Dreich.

We wake to find there's a gale blowing in hard from the East. After its long journey over the North Sea the wind arrives on the coast with a force strong enough to penetrate even the thickest of coats. There's a bit of sleet mixed in. On the field facing the kitchen a group of deer are lying, sheltering, on the grass in the lee of the old stone walls. That's the first time we've seen them do this so the weather must be challenging. The blustery conditions don't seem to deter the local farmers who have joined together for a ploughing competition. They're clustered around their tailgates drinking coffee and catching up on the latest farm news.  What a way to start the day !

At the cafe in town where 'William met Kate' ( allegedly ) the lights are on and the first of the mornings customers are tucking into a bacon roll. It is improbable that the heir to the throne - or his security team -  would meet his girl friend here but who wants to spoil a good story ?

Down by the shore one of the new mobile saunas is now up and running. A group of mothers have dropped their toddlers off at the nursery and are getting ready for a quick dip in the bay. A plume of smoke issuing from the saunas chimney indicates that the steam room will be warmed up and ready for them when they return. From the cheerful conversation and laughter it can be assumed that everyone is enjoying themselves. 

Further down the beach a group of a dozen or so lads are out surfing. The dog walkers look at them with muted bafflement. 'Students !' the unspoken assumption.

On our way back home the rain/sleet has set in again.  The local bus slows down to 4 mph so as not to disturb two horses as it passes them on the road into town.

So starts a bitterly cold morning in a small town by the North Sea where anyone sensible - students and young mothers excepted - is warmly settled indoors out of the weather. This is the sort of morning when many of the students will opt for a 'lie in'. 

Important thinking for a university town like this. Not sure how the 60-70% reduction in faculty would go down :https://hollisrobbinsanecdotal.substack.com/p/its-later-than-you-think

Back to basics :https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking/square-one-fallacy

The Rolls Royce of bird boxes:https://peakboxes.co.uk/shop-swift-boxes

The Robin in the lobster creels .

The bank sends an e-mail.  "Congratulations ! You've been banking with us for 36 years. As a sign of our appreciation keep an eye on your inbox. A sweet surprise may be waiting ! "  What's the betting this will turn out to be a voucher for 10% off a Valentines Day meal at McDonalds rather than a better interest rate ?

This morning a new White House name appears on the morning news. Paula White. I'm sure we'll hear more about her - quite possibly a lot more. She comes from Apopka Florida and, seemingly, has a private jet.

After the long dry spell the rain has returned. The local famers will be happy with this but we, and the motley collection of dog walkers on the beach,  are less keen. This mornings excitement is provided by a Schnauzer that manages to get on top of the sea wall and then can't get down again. The dog walkers are of an age where clambering up sea walls is inadvisable . The Schnauzer is eventually rescued by a passing student who half leads, half carries it, to the old life boat ramp where there is an emotional reunion.

The harbour deserted. The local fisherman seem to have set off to to sea early.

A Robin has made its home in the lobster creels. It is entirely unbothered by our presence.

In the salt water pool a solitary student swimmer. I'm guessing he had a liquid  lively night after the Scotland-Ireland match and has decided this is the best, and possibly only, way of bringing body and mind into some semblance of unity ahead of a nine am tutorial. It goes without saying that Scotland lost.

The Pret a Manger staff have demonstrated a philosophy of 'optimism in action' by setting out a row of tables and chairs on the pavement.

Legal Haggis :https://davebarry.substack.com/p/the-haggis-menace

Hindsight:https://www.edwest.co.uk/p/i-say-the-americans-really-won-the

The USPS is very valuable :https://gopostal.substack.com/p/usps-is-a-failed-sovereign-wealth

A last minute surprise.

We're getting used to bizarre news  but this mornings lead story that the Heritage Foundation wants President Trump to deport Prince Harry for alleged drug abuse surely takes the biscuit. From the ensuing brouhaha I'm guessing that all the figures involved adhere to the view that 'all publicity is good publicity'. 

There's snow on the hills to the North of us but on this side of the estuary it's mild and largely sunny. It should be added that the wind has a bite to it that requires a hat and gloves. As we set off down the farm track to the shore the towers of town are just visible further down the coast. A dozen or so Shags and five large Eider Ducks our companions this morning. 

We pick up some Lemon sole and Turbot in the fishmongers.

'The Font ' considers buying some Monkfish but thinks better of it. Monkfish requires a lot of preparation. We also pass on some razor clams that have just come in.

