Three holidays at once.

The good news is that the host of the six am radio broadcast seems to have dropped his doom and gloom voice for something different. The bad news is that he's now adopted an austere style reminiscent of a Presbyterian undertaker. Another couple of weeks like this and his tone will be positively apocalyptic. We turn to the light relief of the music on Radio 3.

The weather, which has been wonderful, reverts to form. It's extremely windy and the rain buckets down in a cold Scottish version of the monsoon. We skip the beach and opt for a quick walk around town hoping to catch one of those rare moments when the downpour eases . Scurrying back to the car we pop into the shelter of the bakers  for a wholemeal loaf. 

It's a busy time for them. Mothers Day, St. Patricks Day and Easter all converging. Even the best selling  fudge doughnuts have been repurposed and inscribed with the word 'Mum' and an uncharacteristically delicate small icing sugar flower. Closer examination shows that these flowers come in three colours.

We ( or more precisely Angus ) opt for two lime green St Patricks Day cupcakes.

To this is added two Easter chicks.

The Mothers Day cupcakes are rejected as being too outrageously floral. You need sunglasses just to look at them.

Over the last couple of days the bakers Hot Cross Buns have been given a 10/10 score by 'The Font'. No preservatives in these babies. Nestled quietly next to them on the shelf  is something called an Easter Bun. The lady behind the counter isn't keen on them. She thinks they're crunchy and bland and not nearly as good as the Hot Cross ones. There is something austere and evangelical about their look.

The hotels , which have been empty, are filling up with parents coming to visit their offspring for Mothers Day. The golf courses are busy with fathers determined to play the Old Course. I spot 3 Bentleys parked on the street outside the bookstore. Bentleys are a sure sign that London parents are here. Locals tend to less flashy and more affordable vehicles - Volvos or Hondas.

Home deliveries :https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/whos-really-ordering-all-that-doordash

The croissants here are said to be good. We'll be in Edinburgh next week so a report will follow  :https://www.lannanbakery.com/  Londoners might find the products here to be of French quality :https://www.maybourne.com/en/hotels/claridges/restaurants-bars/claridges-bakery

I didn't know it was :https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/03/11/why-is-buddhism-shrinking-worldwide/

Ear buds :https://theconversation.com/heres-why-you-might-want-to-clean-your-headphones-255590

A detour to the bookstore to pick up a copy of this :https://robertreich.substack.com/p/psst-my-book-available-in-the-uk  

Talk to allies ? :https://x.com/peterrough/status/2032431974804034028

Our martial land.

The large military helicopters seem to have gone but the fighter jets continue to fly in and out of the airbase on the other side of the estuary. They come in over the sea with their noses high and then with a roar of afterburners shoot up into the sky. They do this over and over and over. Our quiet little corner of the world suddenly seems to have become very martial. This morning the weather is bright but there's a cold 60 mph wind blowing in from the west. Heavy rain is forecast. You'd think the strong winds might deter the fliers but they don't.

The students reaction to events in the mid-east has been muted. Usually they feel passionately about world events. So far these are the only posters we've seen about Iran.

The chocolate shop in town is now focused on Easter Eggs. I pop in to see if they have any Dubai chocolate. They don't. They have pistachio and raspberry creams but the shop assistant kindly informs me that they're not not the same thing. 

At five minutes to nine the empty streets in town suddenly fill with thousands of students heading off to lectures. Five minutes later the streets are completely deserted again. The suddenness of this ebb and flow is borderline eerie.

Starbucks dog of the day. The dog clearly thinks the cup of cream foam is taking an inordinately long time to arrive. He looks as I feel after spending time with the insurance company.

The university gardeners have planted out the flower beds just in time for teenage frisbee players to leap all over them.

Life up here on the North Sea coast in March is quiet and predictable. Perhaps it's a sign of advancing years when orderliness becomes a virtue. The six am BBC radio Scotland news broadcast informs us that forecasters are saying the price of oil might hit $200 a barrel. There is a quiet recognition that the law of unintended consequences is in play. The Chicago man has a salutary update this morning :https://x.com/ProfessorPape/status/2031763552239817163

Some Scottish music with an attentive dog :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzYOvfmhV8&list=RDEMP_mdAbR9HfgSd2a7YFIBjg&index=25

Girl Guides know how to sell cookies :https://www.nj.com/food/2026/03/girl-scout-troop-sets-up-shop-at-weed-dispensary-cookies-are-in-high-demand.html

Talented bees :https://www.sciencealert.com/we-finally-know-how-bumblebee-queens-can-survive-underwater-for-days

The origins of sign language :https://theconversation.com/the-deaf-blacksmith-who-married-in-1576-and-the-history-of-sign-as-a-legal-language-276686

Demographic visual :https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-85-of-babies-in-2026-will-be-born-in-asia-and-africa/

Entertaining especially the insight into how German speakers used to outnumber English speakers 5 to 1 :https://www.edwest.co.uk/p/if-it-wasnt-for-us-youd-all-be-speaking

Boxing hares.

