Alberto's Hutte

31st July 2017 (Monday) ....  (Centenary of the start of.... the battle of Passchendaele).     In memory of those, on both sides, who fell in that atrocious battle, ... and, in  all wars since .... “Floo’ers o’ the Forest” by the Scots Guards. 09.00    A hundred years ago, by this time at Passchendaele, the battle field would be littered with dead and dying and wounded.... in what was to become one of the bloodiest, muddiest, and most futile battles, of all time.   Yes .... we will, and should, remember them. Everything is wet this morning so we must have had a lot of rain overnight;   the sun This morning on the Ferry beach. has broken through and it looks like we could have a nice day ahead... albeit with showers.    I have been up to Chapel Green on my bike, and I have the urge to go a bit further after breakfast. 20.30     I didn’t get out on the bike again;  there...

30th July 2017 (Sunday) .... 11.00     Wellll ... what an absolute cracker of a morning we’ve had:   I went out on the bike at 07.10, and arrived back in Ivy, at 09.15 Early morning boat trip. .... hungry, but  contented.    All I did when I was out is ‘do’ the villages, from Chapel Green to Elie Harbour, taking photos from most of my favourite ‘spots’ on the way.   I’ve had my breakfast, and had a quick look at the photographs I  did take:   I’m happy.    Right now, I am going to make another cuppa, then sort out some photos for the ‘Hutte’ and FB.     Enjoy ‘your’ day .... I’m hoping to get out on the bike in the afternoon again .... it looks like there could be some interesting clouds. "It's the staunin' aroond gettin' yer feet wet that I don't like! 20.30    The ‘interesting clouds’ turned into rain showers, and they s were wetting enough to stop m...

29th July 2017 (Saturday)  09.30   .....  I’ve been down on the beach, and done a washing ... now I feel like going out to play.    There’s a braw, slightly autumnal Earlsferry beach at 07.30 this morning. feel to the air this morning;   and a flock of 50 or so Merganser has moved into the bay,  a sure sign of Autumn just round the corner.    The ‘gorgeousness’ of the morning has me feeling a tad ‘skittish’.... I must go ‘out to play’. 20.30     Welllll ....  that was exhilarating.     I went out to photograph a dark, and huge, shower cloud that was coming over....but I underestimated the speed at which it was ‘coming over’.    By the time I got to the top of the Quarry it has started to rain and I was only able to ‘grab’ two quick photographs before the rain became heavy.    I got the camera into its bag, then put my Chapel Green from...

28th July 2017 (Friday) ... 08.30    “Albatross”, (with oil rig), has arrived at her destination, Corpus Christi (USA) ....having left the Firth of Forth twenty days The Bouncy Castle. ago.    The ‘cargo vessel’ that I had ‘followed’ across the Gulf of Mexico, did turn out to be her,....  once she got in range of land based transmitters, 'cargo vessel' turned into 'Albatross'.    I‘m wondering where  Albatross’s next ‘job’ will take her.    Meanwhile, HMS Queen Elizabeth continues to test her ‘bits and pieces’ in the Cromarty Firth. We have a nice enough start to the morning, .... ‘bright and breezy’ with sunny spells.... and the chance of showers.    I’m going to make myself a flask of coffee and wander up to Chapel Green... and have morning coffee on The Boss’ s seat. Haig's ponies in the quarry. 20.30     Oh my word .... I don’t know where all the cars were going, b...

27th July 2017 (Thursday) .... 08.00     The first thing I noticed when I went out was how ‘brisk’, autumnal the West wind was;   a really nice ‘get up and go’ morning.    I went up to the Pony Field for my morning walk for a change, which, Earlsferry from the quarry. being exposed is why I noticed the wind,.... especially when the sun was obscured by the clouds.   Of which there are many:   and, I could see showers over towards Dunfermline way so we might get a few coming our way later in the day.    20.30    I enjoyed my trip to Leven;  but I didn’t get a haircut because the Hairdresser was booked up with appointments.    I’ll get a haircut next week.   After doing some shopping in Leven High Street, I went round to Sainsbury’s, where I got everything on the short list I’d made .... and a lot of stuff that wasn’t.   On the short list i.e..... actu...