England beat France 26-25  in a surprise, nail biting, finish to the 6 Nations rugby match. From four o'clock onwards a large proportion of the students and younger townsfolk are in the hostelries . Scots tend to support the French which explains why there is a large cry of anguish when the final whistle is blown. The pub landlords seem to have had an excellent afternoon. 

One of the reasons for moving to a college town was the constant stream of things that go on. We missed this lecture although I had intended to go. It seems a tour of 18th century Vermont politics somehow 'slipped' my mind.

How could I never have heard about Spirit Bears ? :https://environment.co/facts-about-spirit-bears/

This is the best place in the world to see them. Getting there is, not surprisingly, difficult :https://spiritbear.com/

Looking for good news.

For some reason we're invited to hear the former Irish Taoiseach and the Scottish First Minister give an evening talk on world affairs. This is held in the medical building which is located in the modern and utilitarian 'science campus' part of town. 

In our day lecture theatres were places you wouldn't want to linger. Today, they're bright and cheerful and the seats are both padded and comfortable. We spot a solitary, and slightly bored looking, security man. You don't see many of those here .

The Taoiseach finds it interesting that America has had 3 Presidents that claim Irish descent whereas Scotland has had at least 20 but has never developed a Scots lobby to match the powerful Irish one. He observes that both Ireland and Israel are small countries that manage to punch well above their weight in DC. In fact Dublin and Jerusalem are superpowers when it comes to their lobbying clout. He adds that all this lobbying clout will be needed to avoid damaging tax changes.

The Scottish First Minister spouts all sorts of starry eyed platitudes about how membership of the EU would solve all the countries problems. There's no one as pro-EU as Angus but I'd like to temper my enthusiasm until I've seen the outcome of the French and German elections. The questions are once again thoughtful. Two Scottish girls, two American girls, and an Indian medical student are in no mood to be fobbed off  with platitudes. Their questions are probing and the two speakers, despite their efforts to be diplomatic, can't hide their growing unease about the state of the world.

On our way home we stop off in the pub facing the Divinity School for a restorative dram. Behind the bar there's a small blackboard offering Soup of the Day: Whisky with H2O croutons. This is a textbook example of Scottish humour. By the time we've finished our drinks the take away from the local Indian is ready. The bar is full of laughing youngsters enjoying life which is the perfect palliative to a night of geo-politics.

Scotland are playing Ireland in Edinburgh tomorrow  afternoon:https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZiqM4Ko11f4.  I'm sure the presence here of all these political worthies ahead of the game is entirely coincidental. For the match the pubs in town ( or those with widescreen televisions ) are reserving tables for £25 a head - 2 pints included. They are all sold out.

Some quotes never go out of fashion.

The sunrise highlights a quotation on an old courtyard wall. 'The Font' informs me its a quote from Tennyson. I pretend to know this although to be entirely truthful I'd have to admit that I knew it once but, like so many things, I've subsequently forgotten it.  Some quotes never go out of fashion.

We've been to a breakfast where a figure in the last US administration gives his views on the world. He says that the unravelling of USAID is the cause of rejoicing in Beijing. He actually says that ' champagne corks are popping in Zhongnanhai ' but Angus isn't entirely convinced that China's leadership are big on champagne celebrations. The students at the breakfast ask remarkably adult questions which again makes me unashamedly optimistic about the future. Everyone can agree that the old order is changing.

51 years ago as a student Angus discovered that steak pies were something he could cook - or at least warm up. As he pops into the butcher for some fillet steak, he is delighted to find that they are still being made. 

A couple and their labrador are enjoying breakfast at the Brewdog by the roundabout. The labrador doesn't seem entirely happy to be out on the pavement when he could be enjoying the warmth inside. His glumness may also have something to do with not being invited to share in his family's bacon rolls.

Further down the road a young woman is first in the queue at the Shawarma House. 

So starts a bright but chilly Friday morning in a small, quiet town by the North Sea.

I'd like to go here: https://www.edwest.co.uk/p/journey-to-the-imperial-city

Is this the future ? : https://x.com/onlydjole/status/1887115477429764295

Bob Marley on the BBC this morning as we drive back up the hill :https://youtu.be/yv5xonFSC4c

Idiosyncratic electrical engineering :https://spectrum.ieee.org/alan-turings-delilah

'Vague'.

Another day of clear skies and bright sunshine. The land around us used to be owned by one farmer but on his death was divided among his three sons. All of them are out ploughing this morning. Their tractors followed by flotillas of large, white, worm seeking gulls. Down by the heron pond a mini bus is disgorging a group of 'seasonal ' workers wrapped up in bobble hats and scarves. Two of the farming sons are barely on speaking terms due to some long festering dispute over a field boundary. The exact nature of the dispute remains 'vague' and quite possibly forgotten. The middle brother acts as an intermediary.

