Alberto's Hutte

30th April 2018 (Monday) .... 08.00      Trust me to ‘sleep in’ on a morning Lathallan reed filter beds. when we have a ‘wall to wall’ blue sky;   unfortunately there’s also a frisky northeast wind with a wintry feel to it.     It’s bonnie but cool, but will be warm sheltered from the wind;  a morning for walking in the woods.     Or working in the garden?         19.00     It was a nice morning for walking in the woods, sheltered from the wind:   so I went to the beach.    Yes, it was cold in the Northerly wind:   that said I saw one man wearing shorts.    He must have been a visitor:   locals wear, and are recognisable, by the colour of their anoraks, when the East wind doth blow.    However after breakfast I decided to take the car up to Lathallan, ‘moor up’, then walk to the reed filter beds;   this would be a ‘sheltered from the wind’ walk.   Lathallan is not a walk I’ve done often, usually I bike to Lathallan.     It turns out to be a pleasant walk down an entrance

29th April 2018 (Sunday) .... 07.30    It’s a bonnie morning, but there were Kinneuchar Loch. spits and spots of light rain when I first stuck my head out, and a light North easterly breeze.     North easterly breezes tend to ‘clip my wings’, cramping the desire to bumble around.        However the bike is out and the light shower seems to have passed over, so I’ll have a quick cuppa, then go round the villages.    The ‘plan’ is to go to Balcarres in the afternoon.    The kirk service is at 11.00 in Colinsburgh Town Hall this morning;    but I feel in a sun worshiping mood:   the problem with that at the moment ... clouds. Elie visitors at Balcarres House. 10.00       The earlier light showers seem to have moved away, and we now have decent sunny spells.    There are plenty “dauds o’ cotton wool” clouds coming over from the East, so we could get the odd shower later.      I’ve been down to the harbour and through the Estate, and, although cool, it was pleasant.... especia

28th April 2018 (Saturday) .... 08.00     There are some lovely clouds Interesting sky over Elie harbour. around this morning.... they sometimes give us light rain.    It’s a bonnie morning, but cold... there is a light breeze from the NNE;   having said that, I was out on the bike at 05.45 so it would be cold at that time.     The sun should break through later, though wind, and wind direction will keep it cool. The boy’s in the ‘Paper Shop’ were working like the clappers, bagging rolls etc;    that was at 06.30.     Watching them work had a adverse effect on me .... I was overcome with an attack of weakness.    However I was able to loup onto my bike and get back to Ivy;   it’s maistly doonhill.    I do ‘doonhill’ good on the bike.      (You should see me coming down from Kilbrackmont.    You don’t want to see me going up to Kilbrackmont!)     I need another cuppa before doing something:   hibernation is tempting. 20.30      Brrrr .... it has been chilly today;   in fact

27th April 2018 (Friday) .... 09.30     The ‘Centre of the Universe’ is the Elie harbour .... at 07.30. place to be this morning:    it’s bright and sunny, with only a light breeze, but there is a cold air.      I’ve been round the villages on the bike, spending three quarters of an hour pottering around the harbour.     The tide is out so I was able to get down among the boats.     Funny ... I didn’t notice the cold air, or my sair knee then!     On the way back I bought the paper, spoke to Pat and Dora.    Dora was singing, giving it 'laldie' in fact,  outside the paper shop door.    Dora is a dog .... a happy dog.    Pat was happy too, but she wasn't singing!  Pat isn't a dog.    I’m now going to have a late breakfast.... and read the paper.      20.00      I’ve had a ‘happy’ day;    with much chatting.     After breakfast, and reading the paper, I went up to Harbour House to have morning coffee, with ‘the Team’ (Myra , Jim and Geoff);   we chatted about th

26th April 2018 (Thursday) ....      07.30      It is cool this morning; ‘bright, Elie lighthouse. with a brisk north westerly wind’, .... but bonnie , with loads of April shower type clouds scuttling over from the NW.     I’ll make for Balcarres, later on today, and have an, ‘out of the wind’ walk in the Den.... right now I’m going down to the beach.          19.00        This has been a lovely Spring day;    a bit breezy right enough, and we did catch a couple o’ heavy showers, but that didn’t stop ‘the boy’ from enjoying himself.        In the morning I set off for Balcarres, in the car, to have a walk down Balcarres Den (sheltered from the wind):    and ended up at Woodhaven Bay (Elie) doing the Lady’s Tower/ Elie lighthouse walk. .. (where I was completely exposed to the wind).       I enjoyed the walk, WII anti tank blocks. in spite of the wind;   actually it didn’t seem as windy as I thought it would have been.     Hmmmm;   tomorrow I was intending to go to Crail!

