Where the track makes a sharp right angled turn to the shore we meet a woman who works in the geology department. She's waiting for a minibus to bring a group of undergraduate geologists out to our little corner of paradise. The woman is wearing a long, mustard yellow padded coat to keep warm. The recent gales have caused a landslide that has revealed some giant centipede tracks. The landslide makes the centipede tracks more accessible - although this is a relative term as they're halfway up a cliff and you have to wait for the tide to go out to get near them. She laughs and says 'After 350 million years the centipede is becoming quite a celebrity'. This attempt at academic humour is the cue for us to chuckle politely and move on.
The beach busy with dogs and their owners. Some dogs are sea lovers. Others consider the sea to be diabolic and keep a safe distance. A dalmatian prudently ensures there are humans between it and the water. I'd have to say that St.Andrews has more dogs per head than any other town we've ever lived in. Retired professors and young families must be the perfect dog owning demographic. Carmel may be similar.
'All of us Strangers' on at the Picture House ( A subtle ghost story although the 8:50 pm screening time a bit late for us oldies who have to drive along unlit tracks home). We're now waiting for 'The zone of interest' to arrive. It too has received 'must see' reviews. A lady buying a box of mint fondants at the refreshment stall tells me that Justin Timberlake and Tiger Woods have completed their purchase of the cinema and are waiting for planning permission to start turning it into a 'sports and retail entertainment center'. The mint fondant woman says 11,000 people signed a petition to keep the Picture House as a Picture house. For a decidedly undemonstrative town of 16,000 this seems an improbably high number. Perhaps she means 1100 ? ' If 10% of them showed up once a month the place would be profitable ' says the woman.
Outside a student bar a van is parked. The bar has a sign saying ' Lowering attendance at lectures since 2010 '. This makes me chuckle.
In the supermarket Angus notices that a small pack of crisps is now £1. If you'd have asked me I'd have said 30p - tops. Angus is horrified. 'The Font' suggests I go shopping more often. How can a small bag of crisps possible cost £1 ? 'Handcrafted' crisps go for £1.20. The mark-up must be enormous.
Valentines Day much in evidence. Colin and Connie chocolate rolls in pink packaging the zeitgeist of the month.
13 comments:
I just Googled the petition and there are over 11,000 signatures even without you and "The Font" adding your names. https://www.scotsman.com/news/people/tiger-woods-justin-timberlake-forge-ahead-with-sports-gastro-pub-plan-for-st-andrews-as-cinema-set-to-close-4494576
I too suggest that my husband should go grocery shopping more often.
The Life of Riley - Thank you for the link. If 5% of those 11,000 went once a month - or once a semester - then the cash flow of the cinema would look very different.
It's too bad about the cinema and I can imagine that people will miss it once it's actually gone. I was moved by the story about the folks who adopt the last chance rescues. I've often thought I would love to adopt an old cat, but then I worry that even an old cat might find our birds too alluring.
Hari Om
Ta for bringing Merlin app to my attention... although a fairly experienced birder, such a tool can never go amiss! YAM xx
Ah, happy memories of geology field trips when I was an undergraduate. I wonder if today's lecturers are as negligent about 'health and safety' as our were at Bristol in the late seventies. We ended up scrambling up a dangerous cliffs to escape incoming tides on more than one occasion...
Cheers, Gail (who definitely would have stopped to ask more about the newly exposed fossil).
I adopted two senior cats last May after my previous cat had passed away. Gracie was 15 and her owner was in a Long Term Care home. She had been at the No Kill shelter for six weeks. Princess was 11 and diabetic. She had been at the shelter for eight months. She is now in diabetic remission by eating a low carb diet and doesn't require insulin shots any more. Both are lap cats, very playful and chase each other around the house. I knew they were coming for a good time, not a long time.
Have you gone to explore the exposed tracks? I am glad that giant centipedes are about in your garden this morning.
Maybe the "guys" will build a cinema in another location for the town.
Thank you for the link, 'Last Chance Pets". I currently have two senior pets and after reading the article, I found myself pining to rescue another one. It's terribly sad to think of dogs and cats living out their golden years in a cage.
I loved the sign on the pub window...so true.
My husband doesn't come shopping with me very often and when he does he gives a commentary on prices and loves to take his time looking at what's on the shelves. Many times I go ahead of him, finish the shopping, and he's just halfway through the store. What fun to have celebrity centipedes close to your home. The article about senior pets really tugged at my heart. If we get another dog, we will adopt a senior from a rescue shelter.
Osa and I adopted Buddy, age 10, last July. After clearing up a persistent ear infection and getting him started on some thyroid meds, he is a gem. I adopted him for his calm, confident entry and have found him to be extremely affectionate, cuddly and loving to everyone he meets - human or canine. He is up to 2 mile walks. I love him :)
How has the humble potato become such a luxury item once it's deep fried and sealed in a packet?
Having had several rescue dogs over the years, I am now on my ninth canine.Sadly my previous rescue dog was taken back, with no apologies to me, when I asked for help with her. She had problems living in an urban environment after being confined to a cage for breeding, then abandoned in the countryside to fend for herself when no further use. The rescue told me that she was a retired hunting dog.I desperately wanted to give her a good home and she was fine indoors but a nervous wreck once outside the garden gate. Number nine senior rescue is as sassy as the previous one was nervous.
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