This mornings radio news well summed up by the presenter who says ' There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen'. 

The hardy Hebridean sheep are happily nestled down in the long grass out of the wind. Their paddock has a five foot fence around it which keeps them safely separated from passing dogs.

Four Japanese golfers are having a whale of a time. Their laughter drifts across the fairway towards us. The wind is coming from behind them and gives their drives an unexpected, but welcome, push.

Back at the car park a rather fine old fellow silently tries to tell his mistress that he's not quite ready to go home. He plonks the ball down in front of her three times and stares it at it. With a barely discernible shrug he then quietly accepts that his morning outing is over. 

Freshly baked scones in the farm shop.

Truffle and Rosemary crisps . Is this a flavour too far?

Thursday morning music:https://youtu.be/4JWYIY3icUg

The Moon is different :https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/moon-two-grand-canyons/

Possibly true:https://nicholasdecker.substack.com/p/the-peter-principle

On line humour adapts to world events :https://x.com/MichaelAArouet/status/1887174539131376126

Can there be a reason ?

A few rooks on the sand this morning. Apart from that we have the place pretty much to ourselves. It's peak term time in town. The small street that runs down to the library is busy with undergraduates rushing backwards and forwards. At this hour of the morning the ratio of male to female students seems to be about 1:4. The same holds true for runners on the beach. In the evening the ratio reverses.  Can there be a rational explanation for this clear gender diversity ? Early birds and late owls?  Hard working v less committed ?

The BBC breakfast programme reports on President Trumps plans for Gaza. A gentleman, introduced as Senator Thom Tillis, tells the listeners that ' There's probably a couple of kinks in that slinky'. We both agree that this is an insight that will leave many listeners on this side of the pond none the wiser.

This was interesting :https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15594964

I am now totally confused about this tragic and very public court case :https://www.tortoisemedia.com/2025/02/05/panel-of-experts-say-no-evidence-lucy-letby-murdered-babies

A dogs travails.

Grey with rain, possibly heavy, forecast. We meet and greet the usual cast of dog walkers on the beach. The owner of Archie, the arthritic labrador, is soon off to South Korea to visit her daughter who has started university in Seoul. She's travelling Business Class. " No way I'm spending 13 hours there and back jammed into a small seat " . Emirates has now started flying from Edinburgh so she's going with them to save having to overnight at Heathrow.

At the fancy cafe the waitress tells me that Oilatte is indeed a thing. Angus can think of few things worse than coffee with olive oil.  Coffee with butter and coconut oil sounds almost as bad.  The mere thought of a Turmeric Latte leaves me speechless. When did these things become popular ?

A dog on the pavement waits patiently and glumly for his family to reappear from the Cheese shop. He can see them and he can smell the cheese. Why was he not invited in ? The travails of being a dog.

A student flat has a window propped open on a book. You can tells it's a student flat from the dire condition of the paintwork coupled to the creative use of the text book.

This mornings car radio music :https://youtu.be/QZ5Wb5NafiY?t=103

Alternatives to the Houses of Parliament :https://x.com/ItsTaz1989/status/1528760788365844484

Travel writing:https://www.edwest.co.uk/p/travels-in-vietnam

Looking at America . To understand someone you must know what life was like when they were in their twenties:https://thepointmag.com/politics/last-boys-at-the-beginning-of-history/

Differences :https://www.pimlicojournal.co.uk/p/the-real-origins-of-american-freedom

Art takes many forms.

 

This morning we opt to drive off to see an old Chestnut tree down by the river. The tree's so old there's a sign telling walkers to tread lightly so as not to disturb its root print. I'd never seen the term root print before. The tree has been fenced off and is clearly much loved and cared for in a way you wouldn't expect a tree to be. Its main branch is supported by a large weight bearing iron post and the ground around carefully weeded. A local farmhand parking his Honda on the lane outside says it's 500 years old although, he quickly adds, some folks say it's been around since the 1200's. This is unlikely but it could be a seedling from the one that was originally here. These days there's something hugely reassuring about anything with a sense of continuity. The local blog page has an extract from the 1838 census which  bizarrely informs us that the villages climate is particularly healthy and that many of the local residents live into their 80's. Multiple births, it would seem, were ( and for all we know still are ) commonplace. The longevity thing must have been most unusual in the 1830's:https://www.thefifepost.com/genealogy/fife-parishes-numbers/parish-of-balmerino/

The railings that lead into the garden surrounding the tree were made in the days when ironwork was a thing of civic pride.

