Alberto's Hutte

31st December 2016 (Saturday) ..... 09.30      We have another foggy morning,.... and it, the fog, looks denser than yesterdays was;   not a morning for going out for a daunder.    The weather forecast is ‘encouraging’;    the fog should gradually lift, leaving us with clouds and occasional drizzle/rain.    That isnae “iggzactly” much of an improvement, but, at least we’ll have better visibility. 010117 ...04.00    year 2017 has started as i mean it to continue.... loaded with happiness!    Owing to the fact it is sort of late/actually early I shall finish this update by well .... gibber gibber gibber ... yes I’m gibbering.    I’ve had the most enjoyable ‘Hogmanay’ that I’ve had in a long time.    Thankfully Derek is happy to allow Ann to be my “Sussex Girlfriend” .. Ann is a bundle of fun.;   and we all need a ‘bundle of fun’ in our lives!    Derek and Ann are a lovely couple, and lucky in having each other in their lives! A few more gibber gibber gibbers and we shall call “New

30th December 2016 (Friday) ....10.00    Oh dear.... we have frost, and thick fog this morning, definitely not a morning for poodling about outside:   the Morris car in Five Ash Down. pavements will be slippery.     The fog  should disappear by midday, but it is thick, and there’s nae wind so it might linger in the valleys and low bits all day.    “JB” is coming over sometime in the afternoon ... we’ll make a ‘plan’ then. 22.30     The fog persisted all day;   in fact it had turned into ‘Scotch Mist’ ... oops ‘Sussex Mist’ by 14.00. and has been so ever since.    “JB” wasn’t able to come over, so we walked to the “Pig and Butcher, the ‘pub in the nearby village of in Five Ash Down... a distance of 2.46 kilometres (1.528 miles)to have lunch.      The original intention was to walk back home, but, while we were in the ‘pub having our lunch, the ‘Sussex Mist’ drifted in.    When we left the ‘pub’ we were  lucky to find that Pub sign there was a Bus Stop outside the ‘pub’ an

29th December 2016 (Thursday) 09.30    ....and, after a frosty start, we have another “Sunny Sussex” morning;  it really is gorgeous.    The only thing missing The tablet jar being 'raided'. is a beach:   back home it would be a perfect day for ‘reflection’ photographs;   there’s nae wind.    I’ll go for a walk sometime today.... once the temperature gets up a bit .... right now it’s cuppa time. 22.30    It has been a bonnie day, though it was cold in the shade.    I walked over to Leeann’s, where Michael and Janice were babysitting, so I did manage a short walk.  At Leeann’s I had a cuppa, ate some chips, and had “Darcie” saying “it disnae mak’ sense”;  with a ‘Scottish’ accent!     Back at “No.  1” I decided  to tidy up the laptop “Pictures” folder;   I ‘Moved’ 28,348 photos into a ‘Travel Stick.    This took five hours, during which time I read a book about Sussex,.... a very interesting book about Sussex;   and brought in a washing.    Eastbourne All this ‘do

29th er 28th December 2016 (Wednesday) .....   We have another “Sunny Sussex” morning.... another nice day for ‘walking’.    That said, I’m ‘resting’ Sunrise at Uckfield today;  my knees are stiff after slipping and slithering down to Buxted yesterday!     I will probably go ‘out’ in the afternoon.    Janice, Emily and Michael are orf to Hailsham, leaving the ‘Bonnie’ in charge of John and I.   This is a stressful situation for one ‘dawg’. 22.30    Em and John are up visiting John’s parents in Cumbria for the second half of their ‘Festive Season’ holiday;   the weather was good for travelling, the only problem might have been congestion on the motorways. I have had a ‘restful’ day.... which “Puku”, (Bless his lack o’ wrinkles) has enjoyed!     Tomorrow I intend being active again;   the weather forecast is for it to be frosty early, then bright, sunny and cool.    I don’t intend going into any of the Nature Reserves because of the mud;   I might do a wee circumnavigation of

27th December 2016 (Tuesday) .... 10.00     “Happy Birthday   Emily” who will be ... er a year older today!    Somewhere between 27 and 29! We have an absolutely stunning morning in “Sunny Sussex”, ..... brilliant sunshine, nae Emily with birthday presents. wind, but it is frosty;   one of those perfect days for walking.    I may go over to Buxted Park to see the Hungarian Oak.... I haven’t seen it  without it’s leaves.    It, the Hungarian Oak, is one of the bonniest shaped trees in the whole of England.     The weather forecast is excellent for the remainder of ‘today’, but fog could develop tonight, leading to travel problems tomorrow.     Right now it’s the kind of weather that will have a lot of people out walking, taking in some much needed ‘fresh air’ after the Christmas Festivities. 23.30    We’ve had a real “Sunny Sussex” day;   the perfect day for a walk;   which is what I did.... walked over to Buxted Park to ‘visit’ the Hungarian Oak, and St Margaret’s kirk....

