Alberto's Hutte

31st March 2022 (Thursday)      08.00 .... we’ve got a light dustin’ o’ snow this morrrrning, there’s ice on Blob’s water dish;  and there’s a brisk Northerly breeze;  so it’s cauld.   I’ve been as far as the front gate (about three metres) and won’t be going any further;  not until the temperature shoots up to about 5C.   With the wind chill 5C will feel like 1C.    No biking today.  I might take a turn out in the car later.... but I won’t be in a hurry to do that.   Oh... “slight flap on”;  the kettle will be have boiled.  Again. 09.00   It looks like being a reasonably good ‘drying day’ ... so... I have a washing on the line.  The garden temperature is at 3C so it shouldn’t freeze; unlike me who wisnae iggzactly warm when hanging it out.  I’ve been working on the computer and ordered Fine Line pens (I am drawing the last Rires Castle) ... something I have been meaning to do for yonks.    They are down to arrive on Saturday.    In the meantime I’ll get the drawing done in pencil r

30th March 2022 (Wednesday)     07.00 .... It’s cauld and wintry looking;  ‘this boy’ won’t be straying far from the door today.   There’s been sleet/rain overnight and it looks like we could have more showers.  Hmmmm.... there could be interesting clouds; I might venture out with the camera later in the day.   Right now it’s time to put the kettle ‘on’.... again. 11.30    I’ve been to the beach.... well wrapped up against the wintry feeling wind.     It’s actually a bonnie day;   warm when out of the wind and in the sun.... but the wind is bitterly cold.     I won’t be going out on the bike today!     In fact I’ll probably spend   most of the afternoon sleeping as I kept waking, nearly every hour on the hour, worrying about sleeping in and missing the mechanic coming to pick up the car.    I didn’t .... miss him, and the car is now at the garage having it’s springs sorted.     My hearing is abominable:   I thought it was a rear spring that had gone when it was one of the front ones.

29th March 2022 (Tuesday)    09.00 ....We have a cloudy sky....with some blue bits so we could have sunny spells later.   I haven’t been anywhere so far;  I didn’t wake up until 07.30;  06.30 before the clock change so it’s not really a ‘sleep in’.... it’s just my brain cell taking it’s time adjusting  to the new time.   This is the worst of the two time changes for me.    10.30     I come to the conclusion that I must have had a migraine this morning;   it’s foggy.... and there are no ‘blue bit’s in the sky.   I’ve been for the paper, handed in my prescription and came home by way of Balbuthie Loan and Kinneuchar.   Definitely nae blue bits!     Actually sky was brighter for a wee while at 08.00.... in fact it looked promising.    Must ‘go go go’ this morning;   I’m going to do some ‘ousework:   Not much.... just enough to salve my conscience before I go out on the bike!   13.30    The sky is starting to brighten up so I might go out in a wee while.   I watched the ‘Celebration of Li

28th March 2022 (Monday)     11.00 .... with the clocks changing (and me having caught up with the clock change) it is now my ‘season’ for an early morrrrning potter on the beach.     It was really relaxing pottering along the tides edge... even the birds seemed to be enjoying the balmy morning. Back at Ivy I booked the car in to get a broken spring fixed;    Brian   (mechanic) is picking the car up on Wednesday morning, so I don’t have to go to St Andrews at all.    I’ll get the bike out after ‘morrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrning coffee’ and take a turn round the villages;   then   I’ll do a wee bit of ‘work’ in the garden in the afternoon.... doing Soduko’s and feeding/conversing with ‘Blob) in The Hutte. 16.30    Once again we have had a gorgeous day;  I’m likin’ this spell of weather ...even when the haar drifts in from the North Sea.   Haar can make interesting photographs on the way in (or out).... before it obliterates everything. I had a run to the harbour, where I had morrrrrrrning

27th March 2022 (Sunday )     08.30.... I’ve had a couple of surprises already this morning:  the clocks changed last night.... and we have thick fog!  The fog will clear away soon.    I suppose I’d better bumble round changing the clocks     Never mind it will soon be lunch time.... though I’d better have breakfast first.   ‘Flap on’.... got clocks to change.   09.30      My word there’s activity at the harbour already;   the skiffs are being uncovered for another training session, and kayaks are going to be active at 10.30.    The sun is forecast to break through by mid morning so the ‘plan’ is to make for the harbour around 10.30.... there should be a lot going on, both on land and water.    It’s breakfast time.   New Sailing Club kayaks. 19.00    The sun eventually broke through and I bumbled down to the harbour to catch the new Sailing Club kayaks being ‘christened’ ....and launched for the first time.  The skiffs had been out, but they had to stay within sight of the shore.... t