On either side of the gate a wrought iron hawk stands guard. A small gesture that amuses us. We'd seen three Sparrowhawks scooting low over the brambles as we've driven down the hill. Their predecessors might have give inspiration to the blacksmith. Art takes many forms - not all of them grand.

In front of the tree some old medieval buildings belonging to the old abbey are crumbling gently back to dust. They too are supported by metal beams.

There's a short poem 'Through the Spanish Chestnut'  etched into a piece of stainless steel and attached to a wall by some old pillars . It's difficult to read ( stainless steel doesn't photograph well )  but is as good a love poem to a tree as you'll find.

More winter Aconites in the grass verges that lead from the road into the village.

So starts a quiet Monday morning in a small, quiet village by the river. 

Heard on the car radio :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94sywKawc94

An artists modern tapestries on show in London :https://www.christinakimeze.com/

A new hotel in Savannah :https://www.staybardo.com/

This was interesting :https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/trump-starts-to-break-things

Hints of Spring.

We meet the farmer who tells us that January saw twice as much sunshine as January last year. It's also been much warmer.  He's  hopeful that his Brussel Sprouts yields will be up - substantially .

On the beach groups of tourists are standing on the dunes taking photos of the sunrise. Spanish and French accents heard together with a smattering of American and Canadian. Can the influx of visitors really be kicking off again so soon ? The weak Pound and the strong Dollar seem to be extending the usual tourist season.

Back in the village the C-A-T that patrols the potato barns glares at us . Can it sense that we're dog people ? Can it really be glaring at us ? Perhaps it has a long memory and associates us with our former canine companion ?

The snowdrops on the path up to the village church seem to have quadrupled in number overnight.

What we take to be Buttercups also seem to be enjoying the balmy weather.

Amazingly the first of the years woodland Daffodils are coming into flower. I'd reckon everything is a full two and possibly three weeks early.

So starts a Sunday morning in a small village in Fife.

Amigos improbables : Quite beautiful :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ur2Dm-0Ick

Hero dog :https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this-heroic-dog-raced-across-the-frozen-alaskan-wilderness-to-deliver-life-saving-medicine-but-his-contributions-were-long-overlooked-180985905/

Unknown inventor:https://robertbryce.substack.com/p/frank-sprague-americas-greatest-least

Tariffs :https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/why-has-trump-gone-soft-on-china

Welcome to February.

 

First light and we have a visitor.  The wet and muddy paws are a clue that someone has already been down on the beach chasing the Shags. Life for village dogs is good. In fact it's more than good - it's wonderful and made even more wonderful by some slivers of buttered toast. Our visitor disappears when she hears her owners dog whistle. 

The local plant shop has a huge collection of snowdrops. It's their specialty and keeps them busy in February and early March. I'm always surprised at the price people will pay for a pot of snowdrops. The walk through the woodland to the church already carpeted in them.

The new portable sauna now up and running. It is , as the beach warden forecast, proving to be extremely popular with students. Perhaps that's why it's called a 'Wild Scottish Sauna'.

The tide far, far out today. The rugby team have discovered that if they run in groups of three, rather than as a cohort, they can avoid the enthusiastic attention of the local dogs out on their morning walk. Last night France beat Wales 43-0 in the first match of the six nations rugby championship. This is a surprise to the local rugby playing crowd https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oope9PBMbt4  It does not auger well for Scotlands chances.

I pop into the book shop to pick up a book that's been on order for the last three weeks. A local lady is up a ladder looking for something interesting on 17th century Spain. She greets me with a cheerful ' It's a lovely day ' as I head to the cash desk. I've never seen a customer up the bookstores ladders before. 

Angus retreats to Starbucks with his new book. A few weeks ago we were the only people in Starbucks. Now its packed solid with talkative students and townsfolk coming out of hibernation.

So starts a quiet Saturday morning at the start of a new month. What happened to January ? To say it raced by would be an understatement.

In memoriam:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsPJqn3clAE

We can still build beautifully. Charleston my favourite :https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/new-development-survey-1

Where history meets politics . If you want to understand America today it's worth reading this. The third para from the end lays the blame fairly and squarely on the border folk :https://www.edwest.co.uk/p/britains-frontier-people

Unexpected and charming. The Hornpipe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1_m9lq-wCE&t=410s