26th July 2017 (Wednesday) ....A few minutes ago I was ‘stood staunin’ in the kitchen, waiting on the kettle boiling, thinking to myself .... “I’m glad that I went Twenty minutes before it started to rain. out early to pick up the papers, otherwise I’d have got wet” .... when two boys, about eight of nine years old I’d guess, wrapped up against the rain, golf bags on their backs, unwillingly made their way, up Ferry Road.   Yes it’s a morning for not being two places ... the beach being the other one.     The weather should clear up in the afternoon. 20.30    The rain did clear away by mid afternoon, and we had had a bonnie, if windy, afternoon and evening.    I went down just as the rain was clearing.... you always get an interesting sky and light at that time.... and got some bonnie photos on the beach.   The beach became busy very quickly;  with folk enjoying a walk after a morning stuck inside:  ...

25th July 2017 (Tuesday)    08.30 .... The villages were quiet when I went out this morning.... at 05.45 on the bike.   I’ve done the whole length from Chapel Elie Harbour. Green to the end of Elie Pier and all my usual stopping places in between.    Primrose was down at the harbour walking the dog, and a couple of blokes taking their speedboat out to deep water moorings;   and seven Eider duck paddling their way from the harbour over to the Cockstail Rocks. .  It’s overcast and there’s a cool easterly breeze, but the ‘auld place’ looks bonnie just the same. 21.30    It has been ‘drab’ weather today;   until late in the afternoon, when it  brightened up.    I drove Jimmy up to St Andrews in the morning, and drove through heavy ‘Scotch Mist’ at Largoward.   Jimmy needed food from the ‘Bargain Store’ in Leven so we went straight to Leven after the Hospital. ...

24th July 2017 (Monday) .... 12.00     It’s a gorgeous day for being out;   ‘bright sunny and warm’..... I’ve even had to wear my ‘sun hat’.    The villages are The 'Ferry Beach' at 07.30. busy with folk enjoying the balmy morning.     When I was along in ‘Elie I’d ‘planned’ to go to Harbour House for a coffee, but it wasn’t ‘open’, so I wandered down to the beach and poodled my way home that way. HMS Queen Elizabeth is ‘messing about’ in the Cromarty Firth, after having had some problems fixed when she was in Invergordon.    “Albatross” (with oil rig) must be somewhere near the Bahamas by now but she isn’t coming up on AIS yet so must be too far from land. With this being a good ‘drying day’ I have a washing on the line, and another ready to go out.    Must go ... mini ‘flap on’ this morning;   I’m beginning to feel ‘peckish’. 20.00    I am having a cup...

23rd July 2017 (Sunday)  08.30 ....Oh my word .... we have mist, with heavy downpours at times.... not my favourite driving weather.    However the forecast is for Crathes School play area. the rain to clear away by mid morning... which is when I intend setting orf.     Right now I would get soaked taking my holdall etc. out to the car;   the rain gives me loads of time for another cuppa. 19.30   I arrived back in “The Royal Burrow” at 14.45 after a pleasant journey down.    The weather was dry all the way down, in fact the sun was shining when I passed through in Inverurie;  but it was overcast again (but dry) by the time I got to Dunecht.  The top of the Cairn o’ Mount, was thick with cloud;   but, after travelling quarter of a mile down the south side of the ‘Cairn o’ Mount’ the sun could be seen lighting up the Howe o’ the Mearns.    Although we had torrential rain i...