26th March 2022 (Saturday)      07.30 ....It’s another bonnie morning..... we 'Archie' and 'Sea Queen' racing in from the Beacon. have wall to wall blue sky with a light breeze off the East.   It could be warm later.   I’ve been for the paper and will go out on the bike after breakfast;  this is unquestionably a ‘rest day’. 17.00     Our wee villages have enjoyed a busy and stunningly beautiful day.    My bike run ‘roond the villages’ lasted two hours.    I met and talked to people, I pressed the button on the camera a few times;   this has been a perfect kind of day for me.     At Chapel Green I met Gary and Caroline from Stonehaven;   this was their first time in Elie and Earlsferry.... my word they couldn’t have had a bonnier day to see the villages and environs.     We talked about the local history of Elie and Earlsferry, and how COVID has changed all our lives:   we get some really interesting people visiting us.    And I like talking.     After 15 minutes or so

25th March 2022 (Friday)     08.00 ....It's a ‘sunny with a gentle breeze’ morning;  and the gentle breeze is from the westerly direction, so a bonnie day ahead.    I'm  having a cuppa before going for the paper;  actually I might just do the Elie Estate run this morning..... I have George’s (Mex) ‘Celebration of Life’ service in the afternoon.   That reminds me;  I don’t know whether to wear a suit or go ‘smart casual’.... Memorial services are less ‘formal’ than they used to be. 11.30     My word it is a crackin’ day....the temperature is rocketing up to near sun cream level.    I’ve been for the paper and checked the harbour then came home by way of Elie Estate.   It should be warm in the afternoon and a good day6for the beach.     I’m, going to have something lunch then get organised for George’s Service this afternoon;     I’m going ‘smart casual’.    21.00      I had a really pleasant catch up chat with Alice (George’s wife), and family Izzy, Karen and Theresa, and their

24th March 2022 (Thursday)      08.00 .... A big “Thank You” to everyone who made my birthday one to remember (even though I’m trying to forget birthdays);   I had a very enjoyable day and feel ‘loved’.... and I love you all. xxx There’s a bit mair cloud around this morning....but it’s interesting cloud, and has to be photographed, but not until after breakfast.... when the air will be warmer.    It’s actually chilly just now: And I’m hungry... and so is ‘Blob’. The ‘plan’ for today?..... it’s going to be another rest/play day.... though I will potter about around The Hutte.    I see that the pollution levels are at ‘M’ at last;   any asthmatic living near the East Coast could have told them that.... days ago.   Must ‘go’... slight flap on;   Jean is coming to pick up a key;  I’m orf to comb my hair ..... oops... I'm orf to put the kettle ‘on’. 21.00    It’s been another cracker o’ a day;  sunny and ‘hot’;  there was a light breeze that took the edge off hot.  I went up to Ch

23rd March 2022 (Wednesday)      09.00 .... We have a lovely morrrrrrrrning at Elie and Earlsferry;  it is hazy, but that makes for interesting photographs.... and it is warmer;  in fact it could  be ‘hot’ (ish) in the afternoon.   I’ve been for the papers (in the car ‘cos I was short of milk) then down to the harbour.    It was very peaceful and picturesque.   I then came home by way of Balbuthie Loan and Kinneuchar..... having forgotten about the price of fuel. At the moment I am having an early morning coffee... and a slice homemade ginger bread, made by my lovely friend Marcia...xx.    It’s my birthday today;   I’m 48 ... or is it 84?   17.00    Welllllll ....I have really enjoyed my birthday.   Cards, presents... including ‘Emergency Rations’ have been part of my especial day.    “Happy Birthday” was sung at the History Society coffee ‘get thegither’.   The ‘Troops’, (Myra, Kirsty, Geoff) then treated me (the fourth ‘troop’) to lunch at the 19th.    A big “Thank You” to everyon

