Dervish like pillars.

This mornings BBC radio of the view that none of the parties in the Israeli elections has enough votes to form a government. We're told flights from London to Tel Aviv have been booked solid with folks returning for the election. Seems there's no such thing as absentee voting in Israel. Will the pollsters be wrong again ?

The worst of the storm has passed us by but it's still windy and two of the large offshore support vessels remain moored in the bay. The local gull population has also opted for prudence and can be seen bobbing up and down close to the shore in front of the old lifeboat station.

The farmer says he's seen a school of eight whales where the offshore rock shoals plunge down into deep sea. We stop and peer out towards the horizon but there's no sign of them. On a day of strong winds like this the sea breaking over the rocks is whipped up into dervish like pillars of spray. In the sun these refract the light like so many small dancing rainbows. The people who settled here three thousand years ago and had a small cemetery on the bluff knew how to choose a good spot.

The students are strangely absent. The university 'ap' shows that there are nearly 1800 of them in the library. That must be some sort of record.

The recognition that they're not here simply to make new friends and party seems to have hit home. The sudden understanding that exams are now less than six weeks away does wonders in concentrating the mind.

In the centre of town the roads are being dug up and new gas pipes laid. We wander by the wee house to make sure none of the slates on the roof have blown off in the gales. They haven't. A man on the radio informs us that 80 mph storms are likely to be much more commonplace as global warming accelerates. He also says Scotland will get wetter. I'd have thought that was physically impossible. 

Another of those things I'd never thought about :https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2026/why-animal-blood-comes-in-different-colors

The story behind Eisenhowers broken globe :https://danieldrezner.substack.com/p/american-foreign-policy-horror-story

The good thing about a university town is being able to pass on your recent reading matter to the library. Every two months or so I send them a photo of the thirty or so books we've read and don't have room for on our book shelves. The librarians e-mail me back to say what they want and I then drop the books off , half a dozen at a time, with the cheerful folk at the front desk of the library. Todays drop offs are all worth reading but 'From Sovereigns to Servants ' is a truly outstanding insight into modern Russia by a talented woman who used to work at the Central Bank in Moscow. Focused, adult and brilliant. The other books being dropped off today are merely 'excellent' in comparison although the two 'plus ca change 'books on changes in Europe and Germany are stand outs in their own sphere. Tomorrow I'll drop off another six volumes which will help clear out the study.

Surprise elections and stormy seas.

We wake up to find that Lula has won the Brazilian Presidential election. It was another of those Brexit style 52-48% votes. Come to think of it these days all elections seem to be won or lost on a 52-48 split.  Bolsonaro has, of course, refused to accept the results. In Washington a certain someone, tweeting overnight , seems both surprised and unhappy. Elsewhere, the Serbian President has lost his re-election bid. Israel votes tomorrow and it doesn't look like any party or coalition will get to the 61 seats needed for a majority. It's going to be a busy week.

For much of Sunday the wind blew at 60 mph with gusts of up to 80. We venture out to the supermarket and for a walk down to the beach but apart from that we stay close to the house. Ships continue to shelter in the Bay.

The students - or at least some of them - are energized by the gales. The sand yacht franchise is doing a roaring trade with enthusiastic youngsters. Dog owners wisely buckle up their pooches and retreat from the mayhem that is unfolding on the beach. In 60 mph winds sand yachts and fun seeking teens become unguided missiles. A good, if chaotic, time is being had by all. A course has been set out on the sand with bollards. These are being ignored in favour of a general free for all.

A rather stylish little Renault town car seen outside the supermarket. It's surprisingly chic. In this colour you certainly wouldn't miss it in even the busiest of car parks.

Down by the harbour a group of local dog walkers are sporting 'sensible' clothing. This morning the topic of conversation is the strength of the weekend winds. The dogs are keen to get on with their walks and do a rather poor job of hiding their impatience.

After last weeks foam fights the little town is settling down into its quiet winter routines. These will briefly be interrupted by a weekend of 'push the boat out ' Halloween parties.

The Swedish 'Be ready' booklet is a little more detailed than the British version :https://rib.msb.se/filer/pdf/31523.pdf

Drunk all the time :https://www.lefineder.com/p/when-did-people-stop-being-drunk

Good things happen :https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx62y9j1zyjvo

Some unusual thoughts on Norway :https://www.mediaite.com/politics/norway-sucks-trump-adds-tiny-euro-nation-to-his-list-of-shthouse-countries-over-nobel-prize-beef/

Storm Boelo

Storm Boelo arrives around midnight and brings with it 80 mph winds and driving rain. Out in the Bay half a dozen large offshore supply vessels are sheltering from the gale. When this many ships anchor close in you know the weather's going to be 'memorable'. Peak winds are expected this lunchtime but the good news is the rain seems to have blown through. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2026/storm-boelo-named-as-strong-winds-forecast-for-northern-uk

The clocks changed last night so our six am walk down to the heron pond is bathed in the moody light from the sunrise. We make it to the corner of the cabbage patch before deciding the wind has the strength of concrete porridge and is too strong to battle through. We shall stay close to home today.

