Bikes.

What a week. One of the Manhattanites says that we've just seen the US vote with Russia and against the UK at the UN on an issue of European security for the first time since 1945. Times are indeed a changing.

We've now taken to watching an hours television before turning in for the night. Netflix has been our destination of choice for the last week. Robert de Niro in Zero Hour is brilliant although the plot is 'taxing'. We wonder where the collonaded final scene was filmed in Washington. 

The weather seems to have moved out of deep winter into something altogether more pleasant. Yesterday afternoon we consider, but reject, the idea of sitting outside for a coffee. This morning there's some cloud around but it's expected to clear up by mid-morning.

Guess who has escaped from her 'escape proof ' garden ? She follows us down to the shore before darting off in pursuit of a hare. Today we're fortunate to observe her escape technique. She positions herself on the farm lawn and then runs at high speed towards the stone wall . Five foot walls are no obstacle to this young lady. She vaults over them with ease. The farmer may need to rethink his 'containment' plans.

Next to the butcher a new shop has opened in town. 

The owner is a delightful young solicitor with a golf mad husband. This is , for them, the prefect lifestyle solution. He golfs, she runs what is primarily an e-business. 'The Font' considers a pair of Delft tulip towers but having downsized by 85% they are deemed too large and 'impractical ' for the wee house. 

The good weather is bringing out the students and their bikes. 19 year olds on bicycles are an ever present  hazard in a college town. They arrive speedily and silently from every point of the compass. Other road uers are ignored with Olympian disdain as are road markings. It took for ages to reverse out of our morning  parking spot. Every time I tried the wee cars radar system would detect a bike, slam on the brakes and emit a noise that was half klaxon half manic peel of bells. A demonic design feature but less demonic than the Volvos high pitched staccato warning chimes.

Dogs have always liked snacks :https://www.livescience.com/animals/dogs/dogs-may-have-domesticated-themselves-because-they-really-liked-snacks-model-suggests

3 types of curiosity. This is a very 'Berkeley' article  :https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/the_three_styles_of_curiosity

California's dolphin super-pod. What a sight ! :https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/rare-video-captures-super-pod-of-2000-dolphins-breaching-and-playing-off-california-coast/ar-AA1zMAAg

A rather damning view of the British :https://www.eurointelligence.com/column/can-the-uk-quit-the-us