On our way down the farm track we spot what we think are three Corgis racing through the field.

A closer look and it turns out that the Corgis are three large and playful hares. When I say large I mean large. After a while they're joined by three more. We stop and watch them hurtle around the borders of the field. Sometimes they stand on their hind legs and box. Sometimes they launch themselves vertically in the air. Could there be any greater proof that Spring is here ?

The thousands of crows that have made the surrounding fields their home over the winter have gone. They were here at the start of the week but have suddenly gone.  Twenty or so remain. The resident rook that sits on the roof of the house has now returned and chats at length to us every time we walk through the front garden and down to the car. The return of the talkative rook is is a routine we're only now appreciating. He clearly views this to be every bit as much his home as it is ours. It's only now, as we enter our fourth year here, that we've come to recognize that this is the same bird who greets us every year. Perhaps he waits for the crows to go ?

Back up at ' the last wee house before Denmark ' we're joined by the farm dogs.

They've been down for a bath in the rock pool and have seen an otter. As far as the dogs are concerned this is the best start to a day they've ever known. The farmers wife has had to pick up the smaller dog by the scruff of her neck to 'encourage' her home. It goes without saying the otter had headed out to the safety of the offshore rocks and was completely unperturbed by the Jack Russells.

A little later, on the big sandy beach, we watch some large Chinook helicopters hovering low over the water.  They come in high then drop down to wave height and and go round and round in slow circuits. I guess its some sort of SAS drill. These large choppers have a deep thud thud thud sound to them that seems to go right through you. The bright start to the day looks as if it will soon be replaced by cloud and rain. By the time we make it to the car the wind has picked up and the temperatures have fallen.

Yesterday was spent producing more paperwork for the insurance company. They have now e-mailed to say they will review the claim within the next ten days. I fear that when it comes the term 'exclusionary clause' will appear in their reply .

The appendix. What does it do ? :https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-appendix-do-biologists-explain-the-complicated-evolution-of-this-inconvenient-organ-277012

Cabbages everywhere :https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/many-of-the-tastiest-vegetables-are

The answer to this question appears to be 'No' :https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/7988/Could-a-daily-multivitamin-slow-biological-ageing

This is an interesting but perhaps not entirely convincing point of view :https://www.persuasion.community/p/shale-gas-might-have-tipped-trump

Upbeat ?

 

The news reader has an upbeat tone to his voice and  informs us that the American President thinks the war in Iran is almost over. Let's hope the Iranians ( and the Russians and Chinese ) agree with him. We have had heating oil delivered so that's a sure sign oil prices have hit a peak and will now start to come back down. The newsreader also calls the new Iranian leader a messianic extremist which is perhaps the polite BBC way of saying he's not a ray of sunshine.

Yesterday was spent collating documents that were then e-mailed to the insurance company. They reply wanting details of all our bank accounts to ensure we've not been reimbursed by another insurer and ask for proof that we've asked the airline if  they'll pay for the ' no show ' charge. Once they have these they will consider our claim. Dealing with insurance companies does not fill the heart with joy. It is the mental version of swimming through a sea of treacle.

The weather has gone back to being cloudy.

A group of scantily clad young women in red dresses are practising a dance routine in the chapel cloister. John Knox must be turning in his grave.

A 19 year old surfer alone with his thoughts on the beach. Perhaps he's also dealing with an insurance claim ?

Golfers now arriving in dribs and drabs. I guess there will be a slow build up and then a sudden  explosion of them as we head towards Easter. Parking remains easy. There have been no more sightings of the large group of American Wall Streeters dressed menacingly from head to toe in black.

Brewdog, the Scottish beer company, has gone into liquidation and then been bought by a US compnay. The local outlet has closed much to the dismay of the rugby team. We came across a Brewdog in Yokohama last year. It was empty. That was the first hint that the company had ill advisedly  'gone for growth'.

A new range of 'Mary Queen of Scots and the plague' memorabilia in the museum shop. These will almost certainly be a big hit with the students.