The shutter speed on the i-Phone is too slow to catch 'Puppy' and her older sister. They're  out and about and supercharged after being kept housebound in yesterdays heavy rain. The dogs arrive and then disappear from the back door in the blink of an eye. 

Roast Turkey crisps appear in the supermarket. A reminder that it's literally just two months to Christmas.

The cobblers robotron has a Halloween theme. We're not quite sure what it's supposed to demonstrate.

The bakers are also in full on Halloween mode.

We shall spend the rest of the day hunkering down out of the wind.

A bibliophiles heaven :https://substack.com/@agnesfenn/note/c-362422641

Things that are not recommended :https://www.groundedaf.io/p/7-things-you-should-never-do-to-survive

Wordle. Is it getting meaner ? :https://politicalsandbox.substack.com/p/its-not-you-its-wordle

Thoughts on passkeys :https://nonfunctional.substack.com/p/passkeys-are-a-trap-do-not-use-them

An evening to look forward to :https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/st-andrews/julia-harding-2026/

This too :https://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/st-andrews/coinneach-macleod-2026/

Be ready.

Yesterday was cold with heavy, face stinging rain. Even the farmers wife ( and the dogs ) stayed indoors. Today the downpour seems to have blown through and there are patches of blue sky. More rain and even stronger winds are forecast for tonight. Our Indian summer seems to have come to an end.

Bunches of wheat and linseed for sale outside the cheese shop. To me the  prices seem surprisingly high. 

There's a group of a dozen or so identically dressed gentlemen in Starbucks. " We're Broncos fans " says one to 'The Font' by way of introduction. ' How delightful ' comes the reply.  He then asks " You gotta school in this town ?" On learning that we do he turns to his colleagues and announces " They gotta school here ". This seems to satisfy their curiosity because after that they go back to looking at their phones and lapse into silence. We are left in the dark as to why a dozen affable  men in matching windbreakers should be in Starbucks at break of day on a blowy October morning.

On Wednesday the Defence Secretary urged all citizens to stock up on their 'Be ready' emergency supplies. Yesterday the Prime Minister did the same. This morning a leaflet from the electricity company comes with the post and explains what to do if if the power goes off. Someone, somewhere is trying to tell us something. Later today we shall check on our 'resiliency' stores.  The torch batteries are all fully charged and the wind up radio works. There is no shortage of wine but we will need to order some more bottled water and tinned fish. The gas hobs will work ( for a while ) which means we can warm up baked beans although toasting bread will be more of a challenge.

Some theatrical music on the car radio this morning :https://youtu.be/7fLMEl6nPXk?t=165

Peculiar Scottish exams and why Scots go to university a year earlier than the English at 17 :https://alexanderhthompson.substack.com/p/exam-of-the-month-the-scottish-csys

Potato salad :https://theyorkshiregourmet.substack.com/p/the-glorious-indistinction-of-schlotzigkeit

A whale grave :https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-dug-into-a-weird-patch-on-the-seafloor-they-unearthed-a-watery-grave

Accents :https://news.osu.edu/how-much-control-do-we-have-over-picking-up-an-accent-a-lot-study-finds/

Change is both necessary and impossible.

The old mayor phones from the little village in France. Last nights local council meeting was a heated affair. When a Frenchman says it was 'heated' you know that things were really on fire. Anger management man stormed out after calling the new mayor ( who comes from Macrons party ) a fascist imbecile. He also said some other things that are perhaps best not repeated. The cause of the anger was a planned village budget that is 'merely'  set to rise in line with inflation. Some think this is austerity while others, aware of the debt crisis, think it's profligate. ' On en reste coi '. The old mayor doesn't think things are as bad as they were during the gilet jaune time six years ago. This was when tempers were even more frayed and the local farmers closed off the motorway and set fire to the coffee hut by the roundabout. The old mayors view on the world is very French - " Change is both necessary and impossible ".

This weeks Private Eye's front cover as wry as ever.

The Georgian entrance to one of the old medieval merchants houses is a thing of time worn, understated, beauty. On a grey, wintry morning the towns front doors are a source of warming colour.

The 'new' restaurant is doing well. The Halloween display at the front door has ( so far ) withstood the weather and partying students.

