Alberto's Hutte

31st August 2023 (Thursday)      07.45 .... The moon did look bigger last night but it didn’t make that much difference to the actual photograph:  I’d hoped to get it alongside a lum or something but at 01.30 it was high in the sky and I was in my PJ’s.   If the sky is clear tonight I might try again.   The lovely night has turned into a lovely day.... but with more cloud around. I was about to switch off the shower this morning, when we had a 20 second power cut;   my finger was about 2 inches away from the button!     I thought...”blimey that was quick”... then noticed that the light had gone out too!     I’d just taken that thought on board when the lights came on again:   that’s when I realised we’d had a power cut. 20.30    ‘We’ (the Royal Burgh ‘we’) have been a busy boy today;  the worst ‘job’ was defrosting the freezer.   Defrosting the freezer has never been one of my ‘I like doin’ that’ jobs.... but it needed doing.   It used to be an easy job;  but then all jobs used to b

30th August 2023 (Wednesday)     07.00 .... It’s one of those quiet autumnal "Good Morrrrrrrrning". mornings when even Redshanks are at peace with each other.    I’ve been for the paper (and milk), had a turn down to the harbour and will hang out a washing after this update.   There’s a brisk NW breeze so it’s chilly just now, but will warm up once the sun gets going ....and should be a good drying day:  and its 117 days until Christmas.     20.00    It has been a good drying day... and a good working day.   I  finished the last of my Kinneuchar Kirk drawings (based on the original sketches by the Rev Sime in 1818 held in the Historic Scotland archive).   The next drawing is going to be of the inside of the three houses at Ferry Corner that were demolished in 1947.   I’ll take tomorrow as a rest day (I’ll visit Alice) then start the Ferry Project.    Main Street - Kinneuchar. With it being a bonnie afternoon I biked up to Kinneuchar and began to photo/record all the graves

29th August 2023 (Tuesday)      07.00 .... There’s been a light shower o’ rain Elie House. since I first looked out, but the forecast is ‘good’ and it looks like it might have been a rogue light shower;  showers aren’t expected until the afternoon.   I’ll have another cuppa.... and see how the weather settles before going for the paper.   10.45  It’s a bonnie morning but cool in the fresh NW breeze.... as I found out when I went for the paper.  I photographed my way through Elie Estate, picked up the paper, chatted to Iain and Dave, then went down to the harbour and arrived back at Ivy hungry and ready for a cuppa.   The ‘plan’ now is to have another cuppa then ‘work’  with the pencils and pens. 2030     I have had an active day;   out on the bike for a decent distance.... and got a lot done with the pens and pencils.    The Kinneuchar Kirk project drawing will be finished tomorrow morning.    I have another drawing I want to do with the pens and pencils so I might begin that tomorrow

28th August 2023 (Monday)     08.00 ....   Although I got up early I didn’t go out on the bike;  the sky was heavily overcast and sunrise  was still  half an hour away at  06.20.   I’m going to cheer(?) up Alice in the morning and go biking in the late afternoon/evening.    The sky has cleared up since then and we have a lovely ‘play day’ ahead;  sunny intervals and a gentle breeze’ being the  forecast for KY9.   20.30   We sorted out the world today, did Alice and I;  it won’t make any difference but we felt better!   Being housebound because of her sair knee we old good old natter over a cuppa and lunch; hence the world being sorted out. When I got back to Ivy Put on the kettle then brought in the messages;   just a succulent necessities.    After that I had a short catnap before going out and finishing the latest drawing:   the last one is ready to be finished.    The ‘plan’ is to write the project up, then upload it onto The Hutte.    It will be a while before that happens.

27th August 2023 (Sunday)      07.30 .... That was disappointing: When I first looked out Ferry Road was dry;  by the time I’d showered and got ready to go on the bike a shower (they are mentioned in the forecast for today) had drifted over.    I’ll have another cuppa because I’m feeling positive .... and it’s only a light shower: Light rain showers, with a light breeze, is the weather forecast for KY9. 10.30    Not only did I go to Elie for the paper;  I actually got the paper!   It’s a quiet kind o’ morning,  but the threat of light showers has been changed to ‘thundery showers’....I’m not liking that.  The sun is trying hard to break through and we should have sunny spells soon;  hopefully the thundery showers will miss us.  The bike battery is being charged in anticipation of a bonnie afternoon/evening.    15.30    The showers have been annoying;  but I’ve made good progress with the pencils.... and I’m still looking forward to getting out for exercise in the evening.   I came in

