The old tree

 

We are thinking of buying a new car. Apart from the horrifying discovery of how expensive they've become we've learnt that 1) the service interval has now gone up to 15,000 miles - which is good  and 2) cars have become very intelligent-  which may or may not be good.

'To be perfectly honest' is an annoying  phrase that has recently become extremely popular.  Two years ago people rarely used it. Now it peppers conversations. Angus has to bite his tongue when he asks a car salesman about trim packages and gets told ' To be perfectly honest most buyers just opt for the luxury package'. Is this an altogether truthful reply ? It's certainly one that boosts the dealers margins.

There is much sprucing up taking place. Buildings are being repaired and repainted before the Summer school season starts. The flower beds in front of the old hall of residence are being planted out with begonias. Soon the place  will be full of teenagers on a four week summer school combining ' Friendship, scholarship and fun'. Within a fortnight the flower beds , and the begonias, will have a 'trampled on' look.

Our decorators have started repainting the house in town. They managed three hours on the outside walls before the rain started. They promise to be back today. The carpet fitters were due to be here but the carpet didn't arrive from the warehouse. They reschedule for mid-June.

The Mary Queen of Scots Thorn Tree is flowering. It was planted in the 1560's and has survived despite being in an area frequented by students and tourists. Someone in the Parks Department has arranged some traffic bollards around it in a vain hope to stop visitors from taking cuttings.

Colossal squid : https://hakaimagazine.com/news/visiting-the-kraken-at-home/

Is this a surprise ? :https://www.afterbabel.com/p/youth-health-declines-82-countries

Meanwhile in Georgia :https://x.com/achkhikvadze/status/1795511978628096195