Why is it teenagers want to decorate their windows ? Is this a feature of all college towns ?

We are ignored by the flock of sheep with the exception of 'Ethel' who glares at us.

The weather colder and the wind has more of a nip. Rain and strong winds are expected later in the day. It's been a revision week so many of the youngsters have gone home to get their laundry done and rediscover what it's like to eat sensible food at sensible times. This does not apply to the four medical students in the flat down the road who maintain a party routine that would put Dionysus to shame. I'm guessing 'revision' has not been a priority.

Radio Scotland in a reflective mood this morning :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL7HkwnzENo

Halloween :https://www.britannica.com/video/origins-of-Halloween-explained/-287163

Why necks evolved :https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/why-did-animals-evolve-necks-study-reveals-it-wasnt-turning-their-heads

The papers here agree that this is quite remarkable ( but not in a good way ) :https://popular.info/p/the-corporate-cash-behind-vivek-ramaswamys

Eco-friendly tyres :https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/10/the-case-for-a-more-sustainable-tire-that-comes-apart-on-purpose/

A concise take from Yale Law :https://www.justsecurity.org/159847/servant-law-president-chief-prosecutor/

Todays word cloud.

The sight of the sun rising over the cabbage field is almost bucolic - or as bucolic as a view of a field of cabbages can be. The farmers crew of cheerful Tajiks and Somalis have headed home for the winter so cabbage harvesting will need to wait until the two sons are back for Christmas. Sometimes the crows perch on top of the cabbages which is a peculiar and humorous sight.

Based on the morning news todays word cloud would have 'Humanitarian' and 'Mendacity' stamped in large letters in the centre.

It rained on and off yesterday so this mornings bright skies and mild breezes are welcomed by both humans and the local gull population. The gulls thrive in a university town where students leave half eaten burgers and the remains of fish and chip suppers in easily accessible waste bins. This is a text book example of humans and nature working in perfect harmony.

All the local lobster fishermen are out resetting their creels after a hectic tourist season. One of the local restaurants is already advertising Christmas Eve lobster dinners delivered to your door. Lobster pricing is all over the place. At the fish and chip shop in town you can get lobster and chips for £25. In the fancy golf restaurant with a panoramic view of the 18th tee a less fresh lobster will set you back £84. Add on the ever present Koffmann fries ( £12) and service charge and you're getting close to £110.

The morning peace is disturbed by a group of 'them' partying on the brae above the harbour. We don't recognize any of the din music that is being played. I think it surprising that they're up so early. 'The Font' thinks it more probable that they haven't gone to bed yet. On reflection this seems a more likely explanation. This is what happens in a town where a large portion of the population are barely a quarter of your age. 

Marie Antoinettes last letter :https://x.com/CeJourHistoire/status/2111033673386770613

The first 'scientific' Ghost Hunter :https://theconversation.com/the-17th-century-british-scientists-who-investigated-hauntings-294526

Nubian history :https://thedebrief.org/an-ancient-temple-in-sudan-is-challenging-what-we-thought-we-knew-about-egypts-powerful-neighbor/

More important than Darwin ? :https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/selfish-gene-50-124500760.html

A democracy in peril :https://www.persuasion.community/p/ukraines-cities-are-dying

The leaves fall.

It's suddenly darker in the mornings. It's also colder and wetter. Overnight the leaves on the trees in town have started to fall. The lines between the parking spaces completely covered in a carpet of orange and red. It's as though someone has flipped a switch.

The Halloween window display in the outfitters window more upmarket than the ones you usually see.

A poster in the window informs us that Greggs will soon unveil their Festive chicken bake. This is somewhat deceptively oddly advertised with two alarmed looking turkeys rather than chickens. At this time in the morning Greggs is busy with local painters and roofers buying sausage rolls. In an hour or so the clientele shifts towards students on their way to nine am lectures. Town and gown run parallel lives.

The local paper informs us that prices at the local cattle auction were 'reasonable'. Logie Lochnagar may or may not agree. How quaint that livestock auction prices are still quoted in guineas.

A busy night in the skies overhead. This morning the postman tells us that the local airbase is crammed with fighter jets. Seems we're sending aircraft and advisors to help the Saudis. It looks as if the Iran thing may suddenly kick off again. As the postman drives away  a couple of those large RAF cargo planes appear and start a long slow lumbering descent over the bay. 

The farmer is bringing in the hay bales from the field by the heron pond. There's nearly 300 of them needing to be shipped to a farm on the Borders where there's a shortage of winter cattle feed. He's getting £100 a bale which makes it a profitable days work. A fleet of large flat beds from a haulier in Hawick are already waiting, engines running, by the potato barns. 

