Dog bath day.

Another cold blustery North Sea morning. At least it's not raining. As we head down to the shore we meet the kirk elder and his wife who are returning  from a walk on the beach with their dog. She is a keen knitter and today both are wearing new bobble hats. She's had a bit of trouble with making the bobbles. Hers is vaguely round but his has the dimensions and indeterminate shape of a small plump hedgehog. It lolls to one side. Today, it seems, is their dogs bath day. Both the elder and his wife are well into their eighties so preparations for  dog bath day are carefully planned. To make polite conversation I ask if they'll wash the dog in a bath or a shower. " We'll put him in the bath in the ground floor guest room so he can't do any damage '. They say this as if it's the most logical thing in the world. Their large brown furry and exceedingly affable mutt seems blissfully unaware of what is about to happen.

Soon we meet another familiar dog. For the last couple of weeks,  Archie the arthritic labrador, has slept on in front of the AGA in the kitchen. Now the days are getting noticeably longer and warmer he's allowed out to join his sister. He wanders slowly across the sand to see us. His tail is wagging in that twenty to the dozen way that is particular to old dogs. His owner recognizes that he's entered the 'long walks that cover little ground' stage of life. Once he gets home he'll sleep in front of the AGA until lunchtime. His appetite remains 'healthy '. 

The wind and the tide are doing their thing again. Cresting waves come face to face with the northerly gusts and where they collide jets of water shimmer into the air.

I pop into the bookstore to thank the guy behind the counter for recommending this book. It's particularly well written and the best history I've come across  of the hopes raised by 'The Thaw' after Stalins death and the disillusionment in Russian society that followed.

The university looking particularly Hogswartian this morning. The sound of mass catered breakfasts echoes across the lawn.

On the grass there's a small bunch of roses. Someone always remembers to put out flowers for the birthday of student 'early leavers'. This, we both agree, is extremely civilized behaviour . 

The week started off with us looking at bits of stone in a field. It ends with us discussing canine bathing rituals with our village neighbours. Through it all one man has managed to dominate the news headlines. Now it seems likely that the King will be making a state visit to the US on April 27th. A suggestion that the trip be delayed due to the war was seemingly met with an 'incandescent' response. I take my hat off to our new ambassador in DC. His cannot be any easy job.

Truly fascinating and not what was expected :https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/5-seriously-strange-wildlife-chernobyl

Humour:https://robertc12.substack.com/p/how-america-lost-its-sense-of-humor

A dispassionate view :https://carnegieendowment.org/europe/strategic-europe/2026/03/taking-the-pulse-is-it-natos-job-to-support-trumps-war-of-choice

French cheese day :https://x.com/PatrimoineRural/status/2037477553774968944