Alberto's Hutte

30th April 2016 (Saturday) ....09.00      We have a cracker o’ a mornin’, after a early morning frost;    wall to wall blue sky, with hardly any wind.... a perfect morning/day (hopefully) for browsing the “Elie Scarecrows’.     I am going out with John and Linda Jim and “SD” for bit of walking exercise:  I’ll start ‘ticking orf ’ the ‘Scarecrows’ after lunch.  21.30     There’s one thing you can definitely say aboot Scotland’s weather;  it can surprise!     Today has been beautiful... and yesterday morning we woke up to snow on Largo Law etc.    This turned out to be a perfect day to saunter around the villages, map in hand, admiring the Elie Scarecrows ..... and plenty folk did just that;   the villages were choc-a-bloc, with ‘Scarecrow aficionados’;    “aficionados”.. hey that’s a big word, where did that come from?   I was lucky enough to ‘near enough’ bump into Linda and John, who had walked over from, Shell Bay... now Elie Caravan Park.  I w The Cat and Hat ent out in t

29th April 2016 (Friday) .... 09.00     Hmmmm ... we have ‘wet and windy’ this morning;   very wet, and very windy... with the ‘windy’ being, East ‘windy’;    not a bonnie morning at all!    The snow that was falling last night when I went to bed has Raindrops on a window pane turned to water adding to the general wetness.    This is not a morning for  the ‘boy’ going out on the bike .... this is a ‘hibernating’ morning.    My intention was to get out to make a start with photographing the scarecrows, but I’ll leave that until the sun breaks through;   already the sky is looking brighter;  or is that ‘wishful thinking?’    No the sky is definitely brightening up.    I’ll have another cuppa and contemplate:   it’s a grand morning for contemplating! 21.30     Well I have to admit the weather wasn’t the best today but, in spite of that, I’ve manage to have an interesting day.    The weather forecast for tomorrow is better;  bright and windy, but the wind direction should be from th

28th April 2016 (Thursday) .... 10.00     Welllll... I was ready for that;  ‘that’ being my Shredded Wheat, followed by a slice o’ toast and a cuppa.    It’s another bonnie morning, albeit chilly, so I went out for a daunder before breakfast... Elie  because I’m feeling ‘very frolicsome’ this morning.     Although it’s a bonnie morning you can see that there’s a change coming in from the west, where the sky is greying over, and there’s an intimidating look to it.    Hey we might get snow!    I’m thinking ‘winter’ pictures now!  21.30     The ‘change coming in from the West, that I mentioned in the morning ‘update’, arrived about 14,30, but it’s doubtful if I’ll get ‘winter scene’ pictures tomorrow morning, at least not in Elie and Earlsferry.... however I should get ‘ wet look’ ones;   we have  heavy rain/sleet, which is forecast to last for most of the night.    The Ivy Cottage ‘hatches are battened down’, the central heating Grangehill area turned ‘up’, ..... I have now re

27th April 2016 (Wednesday) .... 10.00     The wind, though still from the Northerly direction,  is only F2-3, and, being ‘bright and sunny’ we have a pleasantly warm morning.     Jimmy’s car has been delivered to St Monans, all he has to do now is April shower clouds wait for a phone call.   We took a meandering route back to Ivy... travelling up to Arncroach, Radernie, Peat Inn, New Gilston, and Upper Largo before finally heading  back to Ivy, and a cuppa in the Hutte.    I’ll bike some of this route in the summer so that I can stop and take photos.... can’t do that ‘comfortably’, on narrow country roads, when in a car.   Jimmy is now ensconced in “No 10”;  he’s not sure if he’ll be able for the ‘Colinsburgh Lunch’ at 12.30.      I’d better go and do some ‘work’ stuff now .... it’s a nice day for going things in the garden. 21.30     Jimmy wasn’t able for the ‘Colinsburgh Lunch’.... his legs are giving him a lot of pain so he opted to stay away.    That being the case I decide