A shrinking Iran :https://x.com/sinatoossi/status/2112198648909939173?s=46&t=fSypFxt84bBHId-do9r5Ag

Self driving cars :https://www.acsh.org/news/2026/10/16/why-are-trial-lawyers-afraid-self-driving-cars-50394

'The Font' tries to engage me in a discussion of this article. The conversation is brief and one sided :https://www.quantamagazine.org/ai-proved-the-quasi-riemann-hypothesis-what-happens-now-20261019/

Female 'intelligence'.

Watchful eyes down on the beach. Not one but two HM Coastguard vehicles are on duty to ensure that any youthful high jinks are 'safe'. A couple of young Canadians have been celebrating the Alberta referendum results and despite being right royally inebriated are chatting amiably with the search and rescue team.

Some of the rugby team are keen to demonstrate their alpha male DNA. A few  plunge into the waves . Others pause  at that dangerous moment when the sea covers their knees. Yet others stop and turn around and head back to dry land as the freezing water makes itself felt. America's Secretary of War would most certainly not approve of their European wimpishness.  A group of enthusiastic young ladies cheer the lads on from the warmth of the foreshore. Oddly none of the female students seem keen to join the rugby players in the water. This may say something about the relative 'intelligence' of the sexes.

Party day costumes ....

.... much in evidence.

We were late getting back from the beach. By the time we made it into town the foam fight was already underway.

The presence of TV cameras and large tour groups indicate that this quaint little ceremony has been discovered by ' influencers ' :https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/oct/19/st-andrews-university-scotland-students-raisin-monday-foam-war

Party season over St Andrews now moves into hibernatory mode. Parking will be easy, dinner reservations become a doddle , the Christmas lights go up and the youngsters ( some of whom have become party animals ) remember that end of semester exams are a mere seven weeks away.

Hidden gems. Finlands 'national' painting :https://news.artnet.com/art-world/why-this-cryptic-masterpiece-became-a-touchstone-of-finnish-culture-2674602

3 child families in decline ( apart from in the 1% ) :https://newsletter.mikekonczal.com/p/what-distinguishes-the-1-from-the

More Norwegian research on esoteric subjects. Poisoned rats :https://www.sciencenorway.no/animal-kingdom-pests-society/researcher-this-is-the-only-way-to-get-rid-of-rats/2721624

Vampiric birds :https://www.popsci.com/science/vampire-bird-finch-galapagos/

One of my favourite Scottish journalists pithy take on things :https://x.com/alexmassie/status/2111924133713920397

Party time

 'They' are up and about early. It's an old medieval holiday designed to let students go off and buy raisins to see them through the long dark winters. In the 1400's it was a matter of holding off scurvy and having something to tart up the blandness of your oats. Today it's become an excuse for the town to become one vast fancy dress party. 

Down on the small beach there must be five or six hundred youngsters. There's probably three times that number on the bigger beach by the Old Course. Their  shrieks and Walrus like bellowings can be heard from the far end of town. 

Dog owners gawp at the partying youngsters. To the students anyone over the advanced age of 25 is somehow invisible. By this I mean not just invisible but completely invisible. They are at that glorious and unrepeatable stage in life where they're immortal and the universe revolves around them. Let them enjoy it . 

A string of makeshift bonfires line the sand and attract those suffering from North Sea exposure. Other students find even more 'intuitive' ways to keep warm. H M Coastguard, prudently, have two trucks keeping an eye on things.

Later today there will be more parties and an enormous foam fight on the grass behind the Quad. First years think this is exciting. Older students view it with the special form of institutional disdain that a year or twos seniority can bestow. In this respect it's no different from the Navy - although foam fights are less common there.

Back out here in the village it's calm. On our way home we see the body of a young deer lying by the roadside. It's been hit by a car at the spot where the 40 mph speed limit changes to 60. This is sad as we've seen the deer and a sibling in the wheat field by the house for the last couple of weeks. This morning the surviving adolescent is looking lonely and forlorn as it grazes between the haystacks.

The weather, as you can see, continues to be perfect . The lack of cloud cover has one downside. It is nippy. Barely 2C this morning.

There's something old fashionedly charming in this U Nebraska video :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BriW_TVTDY

You could have asked this question at anytime in the last 30 years :https://unherd.com/2026/10/is-france-about-to-default/?edition=us

A bartenders view of the world :https://www.insidehook.com/cocktails/bartender-your-drink-order-says-you

Yesterdays sermon topic could be read at least two ways :

Deeply reassuring.