 

Surprising fact of the day. Usnavy is an unusual name  :https://x.com/MyLatinLife/status/2028597593563861194

This is the original :https://patowmackpacket.substack.com/p/have-you-seen-the-first-declaration

Change accelerating ? :https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/the-warming-trend-nearly-doubled-after-2014-the-rate-of-global-warming-has-accelerated-more-in-the-past-decade-than-ever-before

We have a lot of New Zealanders in the village. I'd always thought it was a Scots diaspora thing but maybe there's more to it ? :https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/06/world/new-zealand-australia-emigration-midlife-intl-hnk-dst?Date=20260307&Profile=CNN+International

235 bathers

Sunday morning. 235 ladies are out on the beach at first light for an International Womens Day dip in the North Sea. In their bobble hats they seem a happy crowd. At this early hour there's a notable lack of husbands. 

The organizers have made a large urn of peppermint tea and provided sticky buns. The tea is popular but the buns aren't.  One of the beach rangers wanders down onto the sand to see if a couple of students would be interested in a bun. " If you don't have them I'll have to put them in the rubbish bin ". Scotland remains a waste not want not culture.

Half an hour later and  blue skies  have settled in. There's a hint of warmth in the sun. 

Pavement cafes that have been empty for the four long dark months of winter are now busy with townsfolk enjoying the approach of Spring.

At the back of Starbucks there is an area where dog owners lay down towels on the floor to pick up the moisture after their pooches have been for a swim. This morning two dogs are grabbing a quick nap under the tables while a third is wondering whether we're bringing him a cup of frothy cream

The Portugese airline that failed to get us to Madeira ( three times ) has refunded our fare in full. This was done quickly and efficiently.  No such luck with the hotel who charged our card for four nights stay and airport transfers. The disinterested young man at the hotel front desk comes out with the expected " I'm sorry you couldn't reach us but those are our standard terms and conditions. I suggest you contact your travel insurance company ". I'm guessing he has to go through this routine a lot. What's the betting the insurers will point me to a cover all subclause that will say something along the lines of ' holidays booked in months with a 'r' in them are not covered' ? This is my task for today.

'Thunder of freedom. The voice of the Lord'. This was being sung in chapel yesterday :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnMjOAxktS0  A stirring suffragette tune neither of us has ever heard before. In small university towns you learn something new every day.

American trains :https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2026/02/why-are-american-passenger-trains-slow/

Changes in China :https://thewire.in/culture/the-software-upgrade-in-chinese-civic-behaviour

Word of the day : Mojtababologist :https://x.com/Alfoneh/status/2030798640189476865

Smouldering fires and impractical travel plans.

Another glorious morning. The sun is rising over the town while the moon sets over the golf course. Today the beach is already busy with dogs and their owners. Two adventurous Scotties in search of excitement  find a young couple who have spent a 'romantic' night in the shelter of the dunes. The couple have lit a small driftwood fire which has now burnt down and is gently smouldering. You have to admire the stamina of amorous students. The dogs bark and bark in delight in a 'see what we've found' way until the young lovers reluctantly bestir themselves and wander off towards the golf course.

The barista at Starbucks provides visiting pooches with a small tub of whipped cream. It can safely be said that the barista at Starbucks has developed a large, adoring, canine fan base. The dog owners also seem pretty happy with this post-walk arrangement.

Later today we shall go down to see this new exhibition at the university museum.

Out here at the last wee house before Denmark all is quiet. Last night was a different matter. The airbase on the far side of the bay was busy with Typhoons taking off and big double engined helicopters doing mysterious things in the dark. On a clear night we can see the jets afterburners far out at sea.  Seems we are about to send one of our two aircraft carriers down to the Med to defend Cyprus. The old familiar phrases 'mission creep' and 'regime change' drift into the outer cortices of my mind where I can, for the moment,  ignore them . The American President has had another 'pop' at our mild mannered Prime Minister. Seems Iran isn't the only country where he'd like to see regime change.

The farmers younger son is working in the potato barns. Scotland beat France in the Six Nations so he's in an exceptionally good mood. He's aware that his sister is bringing her American boyfriend home for Easter. The boy has worked out that if he ( and his friends ) are invited to stay with his sisters boyfriend in Wyoming rather than pay exorbitant prices for hotels he and his brother could save a lot of money. 'The Font' tries to let him down gently and points out that America is a big country and that getting flights out of Jackson Hole to Foxborough and Miami might not be easy. This insight does nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for the idea. We wait to find out what the unsuspecting boyfriends view of this proposed arrangement will be. 

