The duckling.

Scotland lose to Italy. 'Clueless' is the verdict of the Sunday papers. The bottle of wine I'd opened in the morning becomes commiseratory rather than celebratory. The despondent shout that echoes out of every bar in town as Scotland miss their last chance of a conversion can be heard out here in the village. Next week Scotland play England in Edinburgh. Tables in the bar and restaurants are already sold out.

The Sunday morning news roundup on the radio radio tells us that the American Vice President has had a rough reception at the Winter Olympics in Milan. The American team was cheered but he was booed. 'There are  detractors in the Republican party who say he lacks the intelligence and warmth of the President' says the announcer wryly. 

The cutest little Eider duckling has been blown up into the courtyard by the gales. For a moment we think it's a puffin. Down on the shore the Eider mothers are braving the waves and paddling back and forth along the shoreline looking for it. The wee thing has opted to shelter under the car . This is out of the wind but it's a spot that is frustratingly just out of my reach. The Waitrose driver ( an early era Syrian refugee who now speaks with a Scots accent straight out of central casting ) choses this moment to drive into the courtyard and drop off 'The Font's monthly komboucha order.  He sees me crawling on all fours and asks if he can help. If we don't do something the chick will starve. He gets down on the ground , stretches his arms, picks the chick up and then carefully carries the wee thing down to join its siblings on the beach. The Eider mothers watch him. To our surprise it is soon reunited. Interfering with nature is always a damned if you do, damned if you don't affair.  For the last seventeen  years the kindness of people has been a staple of this blog. This is the latest example. The driver must have taken a good fifteen minutes out of his schedule. The Syrian refugee likes to stop out here in his lunch break to have what the Scots call his 'piece'. Sometimes he brings his children with him. He is a gentle man.

In the souvenir shop windows Highland Cow hot water bottles. Practical if not stylish. 

At the fancy 5 star hotel the man who puts up the flags pulls them down again quickly. In these winds the flags would be shredded in an hour. The Union Flag is already looking frayed at the end.

Westie and Highland Cow golf club covers for sale in one of the golf shops. Not sure that they'll catch on with the Pebble Beach crowd.

What a surprise. Buying an antique quilt here can be cheaper than going to Peter Jones :https://www.instagram.com/antiquequiltcompany/?hl=en

That 40's feeling :https://theconversation.com/the-truth-about-energy-why-your-40s-feel-harder-than-your-20s-but-there-may-be-a-lift-later-on-274250

Driven to crime. In a country without free health care would the % be higher ? :https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/the-breaking-bad-effect-is-real-data-shows-cancer-diagnoses-drive-a-14-spike-in-criminal-hehavior/

Buying art :https://x.com/eliblee/status/2019000863155445991?s=43

Someone over dinner says this is the nest version of Hallelujah. The language fits the music and may be better than the standard English translation  :https://youtu.be/XH1fERC_504?t=13