22nd July 2017 (Saturday) ..... 09.00    We have a  ‘bright and very breezy’ morning.... a bonnie morning for doing things;   a visit to Cruden Bay seems a good Cruden Bay pond. ‘plan’.    I’ll pack my holdall tonight, and travel down tomorrow morning;   I was thinking of going down the ‘Slug Road’ but the Stonehaven end is in the middle of major roadworks ..... so, the ‘Cairn o’ Mount’ road it is.       20.00    Iain and I had a very enjoyable mission to the former brickwork's  site at Cruden Bay..... it is the perfect place for insects, and is not far from the road.    There are two ponds where insects abound;  Butterflies, Damselflies, Moths, Clegs (horse flies), and multifarious others.    I assume the ponds are the holes  left after clay was dug out.   The site is on the market with planning consent for 261 houses:  apparently ...

21st July 2017 (Friday).... 08.30    The rain has moved orf, leaving us with a ‘bright, breezy and cool’ morning.... a perfect morning for  touching up to the car !890's  cell ....  with Bible.  paintwork.   That, I’m assuming, will take a couple of hours,.....  after which we’ll make a ‘plan’.       21.00    The two hours turned into four, but at least the job is done;   the MOT is due on 26th September..... which is what this ‘cosmetic’ exercise was all about.    It has been a good day for working, and there has been a cool wind... but nae rain.   I suppose it could be called an ‘autumnal’ day.   Tomorrow we’re going to Cruden Bay for a daunder through the sand dunes looking for insects.... butterflies and damselflies mostly.    The weather forecast is ‘bright, sunny and windy’.... which is not perfect for insects, but good for exer...

20th July 2017 (Thursday) ....  08.30  as forecast, we have rain .... but only ‘light rain’.     It’s forecast to be with us ‘on and orf’ most of the day;   tomorrow is to Peterhead prison museum. be ‘bright and sunny’.   Today’s weather is ideal for visiting Peterhead Prison Museum!    Must ‘go’ .... ‘ever so slight flap on’;  got to get the camera organised. 09.45    After a number of distant rumbles of thunder, the aforementioned ‘light rain’ has turned into a heavy thundery downpour.   The sky is beginning to ‘lighten’ in the Southwest, but the ‘intensity’ of the rain has increased. 20.00   Iain and I had oor day out to Peterhead Prison Museum;   and it was absolutely fascinating.    It felt like being in a film set.... as in, ‘Slade Prison’ in the TV series “Porridge”.   My own ‘feeling’ was that the buildings I browsed through were...

19th July 2017 (Wednesday) .... 09.00    Oh dear ... bring back the warm days:   we have a brisk East wind.... and there are loads of clouds scuttling over, The 'Troops' on Collieston rocks. obscuring the sun with monotonous regularity;  so it’s cool.    We haven’t got a ‘plan’ for today yet;  the Troops are still resting after their efforts yesterday.... but I think we might go ‘inland’, where it should be warmer.       21.00   Iain and I are going to Peterhead Prison Museum tomorrow.... so we worked on the car today.   I’m looking forward to this outing;   having never been to a ‘prison’ museum.    The ’Troops’ were at this museum a couple of weeks ago so it’s only Iain and me tomorrow.  Rain has been mentioned in our weather forecast for tomorrow .... a perfect day for this mission.    Most of the rain is due to happen overnight, and we should ...

18th July 2017 (Tuesday) ..... 08.30    We have a lovely morning;  bright, sunny and warm .... summer!    There’s very little wind, so I imagine the sea will be flat Backhill of Inkhorn. calm;   I  see on the weather cams that the Firth (of Forth) is like a looking glass.    I don’t know what our ‘plan’ is for today but I need to go to JRD’s for some ‘bits and bobs’ .... and.. they have a coffee shop.    20.00    Hey ... I could get to like summer again!    Today was like one of those days we had when I was a bairn;  of course  summer was longer than ‘a few sunny days’ way back then;   at least that’s how I remember them.   Our ‘modern’ summers are tantalizing... a few brilliant sunny days... then rain.   Bring back the ‘good old days’. It has a braw day;  and we went down to Collieston beach/harbour (near Peterhead) to enjoy th...