26th August 2023 (Saturday)      08.15 .... the first thing I noticed when I went out this morning  was the  fresh autumnal air;  the air is noticeably cooler, but will warm up once the sun is higher .... although it will  feel cool when exposed to the fresh NE breeze.   ‘Sunny intervals with a fresh breeze, and the chance of light showers’ is the weather forecast.    I love this kind of morning though I didn’t get up early enough to get the best of it (sunrise):  that said I’m feeling bright and breezy so will go out on the bike after breakfast..... only as far as Chapel Green as the battery is low.  I might go for a longer run in the evening. 21.30     Longer run in the evening?..... I never even went for a shorter run.     It certainly wasn’t the weather that kept me off the bike;   it has been a, mostly, bright and sunny day;    I’ve been keeping my eye on the World Championships from Budapest, in between drawing and pottering around Ivy.   The problem is that if the coverage is s

25th August 2023 (Friday)      09.00 .... There’s a nice fresh autumnal feel to the early morning air;  the beginning of what is going to be a nice enough day.... ‘light showers and light winds’ being the weather forecast. I’m vertical, and I’ve been for the paper and visited the harbour (in the car);   now I’m ready to ‘work’.   As I’m in a drawing mood this is going to be a ‘rest day’.    I had a restless night (too hot) so I expect I’ll have a few catnaps....   and a lot o’ cuppas! 13.30    It’s a nice day with some big old clouds building up;  I’ve been working and haven’t been out on the bike yet, but have taken a couple of photos of the clouds.    I haven’t been firing on all cylinders so far today (after the restless night), so I’m lying low, but might get out on the bike in the evening.   It could be that I’m taking longer to recover from the cold I had a week ago.   I’ll have another cuppa before going out to ‘work’ again. 15.00   The ‘big old clouds’ haven’t produced any t

24th August 2023 (Thursday)     08.30 .... the  light rain we had overnight  has cleared away to give us a bonnie morning, albeit with a cool  Autumn morning air.    ‘Sunny intervals with a moderate breeze’ is today’s weather forecast for KY9.... with the slight chance of a shower in the afternoon; a good ‘drying day’.   It was raining when I first looked out so I haven’t been out on the bike yet; I’ll leave that until the afternoon now.   21.00     On my way to Alice’s this morning I thought that we’d have a wander to Leven Beach:   two things stopped that happening .... the tide was in and Alice has a sair knee.    We had a cuppa and chatted about knees .... I did my best to cheer her up by talking of knee replacement.    That didn’t seem to work!    No... Alice probably has a sair knee because she was at an afternoon disco with the ‘special needs’ folks that she cared for before she retired.    She still keeps, not only in touch, but still helps them when required.   She is a happy

23rd August 2023 (Wednesday)      08.30 ....  We have an almost wall to wall Mr 'B' on Sundance. blue sky, with only a light breeze; a lovely start to the day.... and a perfect day for ‘gaun oot tae play’.   I am in “slight flap on” mode; today's mission being a trip to Leven (shopping) after breakfast.... and another cuppa. 19.15     The shopping mission was reasonably enjoyable.... there was a pre-COVID ‘retail therapy’ feel about it.   I got everything I wanted .... and some things I ‘wanted’ but did really need.   ‘Goodies’!     I couldn’t go to Alice’s as she was going out in the morrrrrning;   I had morning coffee at home. After putting the messages away I watched the World Championships while having the aforementioned ‘morrrrning coffee, before doing some ‘work’.    I’m pleased with the way the Kinneuchar Project is coming along, and enjoying being useful (to myself) again. the 'new' Chapel Green House. In the evening I went up to Chapel Green to get a f

22nd August 2023 (Tuesday)     09.00 .... ‘Sunny intervals with a fresh breeze’ is the weather forecast for KY9 today;  there is a ‘low chance of precipitation’  in the first half of the morning.... but who worries about a ‘low chance of precipitation (I enjoy typing the word ‘precipitation’).    I’m in a drawing mood so will spend most of the day in The Hutte;  but will take time out, after morning coffee for exercise. 20.00    ‘The Boy’ has enjoyed a fulfilling day;   that means I got a good bit of drawing done.... and managed to go to Chapel Green on the bike.    I said I’d take time out after morning coffee ....and I did;   about seven hours after morning coffee!    Once I got going with the pencils, and the pens, I couldn’t stop.   No that’s not true;   I stopped for lunch, and numerous cuppas and decided that, because I was enjoying myself, I’d go up to Chapel Green in the late afternoon/early evening.   And that is what I did.   In fact I’m going to do Chapel Green in the later

