Sunny, bright and windy. On our sunrise tour of the village we find forty plump eider ducks looking for crabs in the rock pool. There are always half a dozen eiders that call the shore home but overnight their numbers have mushroomed. After a day or twos rest the rejuvenated visitors will head off to richer feeding grounds in the north. The big news is that the herring gulls are here - in force. Hundreds of them noisily hunting for grubs in the freshly sown potato field. There is a careful choreography to the seasons here that we're only now discovering. Each day brings new visitors. I'm guessing that the two swans who have set up a nest in the middle of the wheat field by the three metal barns might be about to present us with some cygnets. Father swan watches us walk along the field boundary with a 'particular' intensity.
On the beach Sophie greets the usual cast of characters. Arthritic Archie is getting more arthritic by the day but bravely ( and happily ) plods his way over the sand. The Pomeranians owner gives Sophie a treat. This is cautiously accepted.Town eerily quiet. The streets empty bar a few early rising Swedish golfers wanting to get to the Old Course for ballot time. The students have disappeared. Exam time starts soon and diligent revision is the order of the day after three months of living life to the full. Four junior lecturers can be found standing outside the Good Coffee Cafe. From what I can hear they're invigilators and the first of the written exams starts on Saturday. The Coronation and the attendant bank holidays have brought the exam schedule forward. The junior lecturers don't seem overjoyed about having to work on weekends.
Back at the wee cottage the daffodils are well and truly out in force.
At the garden centre the owners placid German Shepherd studiously ignores Sophie. This is her territory. We're the only customers. The owner sells me some tree peonies and says that in a months time all the stock will be gone. The Scottish gardeners window of opportunity is brief. Angus wonders when plants suddenly became so expensive. The German Shepherd has a ball that she tauntingly shows the family diva. Sophie makes her frustration audible. We leave.
Later today the Volvo gets its first service. The garage calls to ask if I really need a courtesy car. 'The service will only take a couple of hours'. I ask if they'll guarantee that it won't take any longer. Voila ! The booking for the courtesy car is magically reinstated.
10 comments:
I'm wondering if Nobby and I will see some of the same eider ducks on one of our walks along the Ythan estuary at Newburgh (host to a very large breeding colony of eiders).
The fishing net sculpture is truly remarkable.
Cheers, Gail.
That sculpture is breathtaking! How wonderful. What a responsibility housing it - and cleaning it!
The sculpture is truly incredible. Would any modern sculptor be capable of such intricate work.
Seven years is a very long period but what a fantastic result.
I continue to ready your posts daily on my phone, and am so intrigued by the shore birds that you are seeing - Most I've not heard of, so I've looked them up. It truly is the cycle and season of nature at its best!
As I write this, I'm in Lancaster Pennsylvania, and this morning, I'm off to a favorite nursery that's run by Mennonites. The prices were very reasonable a few years ago when I went there with my friend, and she and her husband have been there 3 times this year, and said it's still that way .... but she has spent over $100 each time she's gone. I wonder if that's good or bad for me?
At least your Volvo dealer HAS courtesy cars! Here they, and rentals, are like the proverbial hens' teeth. "Low inventory, supply chain issues, blah blah blah."
Having once been owned by a Shepherd, I can well imagine the look on the garden centre dog's face as she taunts Sophie with the ball. Thank you, Angus, for bringing a nostalgic smile to my face this morning!
Sophie is looking sleek, either the wind or progressive grooming. From what I have seen plants are expensive in Europe.
Thank you for the wonderful descriptions of your birds and the Queirolo sculpture and especially a bright and determined looking Sophie off to a best day ever.
That sculpture. Remarkable. Sophie, lovely as ever!
The daffodils are beautiful, and our descriptions of the early-morning beach are wonderful - I would love to see all those birds. Good luck with the Volvo. We successfully collected our new/old electric Peugeot this morning, only to find when we got home that they had forgotten to give us the charging cable. The salesman, who wears mirrored aviator sunglasses and seems to aspire to becoming a used car salesman in California, actually seemed remorseful and brought the cable to us. So one thumb up for Peugeot.
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