After six biblical weeks of gales and layer upon layer of cloud the skies brighten and the sun comes out.  On our walk down to the beach we see the first lark of the year hovering over the bluff. This is a cause for celebration. There are also a group of Stonechats darting in and out of the brambles. The sunshine has kicked nature into overdrive. The farmers sixteen year old has dutifully picked up and buried the puffins and auks. This has presumable boosted his summer travel fund.

Students who have been dorm bound since the start of the semester reappear.

Tables at the pavement cafes are busy with laughing youngsters. They bring the town alive. Some brave souls sunbathe on the college lawns. They drink Red Bull from cans and laugh and enjoy themselves. We think about how cold and wet the grass must be. 

The flags of the Six Nations are up in the Tiger/Timberlake sports bar. A notice on the front door informs potential customers that it is completely sold out for the Calcutta Cup - as are all the other watering holes in town. We think of going out for dinner but the chances of getting a table anywhere on Valentines Day are south of zero. Dining in a room full of amorous teenagers who want to get the food part of the evening out of the way as soon as possible can generate jealousy irritation in older diners .

Thomas Edison was a 'stupid' pupil :https://miniphilosophy.substack.com/p/everyone-is-stupid-about-something

This was a fun take on Japan :https://www.persuasion.community/p/the-japanese-love-their-prime-minister

Why the invention of the 'price tag' was so important :https://x.com/RonanFarrow/status/2022086593583231222

Will Ukraines ambassador to the UK be the countrys next President ? :https://asiatimes.com/2026/02/who-would-win-a-ukraine-election/

Is it worth it ?: https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/will-life-on-mars-require-a-genetic-rewrite/

A useful reminder :https://ataraxiaorbust.substack.com/p/amathia-how-smart-people-fall-for

A touch of snow

The weather remains awful. Even the BBC has woken up to just how bad it is :https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20zv56626zo  Aberdeen did manage to get half an hour of sunshine yesterday which I'm sure was welcome.

Seven dead Puffins and two dead Little Auks down on the beach. The strong winds have exhausted them and they've drowned. The weather must be truly awful to cull these feisty wee birds who choose to make our cold waters their home. The farmers sixteen year old will be sent out to pick up the carcasses to give them a proper burial when he gets back from school. Avian flu is still a thing.

Looks to me as if the multi coloured roses haven't  been selling. The closer we get to Valentines Day the more demand from forgetful Romeos will increase.

Town, as you can see, is quiet. No one in their right mind would be about and about in this weather. Snow is forecast. For our morning walk the rain opts to segue into sleet.

While I speak to the Manhattanites 'The Font' goes to a student music competition. An 18 year old from China wins 1st prize. One of the joys of living in a small town with a university is access to world class music. The judges provide advice that is warm, practical and kind.

Even the chocolate cafe is empty. The weather is bad enough to deter even the most ardent chocoholics. The cafe has the air conditioning running which is not what you need on a cold February morning. We drink our espressos quickly.

1941:https://x.com/TheMonologist/status/2019354570993074254

The first restaurant :https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/first-restaurant-paris-france

Jobs and AI :https://newsletter.jantegze.com/p/your-job-isnt-disappearing-its-shrinking

In the centre of Marrakech :https://lefarnatchi.com/

40 days.

Todays weather forecast promises a 95%+ chance of rain and 40 mph winds. Tomorrow it shifts to a 100% likelihood of 'heavy precipitation' but winds of only 20 mph. So much for the weather fronts moving. There is something almost Biblical about 40 days solid of rain. 

In the twenty minutes that passes while we have our wet and windy morning walk the bakers display of fudge doughnuts sells completely out.

A second tray of the heart shape delights is given pride of place in the centre of the bakers window. With rampant demand like this love must be in the air.

No doubting the power of retail suggestion as we enter the supermarket. Bouquets have been carefully positioned by the front door.

Multi-coloured roses are being offered at £4 a stem. Have you ever seen anything as hideous ? They are bound to appeal to 19 year old Lotharios in search of sophistication. The dozen red roses at £15 for a dozen seem outstanding value in comparison.

Soon to celebrate its 100th birthday in New York :https://russiantearoomnyc.com/

Peru and getting blueberries in winter :https://sftw.substack.com/p/chasing-counter-seasonality

For those interested in AI this reassures about Moltbook :https://dolos.substack.com/p/benthic-cannibals-in-cyberspace

Teaching in China . A bit rambling in a Stanford sort of way but worth scrolling down to the text :https://pekinghotel.substack.com/p/when-i-taught-at-central-party-school

One of the organ scholars letting rip with this in chapel this morning. He's having great Hammer House of Horror fun with the music :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Fj3UD8gBI&list=RDG0Fj3UD8gBI&start_radio=1

The Valentines Haggis.