22nd March 2022 (Tuesday)     08.00 .... Yesssss.... it’s a gorgeous start to what is going to be  a bonnie day.    There’s a light breeze from the southeast with an almost clear sky ....there’s hazy/light cloud but it’s a bonnie light.   It could be a good drying day.... so, I have a washing going though the machine.    The ‘master plan’ is to potter around the garden then go out on the bike once the air warms up.... after the washing is on the line.   22.30     It has been another bonnie day.... sadly the easterly wind freshened and it was cold on the beach.... and at the harbour.    I was ‘fired up’ this morning and decided to do the bed;   the sheets etc. were washed and on the line by 09.00.    I do believe that they could have gone back on the bed when they came off the line.... it was a brilliant ‘drying day’.    However I’d made the bed in the morning.    Anyway, after all that I had morrrrrning coffee, and did a Soduko (in the Hutte) before getting the bike out and going up t

21st March 2022 (Monday)     The Vernal equinox happened at 15.33 yesterday....so this is the first day of Astronomical Spring.   06.00    It’s a nice morning but there’s a lot of low cloud around just now however that will disappear once the sun gets going; there’s a light south westerly breeze and the garden thermometer is showing 2C, so it’s not warm.    I’ll go for the paper (on the bike) once the sun is up:   that could take a while ‘cos there’s a huge bank of cloud on the eastern horizon.   08.00   ‘The Boy’ (that’s me) has been busy this morrrrrning... on the computer:  it’s a bit cauld to go out on the bike just now.   The cloud is starting to break up and we have a lot of blue patches coming over from the West.  Yes the breeze is from the West just now, though it is forecast to back to the Southeast in the afternoon.   I can’t go out until the postie has been ‘cos there’s a parcel winging its way towards Ivy as I type;   until then I’m going to plug in  ‘Edna’ (another of m

20th March 2022 (Sunday)    08.00 .... There’s a cold wind off the North Sea so it’s ‘wrap up well’ day;  I won’t be going far on the bike this morning.   The paper has been picked up and the harbour given a quick visit.... I’m thinkin’ I’ll hover around Ivy most of the day.... unless the wind eases and the temperature rockets up to 8C.   I don’t like wind with East in it. 14.00    My morning began with a migraine and it has taken until now to shake that off;   I’ve enjoyed a lazy morning cleaning the bike, doing Soduko’s, reading the newspaper and lying low in the Hutte.    It’s a bonnie day but I won’t go out on the bike: Tomorrow is going to be less windy.. so it should feel warmer.    I’ve been taking photos of Blob and his wife ... 'Doris'; it looks like they are setting up home in the Ivy bush... the one I have been seriously pruning.   The pruning be on hold for the next few weeks.    I’m going to have a cuppa and scone before doing a wee bit in the garden.... untangl

19th March 2022 (Saturday)     08.00 ....I’m vertical and feeling, that this should be a play-day.    A shower (and pills) got rid of the early morning aches;  I should be ready to rock ‘n roll after breakfast.   I had porridge earlier, now I’m fancying a bacon and egg roll....to set me up for the day. Oh;   it’s a cracker o’ a day, after a bonnie sunrise (I was vertical but still stiff from yesterday’s blunderings so didn’t go to the beach), so ‘we’ have to make the best of this lovely spell of early Spring weather.   I’m orf to make that breakfast roll. 09.00     Well.... that woke me up!    I can now tell you that the heat alarm in the kitchen definitely works....and all the other alarms in Ivy Cottage as well.   Ye gods .... that had me loupin’ aboot looking for something to press the button with.    Oh.... the bacon and egg roll was tasty, but ....   I’m a bag o’ nerves....I need another cuppa.     21.00     It has been a lovely, ‘bright and sunny’ day but it was spoiled by a c

18th March 2022 (Friday)    08.00 .... we have a bright and breezy morning... and I’m feeling bright and breezy too.    It’s cool just now and there’s some cloud around, but we have the start of a bonnie day;  in fact this is the first of  a few bonnie days if the forecasters are right.   This should be a good biking day once the air heats up a bit; that said, tomorrow looks like being the best of this spell of early Spring days.   10.00    Today is a ‘play day’ ... with a wee bit o’ work in the garden in the afternoon.      I’ve been for the paper (in the car), had a ‘nearly full English breakfast’.... I’m now going to have a cuppa then get the bike out to go and explore somewhere.   22.00    It has been a lovely day ... and this boy did enjoy it.   As planned I went out on the bike twice, the first time as far as Robin Gray’s cottage.   Mind you I did a bit of exploring before I got to Robin Gray’s;  I didn’t go any further because the bike battery was only showing three bars, I wen