A turn in the weather

Lots of rain here this morning. Three large orange support vessels from the wind farm are sheltering in the bay. The farmer sees us and stops his ploughing for a wee chat. He leaves the two Jack Russells sitting in the warmth of the tractor cab. They look at us from behind the rain speckled glass and wag their tails. Having suffered from a drought for much of the year the farmer now faces the threat of his remaining hay bales being destroyed by the turn in the weather. He says this is one of the three worst harvests he's known since he took over the farm 35 years ago. I have a vague memory that he said something similar last year.

Gaza and Ukraine dominate this mornings news headlines. Last weeks optimism replaced by something more worrying. On the BBC a lucid reporter from the FT's Washington bureau discusses the mysterious secret of Putins repeated diplomatic successes with America's President. In Warsaw the Chopin competition is underway which is a much needed distraction :https://youtu.be/_G0TBsTYjvQ?list=RD_G0TBsTYjvQ&t=3  This Chinese player is literally awesome.

The archaeologists have returned. The Portaloo has now been joined by a table, a plastic washing up bowl and a water dispenser. The life of an archaeologist is not all champagne and roses. Today they are waiting for a specialist machine to come and remove the large stone tomb covering.

At the farm shop a single stem Dahlia is on sale. It looks rather exotic in a bedraggled sort of way.

The fields around have been scoured by the North Sea storms. In the shelter of the stone walls one bright touch of autumn colour remains. That's one tough plant.

So starts a blustery Monday morning on Scotlands North Sea coast. Later today we shall wander down and watch the students let off steam in one of those university  'traditions' that eighteen year olds find exciting and older folk find 'bizarre' :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwSGVsuzzZw

Rare earths aren't that rare:https://www.hyperdimensional.co/p/tough-rocks

In this NY restaurant Sea Bass cooked in an excellent Soave is on the menu. The next time we're in NYC we'll go and try it :https://kingrestaurant.nyc/dinner-menus

Homicide isn't a big killer  :https://flowingdata.com/2025/10/08/mortality-in-the-news-vs-what-we-usually-die-from/

London commuters ears are suffering :https://jonn.substack.com/p/no-you-arent-imagining-it-the-tube

I have yet to see one here ( presumably they're too big for our roads ). Half way down two Old English Sheepdogs seem happy to ride in one :https://www.wired.com/story/owning-a-cybertruck