26th December 2016 (Monday ) ..... 08.00     We have a beautiful morning sky, at the moment the clouds, and jet trails, are a bonnie ‘oyster pink’ colour;  it looks like being a braw day .    I’m going down to Eastbourne with Emily "JB". and John, where we’re going to meet Jenny and “JB”.... actually I’d better get a move on... we’re leaving in an hour.    Have a lovely ‘Boxing Day’. 22.30    This has been a really pleasurable, “Full English” Boxing Day.     We went down to Eastbourne as ‘planned’.... “JB” even got the car ‘moored up’ not far from the “Eastbourne Bandstand”, which has ‘put on’ traditional English entertainment on Boxing Day for many years;  this our reason for being in Eastbourne .... not quite our only reason, but near enough.   This was England at its happiest.... I loved it.   There was a ‘refreshments’ bar nearby selling ... you know... teas/ coffees/ mulled wine and cider!    Mulled wine? .... I’d have to try that.   John had mulled cider, with “

25th December 2016 (Christmas Day) .... 09.30 “Merry Christmas Everyone” We have an overcast, and quiet start to Christmas Day.... and mild, but there is fog around.     We are going to go visiting in a few minutes so I’d best ‘get a move on’;   have a very Merry Christmas where ever you are... or, if you are in the Southern Hemisphere... I hope you ‘had’ a very Merry Christmas.   Love you all. 22.30    I don’t think I have ever know Uckfield be so ‘quiet’.... even London Road (Uckfield High Street morphs into London Road at the top of the hill) had very few cars on it.... and folk like their cars doon here.    Everyone must have been inside enjoying Christmas with their families which, after all, is what we had been doing until Janice taking a wee bit of 'time out'from the kitchen. we walked over to see Leeann and Martyn, Janice’s daughter and son in law, with their two ‘troops’, “Darcie” and “Sullivan”.   Sullivan was having his afternoon nap, but “Darcie

24th December 2016 (Saturday)..... 10.30      WE have a nice calm day after yesterday’s ‘hoolie’;  it is overcast at present but the sun is trying to break through.   I’m going ‘down town’ for some exercise and to get a ‘pinnie’ for Janice.   Must go ‘slight flap on’ mode has kicked in.     23.00    It has been slightly colder today, though not cold for the time of year.    I enjoyed my walk ‘down town’ this morning;  it’s getting back ‘up town’ that’s the hard bit.     On the way home I fancied a rest so went into “Ray’s The Barber’s” and had a badly needed hair cut;  the barber asked me if I had a hat with me because he reckoned I’d need it when I went out.    I did!    Have a hat i.e.... and needed it when I left the shop!   Oh .... and, I remembered to get Janice a ‘pinnie’.    His name, the Barber’s name i.e. wasn’t ‘Ray’, .... (as far as I can understand, ‘Ray’ is the name of the bloke who originally had the ‘shop’, yonks ago) .... anyway, the bloke who cut my Sunset over Uc

23rd December 2016 (Friday) .... 10.00     We have a ‘bright, breezy, and colder morning, with no sign of fog but it looks like there might be showers on the Nice sky over Earlsferry South Downs;  a nice, brisk kind of morning.    I’ll take a wander ‘down town’ later.         When I went down for breakfast, at 08.15, I noticed that Bonnie was i/c, .... and  I assumed that I was first down.    It turned out that the ‘troops’ had been in Eastbourne by 06.45 doing a ‘shopping’!      They arrived back about  09.30.     23.30     We ended up with a wild day not so sunny Sussex... and with heavy showers later in the evening.    However the rain is forecast to clear away overnight, the sky should clear, and, if it does there might even be a touch of frost in places by morning. We had a visit from Joe and Sue, friends of Janice, and Michael this afternoon;  Joe is the only person I’ve met with the same birthday, 23rd March 19 83 er 38.    Both Sue Janice and Michael with Bonni

22nd December 2016 (Thursday) ....    The early morning fog, that has disrupted flights into the London Airports, is beginning to clear away, Fog shrouded Uckfield. and it looks like we are going to have some of the “Sunny Sussex” after all.   Michael and Janice are away to Eastbourne, leaving “Bonnie” (Westie), ‘in charge.    She is not taking her responsibilities to seriously as she is sound asleep, leaving me with all the ‘pressure’.     I’ll have a cuppa and a mince pie!       21.30      “Sunny Sussex”  appeared out of the fog about 10.00.... and  “Bonnie” and I had a cuppa sitting out in the garden, before I set out to bake some ‘Melting Moments’.    The mix went into the oven as Melting Moments’ and came out as ‘Paris Buns’.    I have yet to actually make ‘Melting Moments’ down here;   I’ve tried often enough, and turned out various highly edible Guard dog on patrol. ‘biscuits’ but never Bero Melting Moments.    I’ll have another ‘go’ after Christmas. Leaving the ‘

