Alberto's Hutte

30th September 2023 (Saturday)      09.30    There’s nae wind!     It’s misty, but peaceful.... and the sun should break through before midday.   I went for the paper (in the car because I was out of milk) and visited the harbour.... now I am ready to play, watch the golf intermittently.....and work(?).    ‘Work’ will be making a batch of Melting Moments.   That’s the ‘plan for today; now I’ll have another cuppa, then birl round the villages on the bike. 16.00   Although the sun never broke through for any length of time, it has been a pleasant enough day.  I eventually went out on the bike;  up to and through Elie Estate then home by way of Elie and Chapel Green.   With the trees overhanging the road, going through the Estate was like biking through a dark green tunnel;  and a popular one.   As expected, the loch was like a mirror so good for reflections ....but not as good as it would have been had the sun broken through.   It was bonnie in a quiet way.... so I was enjoying myself. 

29th September 2023 (Friday)      08.15 .... I’d hoped to go out on the bike out but there’s a   fresh, gusty wind (F6) so I’ll leave going out till later.... hoping that the wind moderates.   There’s also something in the air that isn’t agreeing with my tubes, so this could be a lie low day.    It’s annoying, because I feel frisky and want to cavort and frolic.... but can’t.   Luckily the Ryder Cup (foursomes) starts today.... ! 11.30    The wind should begin to moderate later in the afternoon.... but too late for me to go out on the bike.   I have been out in the car, to see how Ferry Road is now that it’s done and dusted for another few months;  it's still not ‘fit for purpose’ for bikes but I didn’t expect it to be.   It’s actually lovely morning to be out even if it is breezy;. I stopped to take a few photos sheltered from the wind, but I didn’t stay out for long;  it’s going to a ‘rest’ day for me. 15.15    It has been a bonnie, albeit windy, day but I haven’t gone out to pl

28th September 2023 (Thursday)    09.00.... The wind is moderating after a blustery night (but not as blustery as it was on the West coast) and the sky is starting to break up to give us ‘sunny intervals with fresh wind’ as per forecast.   I’m feeling playful , in fact almost ‘bright eyed and bushy tailed’;  but I won’t go out on the bike until afternoon by which rime the wind should be much quieter.  It’s F6 in the middle of the Firth just now (Well Safe Guardian).   20.30      I had a short trip on the bike later in the afternoon...only as far as the beach then round Chapel green as the bike battery was low.    If the weather is fine tomorrow I might go for a decent run....the battery is ‘on charge’ just now.    I don’t think it’s going to rain tomorrow but it is going to be windy;   a good drying day! Ferry Road is being patched yet again;   somebody went round with a yellow spray can a couple of weeks ago marking the places that need repairing.     What the person with the spray

27th September 2023 (Wednesday)     11.30 .... The paper has been uplifted!.... I’ve been to the harbour, chatted to Iain and Victor (Boullet) and did a quick tour of the villages;  on what is a beautiful, calm, warm morning albeit slightly overcast.   I’m well ready for lunch now!    20.00   The weather has behaved ‘iggzactly’ as was forecast and we now have a windy and sometimes wet, night ahead.  Luckily I went out on the bike when the weather was at its most benign; tomorrow will start wet and windy but should brighten up by mid morning.... and be windy with the chance of heavy showers. I’ve been a busy boy;  after a few stressful days contemplation, I have finally bought a ‘new’ car, from Mercury Motors:  a 2012 Ford Fiesta.   This has been probably the most stressful time I’ve had since Maggie died; why?....because, living on your own you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off: also, living in the Ferry without a car became much harder once the ‘95’ bus service was withdrawn...

26th September 2023 (Tuesday)     09.00....  Just now the sky is overcast and there’s a fresh breeze from the South;  ‘light rain showers with fresh breeze’ is the forecast so we should have sunny spells between the light showers.  I’ll go for the paper after breakfast .... via Elie Estate if the weather is OK. 16.00    It was overcast when I went out this morning and, although I could see showers towards the west of Fife, I decided to go.   I made for the harbour via South Street and the Terrace (forgot the paper).    Ronnie (Sinclair) was making sure his creel boat (‘Scruffy’) was prepared for the windy weather to come.   A participant in a vintage car, doing a ‘Tour of Scotland’ Rally,   came down to the harbour car park, turned took a photo and went off on his merry way.    I’ve seen a lot of ‘Tour of Scotland’ vintage cars over the past couple of days... all with European number plates;   in fact I met the ‘Assistance’ car going up Ferry Road when I was on my way South Entrance t