21st August 2023 (Monday)     08.30 .... it’s a lovely fresh morning;   cool in David going to the creels. the frisky breeze but it will warm up when the sun is higher.   The ‘Janice Toddie’ I had last night has definitely worked;  I’m feeling ‘almost bright eyed and bushy tailed’.   I’ll lie low today...i.e. work on a drawing.   Another ‘JT’ tonight should have me out on the bike tomorrow.     I’ve been for the paper (and milk), visited the harbour (in the car);   now I’m ready for breakfast. 12.30   I didn’t intend to get the bike out today but it was warm and I had a letter to post .... so had a quick birl up to Elie then home by way of the Elie and Ferry Roads.   I’ll go and organise something for lunch then work in the afternoon. 20.00   I had a good ‘work’ session in the early afternoon (Kinneuchar kirk (1818) from the Northeast based on an original sketch by Rev Sime held in HES archive); then watched the World Athletic Championships from Budapest.   I’m feeling tired now, but

20th August 2023 (Sunday)    07.00 ....  We have a beautiful, warm, calm and peaceful ‘August’ morning;  the kind of morning that could have me ‘not working’.    There’s a washing going through the machine, I’m having a cuppa.... and the bike is ready for action.... and so am I.   I’ll go for the  paper after this update... and after another cuppa.  Although it was warm last night I had a reasonable night’s sleep..... and I'm ready to have a play day’. 09.45    It is a cracker o’ a morrrrrrrnin’.... I’ve been for the paper, visited the harbour and had breakfast.    Now I need a cuppa before I go up to Chapel green.    After Chapel Green the ‘plan’ is to do, at least a smidgen o’ work, before a lite bite lunch. 21.00   I didn’t get up to Chapel Green today because I got absorbed with drawing;  and finished ‘Kinneuchar Kirk from the SE’.   The drawing is based on a sketch by Rev Sime (1818) the original of which is held in the Historic Environment Scotland archive.   I even took a p

19th August 2023 (Saturday)     09.30 .... It’s a nice morning; sunny spells Tour group at Chapel Green. with a fresh easterly breeze..... but cool for the middle of August.    I haven’t been for the paper... for some reason Ferry Road was busy at ‘my time’ so I decided to go out later in the afternoon.... after the traffic settles down.    When I first looked out (05.00) it was raining and went bad to bed, eventually getting ‘up’ at 06.30.   Since then I have been busy with.... ‘ousework, breakfast, and multiple cuppas;  now I am ready to go to Methil and annoy Alice. 20.00    Alice made a really tasty chicken salad for lunch;  it was the way she did the bits of chicken that made it so tasty;  (there’s not much you can do with ‘green stuff’ to make it tasty).   I’ll buy the appropriate bits of chicken (not breasts... smaller bits than that) and have a go sometime this week.  I haven’t been the most active person today;   even along at Methil I wanted to catnap.   Last night I was r

18th August 2023 (Friday)    08.30    The sky is heavily overcast and there’s a brisk ESE breeze.... with the chance of light showers;  not ‘iggzactly’ a cheerful looking morning.    The whole of the UK is experiencing inclement weather today;  ‘sunny Sussex’, and much of the south of England, has a weather warning for thunderstorms:  which are forecast to move North and reach us tomorrow.   I’m thinking ‘early hibernation’.   Actually the ‘plan’ is to have morning coffee at Chapel Green.... assuming it isn’t too windy.... and  the showers are somewhere else.    16.00   I enjoyed my nostalgic half hour at Chapel Green with ‘The Boss’ at morrrrning coffee time;  but it was cold in the frisky easterly breeze.   Rabbie’s Tours (Edinburgh) had a group at the Chapel when I was there but I didn’t go to ‘annoy’ them, as I’d usually do; I was feeling shy!  Although the village (Earlsferry) looks much the same as it did 14 years ago many of the houses have changed;  when I think about it, Magg

17th August 2023 (Thursday)    07.30 .... It’s overcast, breezy and warm; but there’s a strange ‘feel’ to the air.   The forecast is ‘sunny intervals with a moderate breeze’.... with the chance of a light shower in the afternoon; this could be a reasonable drying day.   I’ll have another cuppa before going for the paper. 18.00    I never went for the paper as I had to move the car so that a concrete delivery could be made;   the car was pointing North so I went to Methil to visit Alice.    Just before that happened I’d hung out a washing, and I’m happy to say that we had a good drying day.    Alice and I had a cuppa before going to Leven to do some shopping.    At the time we were doing this a helicopter was circling around Levenmouth as if searching for something ....or someone.    It passed low over Leven when we were in the Sainsbury’s car park... and was still ‘searching’ when we got back to the ‘Alice HQ’.    We had a cuppa with a Sainsbury Eccles Cake;   the cuppa was excellent