It's the RSPB's annual golden plover census and bird watchers from far and wide have been out and about counting our local population. The first twitchers arrive just before seven. Around their necks they carry improbably large binoculars and cameras with enormous zoom lenses. Backpacks hide thermoses full of hot coffee and Greggs sausage rolls. The more ardent have small fold up aluminium chairs:https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/golden-plover. In a world bordering on madness the knowledge that there are people who care enough get up pre-dawn to watch over small waders is somehow deeply reassuring. One man tells me they are the 'most spiritual of birds ' which is a rather more profound turn to the conversation than I'd anticipated. He goes on to say that the wild tundra by the heron pond is home to species that he doesn't see anywhere else. This years westerly winds have brought in some unexpected visitors from Canada.

The weather's turned colder. 1.5C this morning which is cold enough to deter all but the most ardent young lovers from a post party dip in the North Sea. The supermarket has salted the car park in case of ice which is another of those little signs that the year is racing on as is the first winter frost on the little cars windscreen.

In Glasgow the schools are on half term and the town is already filling up with young families here for the weekend. The ice cream shop by the cathedral has some determined six year old breakfast time customers who are enjoying themselves under the watchful eyes of adoring grandparents.

The university groundsmen have given the lawn by the chapel a very formal trim in readiness for Raisin Monday. I would say this is peak party season but a moments reflection tells me that there's half a dozen student party hot spots scattered across the year.

From the Royal and Ancient club house patio there's a grand view across the links to the beach.

We head home up the hill and past the Martyrs Monument . This serves as a  reminder that this quiet little town was once the centre of wild and violent passions. It's 16th century Taliban moment.  Experience has taught it that good order, bordering on the boring, is vastly under rated.

The Zurbaran exhibition at the Louvre :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRCpY7ZpzDE

Glass bottomed boats I can live with but glass bottomed airships ? :https://oceanskycruises.com/

Stupidity. Reading this mornings papers I come to the conclusion there's something in this :https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/about-thinking/202610/stupidity-threatens-everything

How China became rich :https://substack.com/home/post/p-220276296

The Barbara Cartland cook book :https://substack.com/@thecandlestickreview/note/c-360648917

Our local American professor writes an update. Not sure this is going to do much for Tesla sales in this part of the world:https://phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/weekend-update-207-the-us-russia

Patient detectorists.

The October weather remains remarkably bright. I'd like to say it was mild but the brisk wind says otherwise. It is however dry - exceedingly dry. The farmer tells us the water content of the soil is the lowest he's ever known. Without rain the wheat and barley seeds he's waiting to plant will fail to take root. I could be wrong but I think this is a conversation we have every year. He also informs us that his fertilizer costs have risen by 26% since the start of the Iran war. ' That's nothing compared with the price of diesel' he adds ominously. His daughter has announced that she will be going to Jackson Hole to spend Christmas with the tall American. He is not at all sure about this.

The detectorists are busy on the beach. We wonder if they ever find anything. There are two of them and they progress slowly along the shoreline. Only once in four years have we seen them pause and dig a hole in the sand to unearth something. They seem to live in eternal hope that the tide will bring in great riches. As hobbies go being a detectorist may be boring but does provide exercise and exposure to lots of fresh air. 

Some truly alarming 'ink cap' mushrooms sprouting in the grass  by the sheep field. The word 'supturating' springs to mind but is, thankfully, soon forgotten.

Uninspiring pumpkins for sale at the farm shop. All across town Halloween party season is about to kick into top gear. Driving home late last night we observed that the four feral medical students with the skeleton in their window have installed strobe lights.

The angle of the flag on top of  the town hall tells you just how 'bracing' the wind is this morning.

'Celebrity Traitors' is proving to be a hit on television. In fact it's a programme that seems to be popular with all generations and demographics. In Starbucks this morning four ladies are busy discussing last nights events. Jerry Hall is a favourite.  I'd wager that no series has been this popular since the 60's or 70's. This past week was also memorable for introducing the world to Katie Zacharia who appeared on our screens and then just as quickly left them. You have to wonder why someone who wanted to be a press secretary should have had such little understanding of the press and its workings ? The BBC tells us she believes in a conspiracy theory involving Democrats, children and pizza toppings but halfway through the segment my eyes have glazed over.

Which animal are you : https://miniphilosophy.substack.com/p/be-more-elephant-but-be-less-cat

Found in a forest in China :https://gizmodo.com/meet-d-rex-the-monster-fungus-born-in-the-wake-of-the-dinosaur-apocalypse-2000826489

The wee house in town is decorated in noughties era grays. This may be an alternative for the next once a decade makeover :https://www.littlegreene.com/bassoon

Strangest story of the week ? :https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cw8rzpl1ldkdo