More arrivals.

Yesterday the cloud was piled up, layer on sun blocking layer, to 30,000 feet. Real 'darkness at noon' weather. Throughout the day a small , intrepid, group of bird watchers braved the conditions and wandered down the farm track in search of Corn Buntings. This morning by contrast we have blue(ish) skies and almost no wind. Life is good. 

The farmers wife is out early with the woman who makes the Malteser cake. They claim to have seen three  of these elusive visitors  Buntings. " Each of them has their own stretch of wall they call home ". Rarely can the arrival of such a plain looking wee bird have been so celebrated.

The towns Aquarium ( which we've never visited )  was damaged by the storms in October 2023. The remedial work is almost finished in time for this years summer tourist season. The concrete for the last of the new sea walls is being poured. We are once again surprised to find Scottish workers hard at work at first light. To be up and about at six must mean there's 'triple' time in the air.

 

The 5 star hotels fast food restaurant for 'golfers on the go' is already doing a brisk  trade. There is a traffic jam of golf trolleys - a sight I've only ever seen here. We stop off for a coffee. From the number of American accents you could almost believe Scotland has pipped Canada at the post to become the 51st state. There's a table in the corner with six Texans. Two grandfatherly looking figures, two men in their fifties and two late  teenage sons. The grandfathers and fathers talk jovially  about golf - at length- in a " Bert got a Birdie on the 15th in 1976 " sort of way.  They're all identically dressed - blue button downs and Under Armor 'all weather' chinos - the hallmark WASP 'wealth whispers' style of dressing. The youngsters - bored to distraction - disappear every ten minutes or so. As we head  back to the little BMW we detect the smell of a furtive joint being smoked in the car park.

The change from sleepy little town into tourist destination is underway. A group of well wrapped up Spanish tourists are busy clambering over the rocks by the public loos. They must have left Edinburgh super early . They take photos of each other standing by the first tee of the  golf course.

The 5th anniversary of lockdown coming up. We saw a visitor wearing a face mask last night . Are they coming back ? :https://reason.com/2025/03/10/do-face-masks-work/

A most unusual piece played at the music centre :https://youtu.be/AnQxAe2JFl8?t=22

Contentious consciousness :https://www.science.org/content/article/consciousness-birth-imaging-studies-explore-possibility