26th April 2016 (Tuesday) ... 08.30    I haven’t been further than the front gate this morning so far, but that was far enough to find out that there’s a cold Northerly wind, and that April Shower clouds cover the sun at very regular Elie Harbour intervals.     The Banchory -Fettercairn (Cairn o’ Mount) is blocked because of snow, and the snow gates are closed on the Glenshee road.... yes, there is definitely a wintry feel to the air this morning.     I’ll get the bike out and go along for the paper, after breakfast, and a ‘cuppa’;   I’m feeling nearly ‘frisky’ this morning;  however, some of the clouds I see scuttling south are beginning to have a ‘serious shower’ look about them.... this may cramp my ‘friskiness’ a bit! 22.30     This morning, feeling on the frisky side of excitable, I got the bike out and went along for the paper;   on the way I diverted into South Street, and ended up down at the harbour, and, having ‘broken the law’ by biking along a one way street the wron

25th April 2016 (Monday) .... 09.00    A N Z A C D A Y   ... the Anniversary of the Gallipoli landings of WWI.    A solemn Day of Remembrance in Australia and New Tulip Zealand,  .... when they remember all ANZAC’s who lost their lives, not only at Gallipoli, but in all wars since.    “We will remember them!” I’m glad that I went ‘biking’ yesterday;   today the weather is bright enough, but windier, and therefore colder, with April showers.     Hopefully we’ll get long spells of sunshine , though right now we have a heavy shower bumbling over us. I have to go to Leven, sometime today, to pick up “Sooper Buggy”.... I was going to potter around in the garden until I got a phone call from the garage, but everything in the garden is now wet.    Some warm sunshine, and a gentle drying breeze, would be useful!    I’ll go for a daunder down to the beach after breakfast;  having slightly overslept this morning I am now ‘behind schedule’! 21.00     I didn’t have to go to Leven to pi

24th April 2016 (Sunday) .... 08.30     Hmmmm .... it’s a nice morning;   a good morning for running the London Marathon, which I’m not ,  so I’ve got the bike out and intend biking up to the ‘Auld Fella’.... the big beech tree up at Kilbrackmont.... this will be my ‘marathon’ for today.   I have biked it non- stop from Ivy, but I don’t Kilbrackmont beech intend doing that .... in fact I’m going to walk up the steeper bits of Balcarres.....up until now I have always biked the Double Dykes but, ‘discretion is the better part of valour’, so from now on I walk the steeper bits.     The flask is filled with coffee, I’ve packed some fruit, and a couple of ‘goodies’ for my usual picnic up at ‘the tree’..... all I have to do is make sure the i-phone is fully charged (I’m switching the  tracker ‘on’) and I am more or less ready to ‘roll’.... oh... and make sure I have plenty batteries for the camera. 21.30     It was hard work, biking into a wind even a light wind, is hard.... and, wi

23rd April 2016 (Saturday) ...... “ S t Ge o r g e ’ s D a y ” I wish all my friends in “Bonnie England”  a lovely, and happy day.    Unfortunately I don’t have a St George’s Cross flag but I’m flying the Union Flag.... on what is a bonnie morning Elie lighthouse here in “Bonnie Scotland”.    We have  ‘bright and sunny’,  with a light Northerly wind, a good day for the boats being ‘craned in’, but it is cool.    I’m going to get the bike after breakfast, and  go for a ‘run’ somewhere .... it’s that kind of morning.     Have a happy day whatever you are doing.   Must ‘go’ “slight flap on”... I feel in the mood for some ‘biking’, and “Puku” is hungry! 17.00    A cold Northwest wind , and a couple of light showers in the afternoon, took the ‘edge off, what has been a nice enough day;  it was really warm behind glass... such as in, the  Sailing Club or the Hutte!     I only went as far as the harbour on the bike;  opting instead to go up to Shell Bay woods with Jim, and “SD”, where

22nd April 2016 (Friday) .... 09.00     Oh my word  .... bring back the warm hot days .... it’s freezin’ this mornin’.    Although it is mostly a ‘bright and sunny Beachfront houses Earlsferry morning’, there is a, very brisk, cold North wind, which is driving loads of fluffy clouds over, blotting out the sun at regular intervals ;   the temperature in Ivy garden will be considerably lower than it has been for the past few days.    However the Hutte heats up quickly ....!    I had intended getting the bike out, but I’ll leave that until the afternoon in the hope that the wind drops.    21.30     The bike never left the shed today... it was a bit too windy and cold for me.      Jim and Myra were going to Leven this morning, so I ended up going along for a wee bit of shopping and a coffee in Sainsbury’s Cafe.    It made for a pleasant morning;   it’s more pleasurable going shopping with somebody, than doing it on your own;   having said that, I usually end up chatting to someone

