Party planning.

 

Strong winds bring clearer skies and warmer temperatures. The weekends penetrating sleet and torrential rain have gone. This tail end of Storm Bert is accompanied by gusts of 70 mph which slow the morning commuter run into town. We follow a long line of cars proceeding cautiously along the coast road. In these winds the few cyclists we pass aren't so much brave as foolhardy. Out at sea the bay is dotted with small ships sheltering from the weather. One offshore supply boat seems perilously close to the rocks by the heron pond. The farmer will keep an eye on it. The waves on the beach are spectacular and the surfers are out in force again.

Exams start on December 6th and run through to the 20th.  Their proximity may explain why there are so many students in the towns hostelries on Sunday night . They seem to be enjoying themselves while they still can. Four first year Med students are loudly lamenting the fact that they are scheduled to sit their final exam on the afternoon of Friday the 20th. ' The last of the whole bloody lot ' observes one, unhappily. They decide that travelling home straight after the exam will be 'nightmarish' and opt to travel on the following Monday. This provides time for  a monumental Friday through Sunday night post-exam 'thrash'. 

The new Asian supermarket is a 'compact' affair. We are surprised to note that it sells exotic delicacies like Polish luncheon meat and Irn Bru.

Carol services are now being advertised.

The cannabis resin store has closed. Workmen are already busy getting the premises painted for the new tenants. I wonder who is about to set up shop ? Whoever would have thought workmen would start work so early ?

This morning town is quiet. That  catching your breath calm that comes before the onset of Christmas and the exodus of the youngsters. Later this week the St Andrews Day celebrations will take place. There will be street dancing and the town pipe band will lead a procession down to the beach for a firework display. Let's hope this mornings 70+ mph winds don't return.

Seems someone is worried about Iceland :https://www.aei.org/op-eds/iceland-chinas-trojan-horse-in-europe/  

This seems to be good news : https://jabberwocking.com/raw-data-fentanyl-overdoses-have-dropped-dramatically/   And here's more ( section 4)  putting it in context :https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/at-least-five-interesting-things-cda