A tractor pulling a trailer with a Portaloo on the back rumbles down the farm track towards the heron pond. It's closely followed by a Ford minibus carrying a dozen or so cheerful Filipino workers. They wave at us like long lost friends. We wave back. Behind the minibus the farmer tootles along in his Toyota 4x4. The cauliflower harvest starts today.
The arrival of this small convoy disturbs a huge flock of crows who have overnighted in the wheat field. There must be a thousand of them. They circle clockwise over the garden like a large , black, squawking cloud. There so many of them we can feel the air pressure change as they pass by. A thousand crows in flight is quite a remarkable sight. There's also a large flock of pigeons that must number in the hundreds. The pigeons are a less remarkable sight than the crows.
On the beach the dog owners greet each other. Their dogs leap and cavort with an enthusiasm that reflects their sure and certain knowledge that today is going to be the best day ever. Two student runners are chased by a pack of small mutts. The dog owners laugh. The students pick up their pace.
The laying of the fibre optic cables to the American hedge fund managers door continues. A small forest of traffic cones snakes down one side of the street where a trench has been dug. The traffic cones block off twenty or so parking spaces used by the local inhabitants. Let's hope there's rapid progress on the fibre optic front this week before tempers start to fray ...... further.
It's bright and mild this morning. Mild means it's a balmy 8 degrees Celsius. There's maybe a score of youngsters down by the sea water pool. Some are swimming, others are chilling. Two alpha males do belly flops to impress the girls. The young women ignore them.
Work has started on one of the cottages between the castle and the post graduate flats with crow step gables. Pictures of local scenes cover the scaffolding and safety barriers. This attempt at disguise is a sign that a fancy architectural firm is involved. Big city folk are waking up to the fact that St Andrews isn't a bad place to bring up a family or to retire to. This is what the cottage will supposedly end up looking like :https://rka.scot/projects/the-brass-house/ . The website leaves me wondering what in heavens name is a ' young and ambitious family ? ' Getting planning permission has , I'm sure, been 'challenging'.
'We appreciate your disciplined cooperation ' says a sign where renovation work on the storm damaged pier has started. I'd have though the word 'disciplined' could be dispensed with. It ends up sounding rather totalitarian.
11 comments:
What girl is going to be impressed by an attention seeking so-called 'alpha male' doing belly flops? A Tom Daley style dive, maybe.
By contrast the seals lullaby is sublime.
Hari Om
The emphasis on discipline bothers me less than the fact the firm wants to 'apologies' for having to do it! Typo? Or English not first language...? YAM xx
Sharing the pet cemeteries article with a few hundred past vet nursing students and vets. Loved the one in the forest. Thank you…
You were ahead of the curve in moving there, the start of a trend.
It's not clear that the hedge fund guy has really grasped the nature of the town. Or maybe I'm just annoyed at wealthy people with a sense of entitlement, at least pending the outcome of tomorrow's election. I did enjoy the article about pet cemeteries. In our old neighborhood in Tokyo, one of the local temples had a sign promoting the idea of being interred with your pet. I was reminded of this recently when I read that Alain Delon wanted to be buried with his dog, which would have involved euthanizing the dog. Wiser heads prevailed fortunately, but with cremation, which is the norm in Japan, I always assumed they would just add the ashes of the second to pass to those of the first.
The interesting article about pet cemeteries and the mention of dog walkers on the beach has prompted me to inquire about the progress on gathering the puppy from the elderly woman who has resisted parting with the pup?
JoAnn in Maryland
Cabbage was the name if I remember correctly.
Cabbage and her owner are both doing well in their new dog friendly care home. We shall wait another six months before looking for a new dog just to make sure.
Thanks for the article about pet cemeteries. If Cabbage and her owner live nearby, even if the rehome option does not proceed, would the owner and owner's family trust and allow you and The Font to take Cabbage for weekly walks? Some dogs in rest homes don't get to explore, sniff new things and exercise enough so it could be a win-win for you all with you and the Font exploring the surrounding area with a part-time PON over the next six months.
Do I detect a German "flavour" on that construction sign...or am I being too stereotypical?
Seal Lullaby - Rudyard Kipling poem, one of my favorite short poems, ever. The one line you quoted was instantly recognized by me, though it's been 30 years since I last read that poem. Transformed and transported to being a small seal pup, rolling on the calm swells, knowing a mothers love and protection surrounded me. Sublime
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