Christmas wreaths

Snow threatens but thinks better of it. Instead we get some light drizzle. By the time we head out on our morning walk it's brightening up. The coming week is forecast to be much warmer with temperatures in double digits. After two weeks spent bobbing around in the Arctic Circle that seems almost tropical.

Late last night the farmer turned up at the door with a fine 8 foot Christmas tree. Usually he delivers the tree the week before Christmas. " I'm busy wi' harvesting the sprouts so thought I'd get it done the now ".  After reminding me - again - that I'd promised a ' wee bit of wine ' for the St Andrews day dinner he heads off to drop off the rest of his trees. The village windows will be festive early this year. Overnight I've left the tree propped up against the side of the porch. I'll bring the tree inside later today. Decorating it may be delayed for a week or so.

Some bright spark has arranged for traffic works to start on Friday afternoon . The traffic lights are left in place over the weekend.

The roads are blocked in two places. Coming into town and on the road leaving it. Angus mutters under his breath at the idiocy of it.

Classes in making Christmas wreaths now being offered in  half a dozen locations. Even some of the restaurants are getting in on the act. A two course lunch, glass of champagne and wreath making lessons for £24:95.

The gentlemens outfitters has a thing for black shirts and floral ties. There is presumably a market for this.

Remedial math :https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-grades-stop-meaning-anything

The 'in' chefs new Manhattan restaurant :https://www.cove-nyc.com/

This is the best I've seen on the subject :https://samf.substack.com/p/how-should-ukraine-respond

Brexit has been much worse than forecast :https://www.nber.org/papers/w34459

Goodbye rats. Hello puffins :https://www.ulsterwildlife.org/nature-reserves/isle-muck

The role of serendipity in life:https://uschinadialogue.georgetown.edu/features/faculty-spotlight-an-interview-with-dennis-wilder

Thoughts for Shakespeare lovers :https://raggedfrontier.wordpress.com/2025/11/05/richard-ii-just-the-takeaways/

AI reworking of an old tune written by a Church of Scotland minister in the early 1800's. The synthetic voice is remarkable but the graphics are cringeworthy. The presence of so many red coats ( and the wrong flag ) hints this may have been done in France . Whatever its faults AI is making huge leaps forward.:https://youtu.be/7kkRQwlj_ls?t=137