Another sign that the weather is fast improving. The camelias are out in bloom. This specimen is in a sunny spot outside the kitchen window. It's as if someone has flipped a switch and the dark part of the year has been replaced by the time of glorious light. 

Interesting insight into life in Tehran :https://ericwrandolph.substack.com/p/seeking-islam-in-the-islamic-republic

Eternal life if you have the money to pay for it ? :https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-critical-thinking-health-and-nutrition/there-are-lots-longevity-regimens-one-stands-out-me

Birds and wind turbines :https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/technology-articles/sustainability/renewable-energy/birds-and-wind-turbines/

Doesn't this look a bit .... Soviet ? :https://www.moremonuments.org/projects/the-colossus-of-george-washington

We have Outlander. Our neighbours to the left  have Leprechauns :https://sitarasgarden.substack.com/p/fantasy-writers-are-weird-about-ireland

Why Anthropic did the right thing :https://benn.substack.com/p/the-banality-of-surveillance

The new machine.

A week ago the idea of getting rid of a group of blood soaked Ayatollahs seemed like something we could all get behind. A week on and things seem less clear cut. The morning news on Radio Scotland leads with a report that plans are being drawn up to put 'boots on the ground'. This all seems so eerily familiar. A serious man educates listeners about the threat to desalination plans. He spends more time talking about the finer details of  seawater electrolysis than the average listener is perhaps prepared for at six am on a Saturday morning.

The farmer has been up early working in the field down by the shore. We know he's busy because every so often clouds of dust drift across the horizon.  He has bought a new bright red spraying machine which has two huge pneumatic arms that unfurl at right angles from the front . From a distance the unfurling arms wave in the air like the arms of a huge praying mantis. 

As we head down the path to the shore for our morning walk we see him heading back towards us. Turns out the driver isn't the local farmer but some farm hand with a taste for speed and a disdain for local residents. We retreat to the safety of the courtyard as he makes a sharp right angled turn by the courtyard and races past us.

Easter is coming and the farmers wife is preparing for the return of her two eldest from university. It seems her daughter has met a new boyfriend at Oxford. 'He's from Wyoming' said in a disapproving tone of voice that hints he may - literally - be a cowboy. He will be put up in the guest room. It's clear the farmers wife still has a soft spot for the 'nice' farmers boy from Staffordshire who helped with the silage.  The issue of going to the US for the World Cup remains a subject of 'dispute' with her two sons. She's hoping that  British Airways will impose hefty fuel surcharges that she can claim are impossible for them to afford.  The farmers new top of the range Land Rover Discovery and the new red spraying machine may point to exceedingly healthy cash flows at the farm but I decide to keep this thought to myself.

A New York restaurant is moving its staff to St Andrews for four months. We've never heard of Rao's but the local paper informs us it has a ' uniquely intimate, legendary atmosphere '. We ponder what 'uniquely intimate ' might mean and whether this is a good thing. The arrival of this New York eatery tells us a lot about how much money is in St Andrews in peak golf season. It also tells us that wealthy Americans may not be impressed with the standards of the local restaurants. St Andrews is a seasonal town. Hectic in summer dead in winter. Pre-Brexit French and Italian youngsters would flock here to work in the restaurants and improve their English. Post Brexit it's impossible to find staff. Standards have adjusted accordingly.

Flavoured Hot Cross Buns in the supermarket. Angus takes this as another sign that the end of days are fast approaching .

The repairs to the Aquarium are nearly completed. The sea walls were breached in the storms of March 2025. Now a strong concrete barrier is being finished off. The whole thing should be ready and the doors open for Easter. The Aquarium has a family of Meercats who attract toddlers ( and their parents ) like a magnet attracts iron filings. Purists may wonder what Meerkats have to do with an aquarium but this  is a question perhaps best left for another day. 

Swiss watches. I found this article  strangely compeling :https://paulgraham.com/brandage.html

Frowning horses :https://www.forkingpaths.co/p/can-a-horse-frown

All sommeliers know this :https://theconversation.com/this-is-why-you-only-breathe-out-of-one-nostril-at-a-time-276407

Pregnancy :https://www.popsci.com/science/how-pregnancy-changes-body/

Catching up with modern life. Cardi B has, until know, been a stage performer  neither of us has been aware of  :https://historyrinserepeat.substack.com/p/bad-blood-how-cardi-bs-con-was-perfected