The radio this morning explaining why a 21 year old felt the need to post national secrets online. You'd think that mobile phones ( and their cameras ) would be kept out of sensitive areas . There again this would be difficult to enforce as i-Phones are - according to the radio presenter - ubiquitous. A very BBC type word and a reminder that one should never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
We pick up 'The Font' from the overnight sleeper from London. The service has recently been much improved - in fact with the addition of an en-suite shower it's bordering on civilized (https://www.sleeper.scot/caledonian-double/). The change of points outside Carlisle still provide an unscheduled ( and unwanted ) bone jarring early wake up call .
While 'The Font' recovers from the journey with a cup of coffee Angus and Sophie head off down the track to the beach.
Having overseen the safe return of her flock Sophie is in a determined mood . She sets out across the sand at a brisk pace.
Seaweed is examined and rock pools skillfully avoided. Oyster catchers are chased. From time to time the family diva turns to make sure Angus is staying close. A girl can never be too sure that her flock won't wander. For some reason Sophie did not respond well to 'The Fonts ' absence. For 36 hours she was Miss Glum - and for the first time ever - off her food.
On the way home we pass swathes of primroses. A sure sign that summer is on the way. This far north summer may be brief but it's resplendent. More and more sea birds arriving on the rocks. Soon we'll be in full peak migration time. Swans are also making an appearance. This morning there are hundreds and hundreds of crows busy feeding on the newly tilled fields by the seashore. The sheer numbers of them a surprise. Perhaps we have nomadic crows ? There's certainly many more than we usually see.
11 comments:
Beautiful photos of Sophie on the beach. What a pleasure to see those blue seas and skies. Good also to hear that the sleeper service is now working well - although a friend who bravely/unwisely opted not to pay for a cabin told me that the reclining chairs are even more uncomfortable than formerly.
Lovely to see Sophie striding out along the beach - a girl with a purpose! if the poor girl was off her food during "The Font's" absence, then your cooking must be worse than you thought Angus!
Beautiful primroses, not something we get here in hotter climes.
Northern species of crows are nomadic or migratory. The rest stay put.
Back to normal, back to happiness.
Fabulous blue skies. It's grey and gloomy here in the Loire Valley.
Jean - Big difference with France is that we can get heat and sunshine quickly followed by grey and gloomy and then back to heat and sunshine all within the space of a morning.
Glad to see that Sophie has recovered her balance with The Font's return; she's looking positively jaunty beneath your grand blue skies. The primroses are a welcome sight, too.
Life is back in sync for Miss Sophie. Enjoy your weekend!
Remember riding British Rail, as it was, on my first trip to GB back in 1977. On a leave of absence from working as a switchman on the ATSF RR, I rode all over GB, getting footplate rides with the drivers. Took the sleeper from Edinburg to London, and there was my name and berth on the door window of my carriage. Nice memories!
The sleeper car looks delightful. I'm pretty sure I would enjoy a lengthy train trip nestled in there. It makes me wonder what it would be like to have a shower on a moving train though.
I'm glad Sophie's flock is back together.
How fortunate you are to have such sophisticated train service. I love trains and grew up riding the Silver Star from Philadelphia to Miami and back for vacations. And then later between New York and Philly during my college years. No showers though.
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