Good weather set to last ?

The old mayor calls from the French village  to tell us that the temperature there hit 41. This sort of heat is expected in mid-August but is most unusual at the end of June. Restrictions on topping up swimming pools will be introduced if rain doesn't arrive soon. A huge thunderstorm is expected on Tuesday night. In London, according to the BBC, it was a muggy 32. Here on the coast the sun pushed the mercury to a very pleasant 21 degrees. More of the same is expected for all of next weeks graduation ceremonies. 24 is forecast here today which the villagers consider to be a heatwave.

The number of European tourists milling around in town indicates that there are a lot of folk who will happily pay to go in search of cool summer temperatures. 

The auld kirks hanging baskets have been freshly planted out and have a particularly jaunty air. 

There's  hint of sea mist down on the dunes. Do the Hebridean sheep find these conditions hot and uncomfortable ? They seem happy .

Yesterday afternoon you could almost see the barley in the field that lies between us and the sea soaking up the heat. It seems to be growing by the minute.

20% of the students here are from North America. A quick back of the envelope calculation indicates that over the coming week 500 or so will be picking up their degrees at the ceremonies in town. We go down to the bar by the golf course for a pre-dinner drink. It's packed solid with parents and grand parents here for their offsprings big day and determined not to miss a single moment of the proceedings. Conversations with other tables flow. Soon to be graduates are introduced. 'You must be a smart cookie ' said to smiling youngsters. Mothers glow with pride. Fathers share their 'special' cigars and comment on the competence - or lack of it - of  golfers on the 16th. There are certain times when shared happiness becomes the common currency. In a large town such things would go unnoticed but in a place with a population of 15,000 you can't miss it.  The wait staff at the bar are completely swamped but everyone is too happy ( or polite ) to notice the 'leisurely' service and the faulty orders. The first bottles of Krug are spotted. Summer nights at the Old Course are special. 

Canada comes top :https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/04/11/which-countries-would-benefit-most-from-an-american-brain-drain

Graduation week. To top it off the kids are arriving for this :https://www.issos.com/  In the space of a few days the age profile in town has dropped from late 40's to late teens. 

More on Canada. Supermarket shelves :https://lenispooner822538.substack.com/p/the-unseen-hand-on-your-grocery-cart

Medical esoterica. Boerhaave syndrome :https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/06/man-eats-dubious-street-food-ends-up-blowing-apart-his-gi-tract/

An e-mail precis of the Big Beautiful Bill arrives in the inbox. Presume they meant whaling : 'Swing senators got legislative treaties, too. Alaska – Murkowski’s home state – got rewarded in the bill. The GOP bill now expands the charitable deduction for Native Alaskan subsistence wailing.