Alberto's Hutte

31st December 2022 (Saturday)     09.30 .... for the first time in about  four weeks I feel that I could actually go out on the bike, as opposed to wanting to go out on the bike;  and I feel like working on my ongoing projects.   I'm vertical and feeling 'almost bright eyed and bushy tailed'.   The weather is quiet;  the sky is overcast and there’s  a light breeze...but it’s only 1C on the garden thermometer.... so I’m having an early ‘morning coffee’, and contemplating.  “Light rain and a gentle breeze” is the forecast for KY9. 15.45      I enjoyed a bike run ‘roond the villages’ including stopping at the ‘Paper Shop’ to get the paper.    Although I have been on the bike quite a lot since April (when I had COVID) I felt that this turn on the bike, was the first time I felt normal;   i.e. ‘pre COVID ‘me’.    I really am beginning to think that I have shaken off the lingering effect(s) of COVID: however I seem to be mildly susceptible to the ‘winter viruses’ that are doing

30th December 2022 (Friday)     09.45 .... There’s a touch of “dampness  with a bit of a breeze” this morrrrning;  I can do nothing with my hair on damp days so it’s a ‘bad hair day’..... not a morning for going out to play or be seen.    However, the weather is going to brighten up in the afternoon;  so bring on the sunny spells.  Though feeling slightly under the weather I’m vertical, and feeling brighter than I did yesterday; I should get out to play tomorrow. 11.30    Happy me... the Lochgelly Weather cam is signs of the rain cloud layer starting to break up;   that said, the rain is somewhat heavier in ‘The Royal Burgh’ at the moment.... it’s ‘bucketing doon’!    Em and John are off to the shops just now... I had planned to go with them but I’m not at 100%   just yet... though I feel that I am on the mend.     I might lie low for a couple o’ days.       20.30  Emily and John had an adventurous trip to, and back from, the Fisher and Donaldson, Fudge Doughnut Factory in Cupar; 

29th December 2022 (Thursday)    08.00 .... It’s a quiet kind of morning... and warm for this time of year; ‘light rain showers and a fresh breeze’ is the weather forecast so we could have sunny spells!    ‘Willy Weather’ is in agreement.   Tomorrow is going to be wet; if I’m going out on the bike it will be today, when the ‘Troops’ are walking round the villages.   Having dais that I'm feeling slightly under the weather just now. 23.00    ‘The troops’ have been busy;   I have not.    I ended up in bed with a ‘winter virus’ bug so I   have had a rest day.    I’m feeling slightly brighter now but will stay low for a few days.   I’ve had a hot chocolate and a couple of pills and hope to feel brighter tomorrow.

28th December 2022 (Wednesday)    10.00 .... the sky is heavily overcast, the temperature 6C (it feels colder)... and  the forecast is .... 29 second pause .... is ...  “heavy rain and a moderate breeze” moving in by lunch time.   All the ingredients of a grey and damp day really!    I had hoped to go round The Ferry on the bike but that idea is already fading into a memory.   I’ll work in the kitchen .... i.e. I’ll switch the kettle ‘on’. 10.30     I’m having morrrrning coffee before going for a short walk; ‘Willy Weather’ is forecasting ‘light rain’   (as opposed to the ‘heavy rain’ on the BBC forecast) for us;   I don’t know where ‘Willy Weather’ gets his forecast from; could be a fir cone lying on top of   a radiator, but I like the forecast;  hence going for a short walk.    I’m   a happy boy. 14.00    I had a wander to the beach a wee while ago ... and the beach was surprisingly busy considering the greyness of the sky.   At least it was dry then;  we have light rain now.... in

27th December 2022 (Tuesday)     07.30 .... There’s a touch of frost this Taken in August 2002 morning... and the weather forecast is  ‘sleet showers with a fresh breeze’:  A cool start to the day but the sun should get us above freezing when it appears (08.44).    I might go to the beach to catch the sunrise;  it all depends on the sleet showers mentioned in the forecast.   They might  will miss us, but we should see some bonnie clouds over the day. 08.45     The sky has closed in, so it's doubtful if sunrise will be visible;   however I’ll check in a few minutes when I go to put the kettle on:  Having just finished making up the bed in the front room, a celebratory mug of   coffee is well in order. 11.45    Up till now the sun has been ‘noticeable’ because it’s no’ there;  and ....clouds?.... we have one big cloud  and we’re in the middle o’ it most of the time with regular spells of sleet/rain.   It is not bonnie out; we want sunny spells.   With the weather being dreich, I

