Energy.

Another Tuesday morning. Britain has a new Prime Minister, America gears up for the mid-terms and the war in Ukraine grinds on. Here we're woken just after five thirty by the whooping of a huge flock of Canada Geese descending over the garden and landing in the field outside the front door. The thundering noise of a thousand of them is not unlike a 747 coming in to land. 

More excitement follows. Down on the foreshore ( on the start of day 'comfort break' for Sophie )  dog and master stand transfixed as the sky turns black with kittiwakes blown towards the shore by this mornings brisk south easterly. There are  thousands and thousands of them. The village secretary , another early riser due to the demands of two boisterous Jack Russells, says the bird watching society saw more than fourteen thousand pass by yesterday. I wonder who in their right mind would spend their day counting kittiwakes but I keep this thought to myself. Sophie is not greatly enamoured with the Jack Russells who do pirouettes in the fields around her.

Outside the gate we see half a dozen comically obese birds waddling along the lane. Whimbrels. They're full to bursting with food - literally. The birds have bulked up ahead of the long journey down through Spain  to their winter home in Namibia. I'm guessing that this is peak migration season and that by the end of the week most of these exotic summer visitors will be gone and we'll be left alone with the Skuas and Petrels.

By the time we reach the end of the road the clouds have blown away and we're bathed in warm, bright sunshine. Sophie discovers the lake and the old bothy. Deer, some hidden, some not, peer at us from the reeds. The lake has a slightly sulphorous smell so both dog and owner maintain some distance from the waters edge.

It goes without saying that on our way back the weather changes and we're once again buffeted by a strong wind under a solid cover of cloud. Faced with weather like this the best thing a girl can do is slump inside the porch door for a napette to recharge her batteries. She'll need all her energy for greeting visitors. Nine deliveries are expected today including ( hopefully )  new power cables and remotes for the televisions.

Scotlands greatest culinary gift to the world on the shelves in the supermarket. Tomorrow Angus will have Tattie Scones with his breakfast bacon and eggs. I'm betting Sophie will score them 20/10.

Grumpy cats. Pallas wild cat kittens in Novosibirsk zoo :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlm2R6n4CVw

Things to do with rice :https://twitter.com/mZHtgivNQr33RCL/status/1566339470512664582

Sleep retreats - whatever next ? :https://www.rand.org/blog/2022/09/sleep-retreats-a-pricey-trend-that-doesnt-have-to-be.html