A Scottish summer weekend. The weather is 'changeable'. The bright sunshine of recent weeks replaced by an easterly wind and thick cloud.
This morning the baker has gone overboard on strawberry tarts. There must be five hundred of them filling the shelves . A lot of families will be finishing off their Sunday lunch with a strawberry tart. The baker thinks he'll be sold out by ten am. Angus studies the cream filled choux buns but sticks with a wholemeal loaf.
On the grass field between the harbour and the sea the tents and displays for a summer gala are being set up. Scottish towns love a summer gala. A day when local charities can fund raise and town toddlers can run wild . Despite a stiff breeze and a hint of rain it's already busy.
A group of four year olds stand and look at three llamas in a paddock. The llamas look back. A local farmer is starting to market their wool. This is exoticism of the highest degree - doubly so if you're four years old and this is your first sight of a llama.
A man is planning to row single handedly 3000 miles across the Atlantic to raise money for charity. I want to talk to him and offer some help but he's busy letting some children try out the oars on his boat. On our way back I completely forget to stop and find out why he's doing it. A job for later in the week will be to track him down . Charity, in a small town, begins at home.
The local ambulance ladies let awe struck toddlers turn on the blue flashing lights on the roof of the paramedics Honda. Next to them a group of even tempered trainee guide dogs are chatted to by passers by. The guide dogs accept this duty with an air of great dignity.
Of course nothing, but nothing, can compete with the excitement of being allowed to clamber up into a fire engine and sit behind the wheel.
There's something reassuring about a summer gala. It's designed for children, it costs nothing, people recognize and greet each other and it continues unchanged from year to year. All of these people could so easily have stayed at home ... but they don't. In a world gone mad it's a little reminder that the sense of community is alive and kicking.
Asteroid City has arrived in the cinema down by the golf course. If it carries on raining we may go down to see it this evening.
8 comments:
It's all achieved through the hard work of many individuals and there is a lovely sense of community, particularly among the volunteers.
Lamas always make me smile - they are such arrogant looking animals.
The baker will still have to try a little harder to reach French standards, but these are an improvement on the last ones.
A fun day out for all - especially being allowed to turn on the blue flashing lights, almost as good as climbing behind the wheel of the fire engine.
I should imagine that you will find details of the rower in the local press or TV, they normally attract good media coverage.
Please let us know your impressions of Asteroid City. Wes Anderson is an acquired taste i think. But a summer gala has something for everyone.
A friend has adopted a couple of retired guide dogs, excellent family dogs. The pastries would have been irresistible.
My mom was from a very small town surrounded by corn fields in the middle of Illinois. Whenever we visited my grandparents, we always went to the Danvers Days festival and had a blast with all the events and exhibits that were so exciting for children and brought smiles to adults faces. Good, good memories.
I just read an article last week about some guy trying to go around the world in one of those fancy row boats. He was rescued in the South Pacific after a rogue wave capsized him. He had to use his Starlink phone to get help. I wonder if the guy at your gala needs someone to store his beautiful Defender while he's gone!
How can there be such a difference in pastries?
Beautiful bakery pictures this morning. Each item looks good enough to eat. 😊
Ah, strawberry tarts. Never see them in my part of Canada. Meringues! My all time favourite, can taste them through the screen. Unfortunately, I've developed an allergy to egg whtes.
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