25th April 2018 (Wednesday) .... 08.00      We have a ‘bright and breezy’ Earlsferry beach. morning, though there is a chilly feel to the air:   it reminded me of a crackin’ September morning in Windischgarsten in Austria.     That was 19 years ago.        It is a lovely morning for a walk, and it should be warm out of the wind.     I’ll go for a walk, somewhere, in the afternoon.... the diet begins today, and involves not eating between meals, drinking much water, and doing a lot of exercise.     21.00       There was a good turnout for Jimmy Preston’s funeral, at Kinneuchar Cemetery, this morning.     The weather was dry, though there was a cool breeze.     The Jinny's headstone in Kinneuchar cemetery. Minister gave an excellent, Service, and tribute,   at the graveside;   awakening many memories.    Yes, Jimmy got a good ‘send off’.     Sadly I couldn’t go to the cuppa afterwards:    my computer had been ‘hacked’ and was sending out messages to all my contacts

24th April 2018 (Tuesday) ..... 08.30     The first thing that caught my Earlsferry High Street - East end. attention when I stuck “ma heid oot the door” this morning, was that it is noticeably caulder;   as in back to wearing the winter togs caulder.       So, it was the heavy jacket, scarf and gloves for my walk on the beach.    There’s a strong wind from the WNW and that is adding a lump of wind chill, .... so wrap up if you’re going to be out in the wind.     That said it ‘bright and sunny’, with dauds o’ cotton wool clouds scuttling across the sky.     It’s a nice morning, but, I’m thinking the bike will stay in the shed today.    I might take the car up to the Deil’s Lodge and have a walk down Balcarres Den. 21.30      I’ve been reasonably busy today; mostly walking.     I did go to the Deil’s Lodge (Balcarres Estate), and had a walk down to the pond.    It was nice out of the wind;   in fact it was hot when I was pottering about at the pond, because that area is a Ba

23rd April 2018 (Monday) .... 08.30     “Happy St George’s Day” to all my Happy dog walker... and dog. English friends:   today is the day when you collect dandelion flowers to make wine.     Maggie and I once did this, and the resulting wine was excellent ... and had a kick.     It took a year to reach that stage.    Of course, you don’t need to make wine to enjoy the Dandelion flowers;   I always see them as happy flowers.    This means that Ivy Cottage garden is a ‘happy garden’.   We have a ‘bright and breezy’ morning;   might be a bit breezy for the bike actually.     I have been down to the beach, which is a happy beach;   we had one dog walker with East basin - Pittenweem Harbour. dog (you couldn’t be dog walker without one.    A dog i.e.),      one jogger, with dog, and me.... without a dog, but I did have a camera.     We were all ‘happy’.        19.30      With it being too windy for me being out on the bike (I must get a battery assisted bike) I went up to

22nd April 2018 (Sunday) ....      The thunderstorms, that were forecast to Late sunrise? occur overnight, missed us and went up the North Sea, (now off Aberdeenshire), so we were lucky in that respect;     however, we did have rain, I know this because everything is wet, but I never heard thunder.     It’s mostly overcast, and damp, this morning, but the sun should breakthrough later.... it was trying hard when I was out on the bike.     It’s a nice enough morning, but disappointing after the past few days of sunny weather. 21.00       My legs and feet are tired tonight:    it’s watching the London Marathon .... it fair tires me oot.    I have done a lot of running in my young day, so I know the feeling, and come out in sympathy. The sun did ‘break through’ but only infrequently, and then for only short blinks:   that said, my day has been bright in other ways.     In the afternoon I decided to take a run up to Balcarres to see is ‘Susanna Van Veen’ was blooming;   and she

21st April 2018 (Saturday) .... 10.30      We have an absolute cracker of a morning at the Centre of the Universe;     bright, sunny, and warm, with only a smirr of Kincraig Cliffs - Earlsferry. a westerly breeze.     I went out early, and photographed my way from   West Bay, round to the harbour;    starting an hour before high tide, and finishing an hour after high tide.     I met a couple down at the harbour looking for a Black Necked Grebe   (hereafter BNG) which has been seen out on the bay.    Apparently somebody ‘scoped’ it (the BNG) a couple of days ago.      That will be twitcher lingo for a sighting by telescope.     This ‘happy bunny’ is now going to have a look at the photographs I 'took';   being a ‘reflections’ morning, I have a lot of photos to look at. The West end of Earlsferry. 17.00      This has been an excellent day, probably the best so far this year;   warm (19c in Ivy garden), bright and sunny for the whole day:   even I have a touch of the

20th April 2018 (Friday) ... 07.00      I went out on the bike early this Sunrise time at the harbour. morning .... 05.40:     I wanted to be at the harbour for sunrise time ... 05.54.      It was   chilly at that time, it always is just before sunrise.      Anyway I was down there on time, and snapped my first photograph at 05.53.     The sun didn’t rise over the East Links until 06.00.      Unfortunately it was breezier than I’d hoped, so the sea wasn’t   mirror like, but I am happy enough with the photographs I got.     This is the best time of the day;   apart from 'Blob' and friends giving the dawn chorus laldie, a couple of delivery vans and Ian at the ‘Paper Shop’, I, near enough, had the villages to myself.     After that early morning fresh air I am now ready for breakfast! 18.00      I’ve been sitting in the Hutte watching a Peacock butterfly sunning itself on a Largo Law from Ruddon's Point. warm rock;    I didn’t have a camera at the time, so could