After a brief spell of sunshine the rain has returned. We wake to find scudding clouds and a strong Siberian wind rattling the gutters and downpipes . This wet weather isn't just impacting Scotland. In parts of England two thirds of Februarys average rainfall has fallen in the first week of the month. The farmer tells us this is the wettest start to the year in these parts since 2016.

The hyacinths in the window of the house by the Sports Bar are now past their best. Inside the large wooden table is piled high with essays waiting to be marked and paperwork to be filed. There's something of the absent minded professor about this never changing tableau.

Down on the shore mechanical diggers are trundling slowly backwards and forwards through the surf. The process of redistributing the sand and repairing the storm damage will take weeks. What a cold and tedious job.

A Valentines Day Haggis wrapped in red paper is nestled at the back of the butchers window. 'The Font' observes that Frenchmen may think they're the worlds greatest Romeos but nothing shouts out amour like a Scotsman bearing a rose festooned Haggis. 

Raised tail gates on the cars parked along the shopping street reveal dog owners removing the sand from their pooches coats. A daily post beach ritual that's so commonplace we usually don't notice it.

Tasting menus seem to have conquered the universe. A very few are good. The majority are mediocre and hostage to the chefs talent ... or lack of it. Amorous students can celebrate Valentines Day for £69.00 ( wine pairing included )  in the local hotels. We wonder how many make use of the overnight stay option.

How the Mediterranean happened :https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/physical-world/2026/case-against-zanclean-megaflood-filling-mediterranean

A newly discovered dinosaur with unusual features :https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/7809/Spiky-dinosaur-from-China-rewrites-the-script?searchresult=1

More about the secrets of the human mind :https://psyche.co/ideas/spirituality-cant-be-reduced-to-whats-happening-in-the-brain

There are things to buy in Kyoto that you can't but anywhere else :https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/p/how-a-small-shop-in-kyoto-connects

The Danes are still exceedingly angry. This may be an example of Danish humour. The two youngest look bored :https://x.com/RasmusJarlov/status/2021184890310480067

Things never used to be like this

A dozen Greenshanks have joined the sixty or so Curlews feeding in the long grass by the shore. The farmers wife is very excited. She and the two Jack Russells rush up the farm track to tell us.

The students are into their third week of classes, the skies are brighter and the days are getting noticeably longer. After a month of solid rain people are getting out and about again.  Life in these northerly climes is showing signs of mellowing into something that approximates to being habitable.

The storms of the last month have stripped away another couple of yards of sand from the large dunes that protect the golf course from the sea. A small fleet of diggers and dumper trucks are busy shifting loads of sand from one end of the beach to the other heavily eroded end.

The gull population are still busily feasting on whatever goodies the high tides have deposited on the sand. They are not best pleased with all this activity. Every time a truck trundles by they rise into the air in an irritated, squawking mass.

One of the coffee chains in town has some wonderfully delicate stone carving around its front door. It 's a hangover  from the towns  architectural glory days.

More than a hint of blue sky this morning. It's a welcoming  60% cloud, 40% sky split.

Old friends have gone off to Milan to watch the Winter Olympics. They phone to tell us that the Hyatt is full of folks with a heightened sense of their own entitlement. One couple finding their town car isn't waiting for them barge to the front of the taxi queue and announce ' We're staying in the hotel'. When that fails to impress they then announce that they're going to ' a very important dinner '. In case anyone's in doubt heavy emphasis is placed on the word 'very'. The locals have been surprised to find that the American VP and Secretary of State have each brought over a large fleet of Chevy Suburbans. A dozen of these leviathans in convoy are enough to bring the narrow streets in the centre of the city to a complete halt . Things never used to be this imperial - or did they ? :https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/seduced-by-the-louis-xiv-treatment  The Italian newspapers are  incensed to discover that JD Vances delegation have also flown in their own food. Guess they think the local offering in Milan is too 'risky'.  Our friends ate at this restaurant brashly unpretentious restaurant and laughed with delight at the freshness of the food on offer :https://risoelatte.com/duomo/risoelatte-duomo/  Milan has better food than Rome, Venice or Naples although Mantua and Bologna might better it.

A visitor goes to Shenandoah . The last paragraph is the best :https://www.commonreader.co.uk/p/confederate-flags-and-shenandoahs

War Horse was based on a true story :

https://x.com/nettermike/status/2020350498151493782

For sale - Range Rover owned by one very careful lady owner :https://www.iconicauctioneers.com/2007-land-rover-range-rover-vouge-se-rec16065-1-nec-1125

Deep Maniots :https://www.science.org/content/article/remote-greek-culture-has-been-genetic-island-4500-years