It's expected to be a bit cooler today. 39 forecast. Still hot but more bearable than the mid-40's. It's already in the mid 20's and humid as the PONs follow Angus round the garden checking that the irrigation system is working properly - it isn't. The roses suffering from heat shock.
One of the enduring miracles of the little village is the lime tree on the green. For a month every year it's covered in delicate flowers and becomes the must visit destination for thousands of small bees. You'd think that the bees would only come out after the sun has fully risen but there they are at first light buzzing happily away. The sound carries as far as our garden wall - a distance of ten maybe fifteen metres. It is a sound of innocent unchanging joy. The PONs are too busy heading off towards the Coots and Moorhens to take any notice.
Usually we open the shutters to let in the cool morning air. There is no cool morning air so we remain firmly barricaded in.
'The Font' heads back to Scotland to open up the repainted wee house for the New Texan tenants . Parking is impossible because there is a graduation procession going on outside. You can just catch a glimpse of the wee house at the 3 and 4 second mark : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1TRwexlVw8&t=13s
These rites of passage seem to be taken more seriously by this younger generation. Perhaps in an age of acceleration it's good to remain grounded. Everyone was smiling, the sky was blue and the air warm. Proud parents, the fathers and mothers often emotional, in abundance. Fully a third of the young men graduating were in kilts - a source of amazement to the visiting American and Japanese tourists. Standing at the front door watching the procession go by 'The Font' and a neighbour both agreed there was something magical in the air. With so many 20 somethings about perhaps the something magical was optimism ?
This is interesting : https://medium.com/@the_i_i/as-we-may-adult-ea67eef10ccc
8 comments:
Oh those poor roses.
I'm struck by the low proportion of Scottish accents among the students speaking in the St Andrews video, and wondering if this is representative of the current student population. Agree with you that graduation ceremonies are taken much more seriously than they were back in the 70s and 80s.
Was told ( but could be wrong ) the student spilt is roughly 25 pct Scots, 25 pct rest of UK, 25 pct US and 25 pct EU and other ( mostly India, China and Japan ). The video has that official keep in touch air to it.
Try as I might, I can't catch a even a fleeting glimpse of the wee house, so have missed seeing 'The Font'! Hope that she found all well, and to her satisfaction, after the decorators had finished.
I wonder if the UK graduates share the same optimism as the rest of their fellow students?
Hari OM
Now, the wee hoose - is it the one tucked back a bit from the other frontages? As to graduations ceremonies - possibly the American influence? This generation has grown up on film and TV about graduations over there and if a quarter of them studying are from there, well - just thinking aloud. (Bad habit, I know!) YAM xx
The optimism is catching. Facing the day with a smile. Such a diverse student body. Love the comment of being able to visit about 90 countries without having to pay for accommodation.
Happy that you are getting cooler weather on the way. The lime tree looks amazing. Those bees have a great full month when their are flowers on it. Thanks for sharing the lovely photos. Have a fun rest of your weekend.
World of Animals
That video kept wanting to start at about five or six seconds in, so it required multiple retries. Still not sure I saw the right building, but the graduates seemed to be having a grand time.
Does the lime tree really grow limes -- I thought that was the British name for another kind of tree. It's lovely, whatever it is.
The duo are especially photogenic in the first picture! Well done :)
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