'Off season' mode.

Ten years ago, today, Donald Trump won his first term as President. We were in Laguna Beach and the Mexican gentleman who cut my hair told me he had voted for him. " He's gonna shake things up " he told me while snipping, happily, away. Boy ! Was he right.

The Spanish and Italian tourists have gone and the golf courses are home to locals , a few 'Quiet Americans' and students fitting in a round ( or two ) between lectures. 

The streets that are manic in Spring and Summer are quiet. At five off the hour they fill with eight thousand undergraduates rushing to their next tutorial. On the hour they're once again deserted.

Fuchias love the Scottish climate. This fine example is passed on a small lane.

The Halloween decorations at the door of the new restaurant have been upgraded . One of those German nutcrackers has been added to the mix alongside some small tinsel draped Christmas trees.

The cobblers robotron has dropped its Halloween outfit and is all set for windy winter weather.

The town is firmly in 'off season' mode.

Cathedrals of light :https://blue-continuum.com/cathedrals-of-light

Masculinity :https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_ideas_of_masculinity_might_affect_a_countrys_wellbeing

The changing ocean colour :https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/pacific-garbage-patch-ocean-color-microplastics/

Problems in Paraguay ( a place I know nothing about ) :https://tomasmandl.substack.com/p/santis-hydra-a-bank-the-president