25th September 2023 (Monday)     08.30....there’s frisky wind with an interesting sky... and it’s mild even though it is windy.  Light rain showers could rattle over in the afternoon.   I might go out on the bike once the sun breaks through but it depends on just how fresh the wind is.   It is the equinoctial gale season so we can expect breezy weather;  in fact most of the UK (including Fife) is covered by a Yellow Warning for wind, from Wednesday through to Thursday.      11.30    When the rain came on I decided to birl along to Leven and do a ‘emergency ration’ shopping;   the weather is supposed to be brighter after lunch... it might even be a good drying afternoon.   At the moment I’m considering having an early lunch so that I can take advantage of the bright and breezy afternoon.   20.30    The afternoon turned out lovely.... and I took advantage of it.   It was breezy (F4) but it wasn’t a cold wind so I did a tour of the villages...flattened the bike battery and charged it up

24th September 2023 (Sunday)      08.00 .... The sky is overcast and it has been raining but its dry just now.... and warmer than yesterday.    I’ll have another cuppa, see how the weather is and maybe even get the bike out.   We should have long sunny spells this morning.... with a ‘high chance of heavy rain’ in the late afternoon.     Yep... another cuppa then get the bike out! 13.00   I had a good morning out on the bike;  I only went as far as the harbour, where I lingered for over an hour.... the sea was balmy the air warm, not quite as warm as Barbados, but much warmer than yesterday!    I saw half a dozen kayaks were being prepared for action so I thought I’d get them going out; but I eventually gave up waiting for that to happen, after an hour, and set off for home; remembering to pick up the paper on the way!   Since then I have downloaded the morning's photos, sorted through some of them.... and had a migraine (weather change). 19.30    I’ve had a quiet afternoon writing

23rd September 2023 (Saturday)     Autumnal Equinox.     08.45   I was expecting a sunnier start to Saturday;   it’s cloudy at the moment and not very Incharvie Equestrian 'troops'. warm....I’ll go out once the sun breaks through and the air warmer.    Sunny intervals and a gentle breeze is the forecast for today but there’s Yellow Warning for heavy rain on Sunday. 15.45   The sun never really made a breakthrough;  in fact the weather has been disappointing.... I was looking for a few ‘sunny spells’ not blinks of sunshine.   I eventually went out on the bike in the afternoon;  only to Chapel Green, Kinneuchar and Incharvie.   It was not warm but I was well wrapped up and enjoyed the exercise.  It started to spit rain on the way home.  Heavy rain is forecast for Sunday afternoon through to midnight the period covered by the Yellow Warning. 18.45     I’ve had reasonable day as far as doing stuff goes: I had hoped to get up to Balcarres on the bike but the weather was not favou

22nd September 2023 (Friday)     07.45.... we have a calm, mostly cloudy start to Friday, but it’s dry so I’ll get the bike out after I’ve given ‘Blob’ his breakfast.  Thundery showers, with sunny spells, are forecast for the afternoon, so there should be some interesting clouds.   I’m vertical and ready to go.... but not very far as the bike battery is ‘low’. 10.00    Although cool, with occasional spots o’ light rain, I enjoyed the ‘paper run’.... and the battery had enough in it to get me to the harbour;   and back.    It (t he battery) is being charged, ready for action in the afternoon... weather permitting. We had a bonnie sunrise sky this morning, but I wasn’t ready for action, so didn’t get a photo.    I’d just had a shower and looked like bedraggled mutt;  if I'd gone to the gate someone might have put a collar and lead on me and taken me for a walk! 16.45   The bike battery is fully charged... and ready for action tomorrow morning.   I didn’t go out this afternoon beca

21st September 2023 (Thursday)    08.45   It’s a lovely, ‘bright and Leven roadworks. breezy’, morning;  a good drying day.... with no mention of precipitation in the weather forecast.  The air is much cooler than it was yesterday but not overly cauld... I’ll leave any biking until afternoon, when the air should feel warmer.   I’ve hung out a washing, fed 'Blob' and well ready for my own breakfast now. 16.30    It has been a breezy but bonnie day... even though cool when exposed to the wind.    I had a restful few hours with Alice;   I had thought about going to the beach but that was not the place to be today, so we had a cuppa and chatted.... even a former Prime Minister came into the conversation at one point.   We had a bowl of soup and hole made Apple Crumble for lunch followed by another cuppa before I bumbled my way home. I thought that temporary traffic lights and the associated roadworks, on Largo Road Leven were things of the past;   but there they were this mornin

20th September 2023 (Wednesday)     08.30.... We have an interesting sky this morning.... “thundery showers and strong winds” is the weather forecast..... so we have bonnie clouds:  that said when the clouds deposit their innards it is wet, therefore maybe not a good bike day.  The wind is to freshen in the afternoon.  11.45    It’s a bonnie morning between the heavy showers.... and it’s surprisingly warm, even in the wind.    I’ve been for the paper and got an appointment to have my haircut... at 13.10.   With time in hand,  I decided to go to ‘The Store’ (Anstruther) to top up the food cupboard.    I met Elizabeth (Meacher) in the shop and she was telling me that she and Graham enjoyed the Vintage Rally at Fyvie Castle (Aberdeenshire).     Roadworks are still ongoing at the Store, with temporary traffic lights in operation;   they change fairly quickly so not that much of a nuisance.    I came home by way of the ‘back road’ for a change of scene.    I’m now thinkin’ that I might tak

