Late summer light.

There comes a time in the late summer when the shadows lengthen and the light around here becomes sharper and more intense. This must be  something to do with shifts in the atmosphere as cold dry arctic air starts to slowly drift down towards us. We're now into that time of year . The change in the light can make even the humdrum look electric. Today the northern sunrise is making the dull dry grass that lines the field boundaries glow like an art installation . 

This change in the light will probably go unnoticed by the village youngsters who are getting ready for the new school term. The funereal looks on their faces tells us the summer holidays have gone by in a flash. The teenagers kick off their new term on Wednesday morning.

Outside the golf club we meet our Edinburgh solicitor. I say he's our solicitor but the firm of lawyers we've used forever has been taken over and amalgamated into a large international 'practice' as their Scottish outpost. As a consequence he's become rather too grand for us. The takeover supposedly enables us to access a 'wider variety of services' but our needs tend to be rather prosaic and corporate restructurings and access to an international network of offices across Asia and the Gulf aren't high on our list of priorities. 

He tells us that the number of Americans wanting to come and live in Scotland has doubled in the last year. Obtaining residency permits is keeping him very busy and, from the looks of his large Mercedes SUV, well remunerated. I think he said nearly 10,000 American families had already applied for Scottish residency this year but it could have been 20,000. We will doubtless bump into him again and when we do I'll ask what the numbers are. He also says that cold weather tourism is indeed a thing. His Edinburgh client base of hotels have never been busier. Tourists that used to go to London for a week are now heading north for some of the time. Volumes are up 15% over last year which is, seemingly, unheard of. 2027 is shaping up to see similar growth with early bookings from Spain and Italy surging.

The cheeky coasters showing a Scotsman displaying his backside have all sold. The souvenir shop has replaced them in its window with tins of shortbread. Westies and Highland Cows are big signifiers of Scotland alongside Loch Ness monsters and stern men in bearskins playing bagpipes.

We are taking a course on AI. Or, to be more precise,'The Font' thinks we need to keep abreast of changes in technology and has signed up to one of those university courses that are designed to keep the towns retired folk engaged . Take enough courses and we could be awarded an M. Litt.

I go to pick up some books that are set texts. The young lady at the bookstore says ' They'll make for interesting reading '. I have yet to be convinced so say nothing.

The course textbook ( I never thought I'd ever have to utter those awful words again ) is a large volume that has the dimensions and weight to turn it into an offensive weapon. It is, I see, already on its fourth edition. We shall attend our first lecture this week. I'll wager the average age will be 65.

Haggis is banned in the US. A summary of things you can't buy in  America :https://notnottalmud.substack.com/p/things-you-cant-buy-in-the-usa-and

Dither until you starve :https://sketchplanations.substack.com/p/buridans-ass

An intriguing insight into Chinese medicine :https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02448-x

52C during the day, 39C at night. Not even being on an aircraft carrier can keep you cool in temperatures like this :https://x.com/extremetemps/status/2088954923681542571