Dents in the bodywork

Three and a bit weeks ago a tourist drove into the back of the little BMW in their Mercedes van. Yesterday, the repair shop came to pick up the car. They've rescheduled five times ( strange how you remember these things ) so we're delighted that they show up on the sixth attempt. 'It'll probably be ready in a week or so' says an ill shaven young man in blue dungarees before adding the even vaguer qualifier ' but nae promises '. Garage workers worldwide are masters of imprecision.  A Ford Kuga has been 'loaned' to us as a replacement vehicle. It has myriad dents in the bodywork which I carefully photograph just in case there's any misunderstandings about what state it 's been delivered in. The Ford is not as sporty as the BMW and has a high driving position not unlike a tractor.

There was a time when Scottish rain would politely announce its arrival with a few gentle moments of drizzle before morphing into the main act. These days it's dry one minute and whoosh! you're in a power shower the next. Yesterday  started off  clear and bright and then without so much as beg your pardon moved into a full on monsoon. We even had thunder and lightning.

This morning the floral display outside the small hotel - and the neighbouring golf greens - look much the better for  three solid hours of rain. A group of American gentlemen spend a full five minutes unembarrassedly limbering up in front of some Spanish tourists. We are now past peak golf ( that was Labor Day ) and there's no queue of impatient golfers telling them to get on with it. The stands continue to go up ahead of the Dunhill tournament and what looks like a medium sized medieval village has appeared by the starters hut.

Some students are sitting in a circle on the lawn outside the International Relations Department. This is a strangely old fashioned scene. Some lecturer, presumably a Scot, must have thought it a good idea to move outside and benefit from the fresh air while they still can. I've got to an age in life where I wonder if the grass is still damp from the prior days rainfall .

The first year students enthusiasm for walking together between lectures hasn't waned. We meet a large group heading towards us as we head back to the car. Young women lead the way while the males follow meekly behind. They look like a Roman legion on the march. The students continue to find cars and anyone over the advanced ago of 30 completely invisible. We step aside to let them pass.  Youngsters wearing those large pilots headphones wander off the pavement and into the path of oncoming traffic mean we now drive through town 'cautiously'.

Scottish Gannet photo wins prize of the year :https://edition.cnn.com/travel/bird-photographer-of-the-year-2026-winning-images-c2e-spc?Date=20260922&Profile=CNN

Back to wind power :https://gcaptain.com/the-return-of-sail-power-cargo-ships-are-turning-back-to-the-wind/

Learning from the French :https://www.kqed.org/science/2002033/heres-what-california-is-learning-from-solar-panels-built-over-irrigation-canals

Caffeine addicts  :https://www.popsci.com/health/morning-coffee-bad-sleep/

How will they make money ? AI is getting ( much ) cheaper :https://epoch.ai/publications/the-plunging-price-of-thought