One last gathering.

 There's been a constant stream of visitors to see the Scotties before they're auctioned off. To gain entry to the exhibition  you have to pay £5 entry at the door. I ask the woman at the cash desk if I can pay by card. 'No' comes the short and unsmiling answer. She looks at me sternly before adding ' There are no exceptions'. Suitably chastened  I wander round to the cash machine at the bank by the church.  

A rather dour concierge in the lobby of the exam hall makes it clear that dogs are not allowed entry. 'It's far tae wet fur them to come inside and go traipsin' around ' he says, repeatedly. Unhappy male owners stand by the door , in the rain, while their families go inside. This anti-dog discrimination  may be down to the thick shag carpet that has recently been laid down. It has that overpowering 'new carpet' smell. It also gives the exam hall an eerie sound absorbed quietness.

Toddlers are allowed to run wild. The Scotties are pretty robust things and having withstood the local climate for the last six months can take anything a two year old can throw at them in their stride. 

I'm again surprised by the atmosphere around the massed Scotties. The exam hall is not the most cheerful of places but I'd reckon that 75% of the folks milling around have smiles on their faces. For those attendees who are eight years old or below it's 100%. This may, or may not, say something about the power of art. The dour concierge and the ticket lady are exceptions to this rule. Perhaps they're C-A-T people ? 

The RAF Scottie that stood on the platform at the railway station  looks much better under the exam hall spotlights. It glows. I'd reckon this will go for a tidy sum at auction.

The Irn Bru dog ( Scotlands other national drink ) is already attracting bids. ( For those innocents who have never tasted Irn Bru here is a YouTube video of an adventurous American couple trying it for the first time :https://youtu.be/QKR16cr__OU?list=TLPQMTgxMTIwMjPV9qMKR9F4TQ&t=215.This traffic cone hatted  Scottie  remains our ( slightly squiffy ) favourite.

The past is always with us :https://www.sciencealert.com/earthquakes-today-could-be-echoes-of-powerful-quakes-centuries-ago

Spanish music on the radio : https://youtu.be/U5lmyCm8AUQ?t=5

Christmas markets kick off in Scotland. This one is rather grand : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMJA9OFgWIU