The heating is turned on.

Red gowns appearing everywhere. Lots of happy youthful  faces too. This is one of the best times to be here although the students inability to keep to the pavements has me happily muttering away :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OF8Xs2W7BLM

This morning we opt to turn on the heating which may provide some insight into how the seasons are turning. There is the first hint of coming winter in the wind.

We have a start of day visitor. A Grissini keeps her happy. There's no sign of younger sister who is busy chasing harvest mice in the potato barn. She does this with gusto although the harvest mice are unlikely to be too troubled by her hunting skills which the farmers wife says are high on drama and correspondingly low on results.

Heading down to the shore we see two walkers heading in our direction. What in heavens name would spur anyone to be out and about on the coast at this hour on a blustery Thursday morning ? 

By the time we're on the track leading to the shore the two walkers have headed off again. One of the archaeologists excavating the neolitihic burial site appears. He tells us that the caravan park that wanted to expand onto the curlew field has had its application turned down. This is exceedingly good news. We briefly discuss events in America which have replaced the Russian drone attacks on Poland as the lead story on the morning radio. Being ambassador in Washington is not a secure position.

Under the bird feeders a weird and wonderful flower has taken root. I'm guessing it's not native and has sprouted from something exotic in the bird food .

Once in a millenium :https://www.livescience.com/space/asteroids/apophis-flyby-in-2029-will-be-the-first-time-a-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-has-been-visible-to-the-naked-eye

Experience bears this out :https://phys.org/news/2025-09-beer-drinkers-mosquito-magnets-festival.html

China compared with the US :https://unchartedterritories.tomaspueyo.com/p/china-vs-us-which-geography-is-best

Events in Argentina :https://x.com/AlvaroVargasLl/status/1964863717058986185