26th December 2022 (Monday)     09.45 ....it’s windy so we have  wind chill to cope with and it isn’t warm.    I think this is a day of rest for me;  I’m going to browse the TV paper to find a decent film to watch;  it won’t be an American film where the hero has a plateful of bullets for breakfast, and carries a machine gun with an never ending supply of said bullets;  I want something peaceful.... and realistic.   Must ‘go’;  got to have breakfast . 19.45    As is usual for me every year, Boxing Day has been a ‘lazy’ day;  and with this one being a cold one, I only went out for a short run in the car after morning coffee.    I had looked for something to watch on the tele but nothing ‘jumped out’ at me, so I ended up sorting out a load of papers.... and resting.  My run in the car was only up to Kinneuchar then home by way of Balbuthie and the harbour;   stopping a a couple of places to get a few photos to ‘play with.   That’s when I noticed now cold it was.... and I was wrapped u

25th December 2022 (Sunday)     07.30 .... I’ll begin by wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas” on what is a warm, with a fresh breeze, Christmas morning in Elie and Earlsferry.    Sunrise is at 08.44 when I plan to go to the beach; but that depends on how ‘fresh’ the wind is.   Emily has organised a Skype call for 11.00.... which fits it nicely with morning coffee ... and maybe even a  Christmas ‘goodie’.  08.00     Oops!.... It was ‘warm and dry’ earlier;   now it’s wet and not very   warm.    It’s raining so I won’t be going to the beach at sunrise time.   The kettle needs to be switched ‘on’. 09.15     The rain has moved away and sky is starting to break up so we will have my favourite kind of weather soon.... ‘sunny spells’.    Strange ...t here must be something in the air because my breathing is bad this morning;   it was fine earlier.   It will pass and I’ll go to the beach later. 21.00    Ye Gods;   I went out to shut the gate and discovered that it was raining ... and then s

24th December 2022 (Saturday)     09.30 .... it’s a bonnie mornin’.... a fair bit o’ cloud around but there’s only a breath o’ a breeze so nae wind chill.   I’ve been for the paper and down to the harbour;  and everything is be where it should be.  For a few weeks around the winter Solstice ,I don’t need to go to the beach to catch the sunrise if I forget the time;  this morning’s sunrise was taken from the front gate.    Not as bonnie as it would have been down on the beach.... but I was having my breakfast when I remembered the time!   I must have ‘overworked’ yesterday ... I slept for seven and a half hours last night. 19.30    Well.... I think it has been a bonnie day though, like yesterday, it has ended wet.... it’s raining now.  I’ve been busy(ish) doing ‘ousework;  it takes a lot longer to do things now but I get there in the end.   There’s no doubt the COVID floored me at the end of March....and I lost a whole summer to long COVID, but that is all in the past now and I feel t

23rd December 2022 (Friday)    07.30 ....‘A chance of precipitation’ mentioned in our forecast for today and we had a shower a wee while ago;  hopefully the threat of showers will peter out when the sun gets going.   I’m going to Leven early, to catch the shops before they get too busy with Christmas shoppers.   11.30    The Leven mission was accomplished successfully;  I found individual size Foil Containers (with lids).... in the second shop I visited.   Tomorrow will be a ....‘stay in and work in the kitchen day’.  After shopping I went up to have a cuppa with Alice, before giving her a lift to Leven to meet her daughter, for a mini shopping session.   That reminds me:  I set off early to be in the shops before they got busy.... but both shops had  customers at the checkout before I got there at 08.20. (opening time was 08.00).    I didn’t send much time in the ‘Cheap Shop’ because they didn’t have what I was looking for, but had a good browse round the second shop (B &M), whe

22nd December 2022 (Thursday)     10.30 .... we have a ‘bright and sunny’ start to the day... with only a light breeze so, although there’s a seasonal coolness in the air it isn’t cold, because there’s hardly any wind chill.   I managed to the beach for sunrise;  it was bonnie and very peaceful on the beach.... with a few dogs taking their ‘humans’ for an early morning walk.   I’m feeling almost ‘bright eyed and bushy tailed’ this morning, though still full of the cold.   I suppose another ‘stay in and stay warm’ day would be a good idea;   I’m not very good at actually acting on my ‘good ideas’. 21.30     This has been one of those calm, kind of magical Elie and Earlsferry days, when dreaming is easy;   so I enjoyed it.    Actually I’ve had a rest day though I went to ‘the Store’ for a run in the car and to see if they sold individual   sized containers for the freezer.    They don’t.     I did remember to get the chocolate.   On the way past St Monans I did see a couple of workmen,

21st December 2022 (Wednesday )    The winter solstice   (shortest day). 07.30 .... there’s a brisk wind just now which is forecast to freshen (to F6 – 7) over the morning, then moderate after lunch;  it could be a good drying day so I have sheets going through the machine.   If it’s too windy today I’ll hang them out tomorrow:  tomorrow could be a better ‘drying day’.   Funnily enough the air isn’t that cold though there is wind chill to cope with. 10.30   Welll... I’m vertical... and I’ve been to the harbour (in the car) to catch the sunrise, but I’m feeling sluggish: Probably ‘cos I was ‘up’ early to put a washing ‘on’.   The wind is at F5 or so just now so it is cold when exposed to the wind.   I have much to do today and I’m not in the mood for ‘working’..... so I’ll start by putting the kettle ‘on’ for morrrrrrrrrrrning coffee.  That might get me into gear. 18.30    I eventually got going, though never very fast.... I haven’t been firing on all cylinders.    The sheets I hung

