Seaweed.

The newspapers hadn't been delivered when we went in on Friday morning but the newsagent kindly kept a copy for me. Within thirty minutes her daily stock had sold out. She thinks people are saving them as a memento. Everyone I've spoken to set aside time to watch the new King speak to the nation last night. Our neighbour at the house in town says that for the ten minutes while the broadcast was on the streets were almost empty of cars. One of those rarest of moments when the country has a common interest. I'd assumed that the death of the Queen would be reported by the BBC but ignored by everyone under a certain age. That's not the way the national psychology seems to be playing out. If anyone wrote a book  with the Queen appointing a new government at the start of the week and dying at the end of it the critics would dismiss it as infantile fantasy. Yet, here we are.

The two plump pigeons who call this place home are drying their feathers on the farmyard fence. Sophie ignores them. PON and pigeons co-exist on a false mutual, if unspoken, understanding that Sophie is a skilled hunter . Both parties seem happy with this arrangement. It saves a lot of time and bother.

A brisk wind this morning. Ideal PON weather. Despite two metal knees and advancing years the family diva sets off across country at a trot. Sophie finds the coast to be intriguing. She has recently discovered seaweed - which makes a delicious pre-breakfast snack.

On our way back she turns to make sure I'm keeping up. The family diva displays a combination of impatience and solicitousness. Impatience wins and she's soon racing back to the gate to wait for me, and breakfast.  She passes a herd of deer who look up but don't move. They too seem to have discovered that when it comes to PONettes hunting skills there is a lot of sturm but little drang.

Dog lovers will understand this story about a seeing-eye dog :https://twitter.com/PickardJE/status/1568517462341165056

Yesterday I saw two members of the Royal and Ancient wearing black arm bands. An overly Victorian gesture ? The change still shocks. The National Anthem has new words. This is the first time I'd heard it sung with King replacing Queen. Barely audible but both choir and congregation stumble , a little, over the change. By the end of the week it will be commonplace :https://youtu.be/phM2GL_hPL8?t=2570

What Londoners made of this dirgeful Scottish interlude only be imagined :https://youtu.be/KgOridFp7Do?t=2588