21st April 2016 (Thursday) .... 08.00     HM The Queen is 90 today so ‘we’ shall sing .... H a p p y B i r t h d a y D e a r “ H M ” ... H a p p y B i r t h d a y t o Y o u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u u ! ”    I am sure “HM” will have a lovely day!    Also... when we’re in voice’ ...  “ Happy Birthday to everyone else whose birthday it is today.... happy birthday to Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”! We have another beautiful morning.... a grand morning for the beach;   however I’m Lower Largo orf to Leven, in ‘major flap on’ mode;   I’ll calm down once I’ve had my haircut;   which ‘operation’ will be followed by a cuppa, and a goodie, in Stuart’s. 21.30    My wee legs are stiff tonight;   I walked from, and to, the garage at Banbeath to Leven, (a total distance of 4.5k), three times today, on concrete and my legs obviously do not like concrete etc.... and it was warm hot in the sun.    “Sooper Buggy” needs her brakes fixed, which I suspected might be the case; 

20th April 2016 (Wednesday)   09.30 ..... “Happy Birthday dear Jackie ,  happy birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuu!” xx     Jackie will have a lovely ... er ...22, and a bit, birthday today, and be spoiled tae bits .... I gave the ‘happy birthday’ Elie Harbour beach song ‘laldie’, in the shower this morning. We have another gorgeous day at ‘The Centre of the Universe’ .... another day for doing things.    I’ve been down to the harbour in Sooper Buggy, and, although my muscles are slightly stiff after polishing the car yesterday, I intend doing some gardening after breakfast.    I might go out on the bike after lunch... depends on how keen I am on the gardening. 22.00     My muscles are not enjoying this lovely weather;  they are being asked to do stuff that they haven’t had to do for a while .... unfortunately for them, I’m enjoying being back to normal’ regarding doing things again.    Today I seriously pruned a tree that needed the loppers;  this was a job that was sair on the arms

19th April 2016 (Tuesday) .... 09.30    Oh the heat .... bring back winter and the cauld days!     We have a gorgeous morning at ‘The Centre of the Universe’ .... Earlsferry this morning sunny (and warm) with only a light breeze from the Northwest;   it’s a brilliant day for doing anything... I’ve been along the beach, to the Black Wa’,;   I did intend going further, but decided to go back to Ivy to wash  “Sooper Buggy”.... after I have my breakfast, and a cuppa.   Must ‘go’ “major flap on” this morning ..... I feel energetic and in ‘working’ mode.    ‘Energetic’ I’m fine with .... ‘working mode’ I’m not so sure about!  22.30    This has been a ‘sun bloc’ day and I didn’t bother using it;  so I have a slight touch of sunburn tonight;  it has been a really bonnie, and warm, day.   Most of my day has been spent washing and polishing “Sooper Buggy”;   this is the first time in two years that I have been able to polish ‘her’ completely.   The only part that got Sooper Buggy poli

18th April 2016 (Monday) .... 12.00     We have a typical ‘April’ day;   breezy with fluffy shower clouds;   a perfect day for doing things.... as long as you’re Anstruther beach sheltered from the wind.    I went along to Anstruther PO first thing, and then walked out to the Chalmers Lighthouse for some exercise.   It is windy out there, but not enough to stop a couple of blokes fishing off the end of the East pier... where  there’s absolutely no shelter, from a West wind .....  I was cold looking at them, and I was out of the wind behind the Chalmers light.    There’s a lot of boats, from working, to pleasure in Anstruther Harbour, but .... only one bloke was actually working, and he was on his boat:    I had the whole pier to myself.   I got back from Anstruther in time to get the kettle on for Jimmy’s morning cuppa:   which we had in the Hutte.   The temperature in there is 74f.    Very cosy.... verging on ‘the mauchless’. 19.30     The other day in Sainsbury’s I bought a