21st December 2016 (Wednesday) ..... 10.30     It’s not cold in Sunny Sussex’ but it ain’t sunny either;    it’s dreich, with heavy ‘Scotch Mist’ but it may New Coffee Shop brighten up later.      We had a surprise visit from ‘JB’   who dropped in on his way home from work;    this means I have caught up withal the Pevensey news.   He was asking about our ‘villages’ and I told him that I’d left Jim and Jimmy in charge   of them, (the ‘villages’ i.e.,   not themselves), over the Festive Season.      He reckons that should liven the ‘auld place’ up a bit.   My ‘plan’ was to go ‘down town’ but I’m not going to do that until the rain/drizzle clears up.    I think a cuppa could be required. 22.30      The  ‘Scotch Mist’ weather persisted on and orf all day.... a rather  miserable kind of day really.    I managed to take a walk ‘down town’ in the early afternoon... which was  good exercise, especially the walk back up the hill.    We don’t have much of the way of hills in Elie and

20th December 2016 (Tuesday) .... 07.30     It looks like being a nice enough day;   the Eastern sky is starting to ‘light up’ and there are breaks in the clouds.    The weather forecast is for rain to come later in the afternoon.   There’s not Kirkcaldy station much wind but it is cool ... 3c. I’m organised for my trip south... the taxi is coming at 08.45..... I’ll manage a quick trip to the beach before then!    The next ‘update from Uckfield.... have a great day doing ‘happy things’. 21.00      Arrived in Uckfield at 17.00 after a pleasant journey;   all the way from Inverkeithing .... oops I meant Kirkcaldy.      Inverkeithing was the station that the person who was going to be sitting next to me boarded the train;    a lovely lady, who will be ‘80’next year.     Once we settled down, and began to chat, we chattered, intermittently, all the way to London.     Unusual for me I didn’t ask her name, but no one could have had a better travelling companion than I did.     Sh

19th December 2016 (Monday) .....  13.00    Welll ... we haven’t been swamped by ‘sunny spells’ so far today;  it has been mostly overcast, with a cool Westerly wind.    It looks like the best part of ‘today’ was at sunrise time.    I was down Sunrise with Pat and Dora. there early because, three quarters of an hour before sunrise, the horizon was a bright orange/ red colour.    The first thing I check, after my e-mails, is the Anstruther web cam on “Fife Weather” ... this gives me an idea as to what is happening in the South Eastern sky.   The sunrise was bonnie, but not of the spectacular kind. Most of my time has been spent getting organised for tomorrow.... finishing packing the case etc;  and making sure that I have ‘posted’ all the Christmas cards.   I think I have managed to do everyone on the list! Jimmy has been in for his cuppa;   which was a very welcome break, after a non-stop morning.     I’ll take ‘Sooper Buggy’ along to Jimmy’s in the afternoon, then spend

18th December 2016 (Sunday) .... 12.00     It’s a grey morning, hardly surprising after the rain we had overnight ...., and, it’s mild (for the time of This morning.    There was a lot of blue about. year);  with a ‘nae bad’ drying breeze so I have a washing on the line.    It was quiet down on the beach first thing....    nice, in a ‘grey’ sort of way....  and very peaceful.  I baked a batch of  ‘Melting Moments’;  baking helps me to relax.    I always get ‘uptight’ before going on holiday.      When I get on to the train I settle down, get a camera out,  and look forward to a coffee break ... the coffee break  ‘comes to pass’ after we leave Edinburgh. 21.30   The grey overcast weather was with us all day, but it did end with a red sky at sunset.  I did all the missions I set out to do today, even managed to take time out to go up to Kinneuchar for another practice session at photographing the floodlit KIlconquhar Church. Kinneuchar Kirk. It was really too windy to ‘fre

17th December 2016 (Saturday) .... 10.00    Mmmmm.... there’s a brisk Northwest breeze this morning so it’s colder ‘out’, but it’s a bonnie morning for getting The sun rising, over the Lammermuirs, and behind the Bass Rock. things done.    I have an Aran jersey out on the line, which should dry a bit over the day:   I’ll keep have to keep a ‘weather eye’ on the clouds that have suddenly appeared from ‘nowhere’.     The ‘plan’, for this morning, is to distribute the last of the Christmas cards;  I’ll begin by having a cuppa.  21.30     All the Christmas cards, apart from the Kinneuchar ones, have been ‘posted’:   it was my intention to do the Kinneuchar ones when I was up there tonight taking photos, but it’s too windy and cold to do that, so that photo mission has been postponed until tomorrow night.    The cold isn’t too much of a problem, but the ‘decorations’ would be moving around in the wind;   not good when you are working the camera at slow speeds. There has been a