Magical and majestic.

Welcome to November. Boy! Isn't the year racing along ?  As if we needed reminding of this the geese are heading south. They fly over in their hundreds. Every so often a large solitary bird will land in the field outside the courtyard. Is it tired or is it lost ?  We're left to wonder if these drop outs will ever catch up with their flocks.

Two swans fly past us as we're heading down to the shore. They're flying low and until the last minute are hidden behind the stone field wall. They suddenly appear alongside us - a few feet away - six at the most.  The look in their eyes tell us that they're as surprised as we are. The whoop whoop whoop of their wings as they pick up their pace and race ahead of us is a mix of the magical and majestic. We stop and watch them head into the distance. The birds don't climb and keep flying a yard or so off the ground. Perhaps they're looking for somewhere safe to graze ?

In the window of an art gallery in town a 1940's era cartoon. A cheerful housewife is prepping for war. Sandbags in the garden, tape crisscrossed across the windows and a stirrup pump ready by the Anderson shelter. We by contrast are prepped for whatever the future holds with 48 bottles of Evian. Plus ca change .

Halloween and the youngsters have been busy. There's foam in the fountain and bollards on the belisha beacons.

The wind has blow the foam into a large quivering pile that squats on the parking spaces outside the chocolate shop.

With the youngsters recovering from last nights Halloween revelries the dog walkers have the beach to themselves. 

Dog art :https://substack.com/@emilyfishman/note/c-366642359

The latest edition of the Atlantic magazine arrives. A letter inside says this was the best ever rendition of the Battle Hymn of the Republic :https://youtu.be/yhDVtntxRUk?t=190

I bought some coffee mugs in this uber kool student cafe ( to replace the last of the French ones that cracked in the dishwasher ) and now I'm sent e-mails inviting me to 'trendy' events :https://www.spoiledlife.co.uk/

This lands in the inbox and makes what seems to a simple foreigner sensible reading :https://politimix.net/p/if-democrats-take-both-chambers-here

Pete Hegseths concern :https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/men-please-stop-worrying-about-your-testosterone/

Hidden in the text is the admission that 10% of global refining capacity is off line :https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/_d18682233536af68104fba068550986d/exxonmobil/db/2404/22766/pdf/3Q26_Prepared_Remarks.pdf  It carefully ( and politically ) avoids saying why.