19th September 2023 (Tuesday)    08.15 .... it’s wet and windy, not a the kind of morning to do much outside:  I should make good progress with the Kinneuchar Project!   ‘Light rain with a moderate breeze’ the weather forecast for KY 9.... at the moment the rain is heavy, but it should become lighter and move away, to give us light rain showers with sunny spells by evening time:  and....it must be cold because the central heating has come on. 16.45    I took time out from doing research (reading The Annals of Colinsburgh) to go up to Chapel Green   on the bike.    The sky was overcast and there was a brisk NW breeze so it was not warm:   today’s photographs have a ‘cold look’ about them!    All was good up at Chapel Green (apart from the cold wind) but it wasn’t busy;   though I did meet Suzanne, out for a bit of exercise and a breath of fresh air. I took a few photographs then made my way up to the Pony Field... it was really windy up there so I didn’t hang about, but took a few mo

18th September 2023 (Monday)    08.30 .... Er.... we have heavy rain this morning.... and that’s after a night of rain so there’s a lot of water around;  but not much dust.   The rain should move away by lunch time to give us sunny spells, blue sky;  and a  lot of happy people.  I’ll go out to play in the afternoon: actually I feel like I have a cold coming on so I might lie low for a couple of days.  Right now it’s breakfast time. 11.15    Although I think I have a cold coming on, I’m feeling brighter today.... much brighter than the weather is in fact; yesterday I felt under the weather, and couldn’t get going at all.   When the sun does break through I’m going out on the bike, even if it’s only ‘roond the Ferry’.    So far I have done a wee bit ‘ousework, and some drawing;   we have one happy boy in Ivy: the ‘happy boy’ will be an extremely happy boy when he sun breaks through. 19.30   I’ve had a busy and enjoyable day:  the morning was frustrating because of the rain;  however the

17th September 2023 (Sunday)    08.00 ....  the sky is rather cloudy this morning, but, according the  weather forecast, there’s only a ‘low chance of precipitation’, so it could be a nice enough day, albeit overcast.   I’m going to have another cuppa then get the bike out; there’s a big lump o’ really dark cloud .... and it looks like it could rate higher than ‘low chance o’ precipitation’; hence  the other cuppa.   In fact I might have breakfast before I go out.   15.00     I went out... but not on the bike:   it was one those days when I felt that I could go to the beach.... so that is what I did.    There was some light drizzle   at the time (now and again) but not enough to put the camera away.    Since then the sky has remained heavily overcast.... but we haven’t had any rain;   that said, the sky to the West looks like it’s full of rain. I was making a cuppa (a couple of hours ago) when I thought I saw a Traffic Warden passing the window;   if it was, that would be a ‘first’;

16th September 2023 (Saturday)    08.15 ...The Fife Weather cams are all showing grey... but... two or three of them are showing a paler grey.... we could have a brighter afternoon!   At the moment the weather is exactly the same as it was when I went to bed last night.... grey, wet and miserable looking;  in one word ‘dreich’.   Today’s weather for KY9 is ‘light rain and a moderate breeze’;  the moderate breeze is from the East so it’s cool.   It’s a grand morning for hibernating;  then  waking up to sunny spells in the afternoon. 21.00     The weather brightened up, as was forecast, and we enjoyed a bonnie afternoon and evening.    I brightened up the grey morning by visiting Alice, who has near enough recovered from an allergic reaction to ‘something’.   Alan (her son in law) was doing a wee bit of DIY so Alice had a busy morning.    It’s good to have her back in action; Alice has decided to give up doing the ‘twist’.   There seemed to be a lot of ‘strangers’ around Ferry Road th

15th September 2023 (Friday)     07.45.... It’s not a bonnie looking morning ....the sky is heavily overcast and it’s starting to rain;  and the forecast is ‘heavy rain with a light breeze’, with no mention of the sunny spells.   That’s boring.  I’ll go shopping in the morning and hope the sky breaks up in the afternoon.  Right now the kettle is on and I’m ready for breakfast. 10.45     I am back in Ivy (for the rest of the day if the weather forecast is correct) after my shopping trip.    The messages (including a few naughties that louped into the trolley) have been put away and I’m about to have morrrrrrrrning coffee (and an apple turnover) while contemplating my next move.    Actually, I don’t think it’s raining at the moment so I might go for a turn ‘roond the Ferry’;   there’s nae wind so it isn’t cold. 13.30   It was raining when I thought about going out earlier, and it’s still raining:  I wouldn’t call it heavy rain, it’s steady and wet.... but the sky looks like there’s a lo