20th December 2022 (Tuesday)    08.30 ....I have a washing going through the machine .... so I need a good  ‘drying day’.   At the moment the sky 80% cloud but I have hopes of a bonnie day once the sun gets going and burns the cloud off.   I don’t think the air is as warm as it was yesterday, and the wind is forecast to reach ‘frisky’ strength;  a good drying wind.     16.00     I’m a ‘happy bunny’;     the washing is dry and might even be ironed while I’m watching something on the tele this evening.    It’s been a bonnie day but definitely cooler than yesterday.       I ain’t complainin’..... the washing is dry! We had a lovely lunch at Myra’s;   Geoff was ‘under the weather’ so couldn’t come;   but the three of us did the meal justice.... and Myra took a ‘doggie bag’ along to Geoff.   Our lunch ended with a cuppa and a good old fashioned blether.    When I got back to Ivy the parcel that   I’d been waiting for had been delivered. 21.15    I had an enjoyable ‘shopping session’ this

19th December2020 (Monday)    08.15 .... It’s a pity that it’s windy and wet.... because it is warm;  much warmer that it’s been latterly.   Setting up the slow cooker (crock pot) to make batch o’ Scotch Broth is my first mission for today;  then I’ll go to Elie to hand in my prescription and deliver the Christmas cards.   I’d go out on the bike if it wasn’t raining.... that’s how warm it is.... but it is raining so it will ‘ave to be the car.  Right now I’m going to do the crock pot.... then have breakfast. 09.30     The crock pot is ‘on’ so I will have batch of soup for the freezer tonight:   I’ve had breakfast and will now have an early morrrrrning coffee before   venturing out.    The sky is threatening to brighten up and the rain has stopped for the time being..... and... I am thinking 'bike'.    I’ll see what the sky looks like after coffee. 19.00    Though it’s raining heavily now, we’ve had a reasonable day for doing things.   I delivered the Christmas cards and handed

18th December 2022 (Sunday)     09.45 .... ‘Strong winds and rain’ is the Grey Seal (juvenile). weather forecast for us this afternoon;  at the moment it’s overcast  with frisky breeze....a dull start to the day.   I’ve been for the paper and down to the harbour;  all is good and quiet all over the place this morrrrning.   There is/was a grey seal pup on the rocks at the harbour.... not a new born pup;  this one has been abandoned by ‘Maw’, and is about to start (unknown to it so far)  fending for itself.    Hunger will be the motivator.   I’ll loup intae the car and deliver the remainder o’ the Christmas cards before the rain comes;  after morrrrrrrrrrrning coffee. 22.30      I louped intae the car to deliver the cards.... got to Elie and discovered I’d left the cards at home.     However I did a wee shopping in the ‘Deli’;    I got parked outside nae bother.... usually I can’t get near it.     Anyway I did the shopping and have yet to deliver the last of the cards.    There’s a pa

17th December 2022 (Saturday)      09.15 ....It’s cold but not frosty and there’s a lot of cloud about.      The sun is ‘up’ and we’ve had an early sunny spell;   ‘light cloud and a fresh breeze’ is the weather forecast ... with sunny spells and a low chance of precipitation (showers).   The wind is frisky so there will be a bit o’ wind chill.   There should be interesting clouds. 20.45    I photographed my way round The Ferry when delivering  the Christmas Cards this morning , and ended up resting my weary legs and  having coffee with Irene and Ken.   It has been a good day for being out, though I was warmly wrapped up against the frisky wind.   Having done The Ferry’ I had a light lunch and a short catnap before taking the car up to Elie at sunset time and delivering a few of the Elie cards.    I’ll finish the cards off tomorrow. The new 'Four Winds'. I met Chris (Mennie) coming out of his Mum’s when delivering Dorothy’s card so I   went in and had a chat with Dorothy.   

16th December 2022 (Friday)     07.30 .... Ye Gods .... I must have been Ferry Road at 06.45. tired last night:   I went to bed about 21.40, read my book until 22.00,... fell asleep and woke up at 04.45.   Writing Christmas cards must be hard work!    When I looked out at 04.45 there was no snow;  I switched the heating ‘on’ and went back to bed.   When I got ‘up’ at 06.15 there was snow.    Now it feels like it’s light rain that’s falling;  if it is rain that means we’ll have a right old mess in a wee while;  let's hope it doesn't freeze.  I’m thinkin’ that the kettle needs to be fired up again. There’s an Amber warning, (active until midday today) for heavy snow showers along the Central Belt... applicable mostly to the   Glasgow and Stirling area. 09.30   It’s rainin’, the snow is melting... and we have a mess.   With a bit of luck the snow will have, more or less, gone by the time the sun breaks through;  I’m ready for sunny spells.   I’ve been for the paper and had a run