Alberto's Hutte

31st March 2023 (Friday)    08.00.... ‘Light rain with a moderate breeze’ is our forecast for today... and that is what we had when I was in Elie for the paper this morning.  It wasn’t exactly ‘light’... being heavy enough to stop me from going to the harbour.   That said... it was only a passing shower and we do have blue bits in the sky so it looks like the morning could be showery, with longer spells of light rain moving across in the afternoon.   The light wind (F3) is off the North Sea.... and it feels cool.   19.00     Welll.... the weather has been rather dreich today;   not a day for going out to play.     However it want all dull and dreich;   I went to Methil to visit Alice.    After a cuppa and a ‘catch up’ blether, we went down to an outdoor market that is opening up again after COVID:   the rain wasn’t too bad at that time.      Perhaps the weather had kept stallholders from coming out because pre COVID this market was big.     Anyway, six stalls had braved the elements a

30th March 2023 (Thursday)      08.30..... It’s a quiet peaceful morning;   there’s only a light breeze, so   I’m not sure that it’s going to be a great ‘drying day’.... according to the weather forecast, the chance of precipitation is ‘low’, so the washing is going through the machine.   At the moment, by the look of the sky, I’d say the ‘chance of precipitation’ is ‘high’. Funnily enough I am feeling ‘bright eyed and bushy tailed’ this morrrrrrrning.... and in ‘mild flap on’ mode.    The ‘plan’ is to go for the paper(s) after breakfast.    Food isn’t a problem as we (‘The Team’) are going to the 19th Hole for lunch. 17.00    Lunch at the 19th was, as it always is, excellent!  I had one of my favourite foods... sausages and mash.   We had a good old chinwag and generally enjoyed a pleasant lunch;  but we miss Geoff.  Our next birthday lunch will be Geoff’s in May.  We ended up with a good ‘drying day’..... in other words my washing dried... albeit slowly due to the wind being of th

29th March 2023 (Wednesday)     10.30.... We had a bonnie start to the day.... but rain is forecast to arrive in the afternoon.   I went to the harbour (in the car) to enjoy, and get a few ‘reflection’ photos, on this balmy and peaceful morning.    The ‘plan’ is to do ‘ousework in the afternoon.   Having said that;  I’ve just had a migraine so I’m not ‘iggzactly’ in a working mood... I think a weak morrrrrrrrning coffee is required. 19.00     The weather has been bit mixed up today.... in fact it wasn’t quite as bad as it was forecast to be.  The sky brightened up and the air warmed up after lunchtime, and I considered going out on the bike;  but when I went out to get the bike it was spitting rain again so I cancelled that idea... and went back to the ‘ousework.   I chose an easy and restful job today;   I sorted out my sock drawer;    in fact I sorted out two drawers and a bag of old socks etc. is now in the ‘bloo’ bin.    The Team working on the Ferry Lodge renovation/extension

28th March 2023 (Tuesday)     09.00.... The weather forecast for London, Uckfield and KY9 is ..... 32.5 second pause...is... “light rain with a moderate breeze.    I don’t know what it is actually like in London and Uckfield but we definitely have ‘light rain with a moderate breeze’ here.   It’s grey and wet... not a bonnie morning.   However it is a good morrrrrrrning for 'ousework.   Orf to put the kettle 'on' .... again. 18.30 .... Although it was overcast in the morning the light rain didn’t start until about 11.00, so I took ‘time out’ before morrrrrrrning coffee and went to St Monans to have a wander round the Auld Kirk.   It wasn’t the best of weather but at least it wasn’t raining... though it had been.    The rain started as I was going back to the car.... and I don’t think it has ever stopped;   but it has been of varying heaviness.    Back at Ivy I browsed my mornings work with the camera before lunch, and had a short ‘working session’ after lunch.    I haven’t

27th March 2023 (Monday)      “Happy Birthday to Michael (Mike) who is ’21’ plus 93 ... or is it 39? today! 08.00 ....We have a ‘wall to wall’ blue sky with a light frost (-1C).... it’s a bonnie morning for doing things.     I am feeling productive this morning... which is good because I also have a   wall to wall ‘Flap On’.    Why?... because I have just discovered that the 4th of April is not a week come Thursday.... it’s a week tomorrow.... Tuesday!      Och ... I’ll have another cuppa. 10.15     I detected that the air was warming up when hanging out a washing ... so I might take at turn round The Ferry on the bike.   Flap?... oh aye that.    The ‘wall to wall flap’ is well under control.   Things already done:   made a batch o’ Potato and Leek’ soup, done an extreme Soduko... and had a couple o’ cuppa’s, to contemplate the situation.... and... I came to the conclusion that there’s ‘loads o’ time’;   which is why I’m thinking o’ going out on the bike, (need to discharge the bi

26th March 2023 (Sunday)     09.30 ....The garden thermometer is at 4C but it feels more like -2C in the brisk NE wind;  but, as Marcia said a few minutes ago, it’s warm when out of the wind.   I don’t think I’ll be out on the bike today!    In fact I don’t think I’ll be ‘out’ very much at all today.... the outside temperature has me looking forward to doing intermittent ‘ousework.... after I go for the paper in the car.   14.00     I’ve been for the paper and down at the ‘arbour:   it was pleasantly warm in the sheltered corners at the harbour, but cold when out in the wind.    It is a bonnie, bright and sunny day, but the sky is starting to cloud over;   that could   mean ‘light rain showers’ later in the afternoon.... in fact I see spits and spots o’ rain on the window just now;   but it’s only a passing cloud.   I got my appointment for the COVID 19 booster the other day;   it’s 15.39 on the 15th April, at the East Neuk Centre, Anstruther.   21.30   This clock changing unsettles

25th March 2023 (Saturday)    08.30.... The sky is overcast, the air is cool, and there’s a touch of dampness this morning.... not a morning for me going out on the bike.  I’ll make this a ‘rest day’;  tomorrow I will get into gear, and organized, for Janice and Michael coming up for Easter.   Today I am going to visit Alice. 21.30     I can hardly believe just how busy the East Neuk roads are nowadays;   when I passed my driving test (1957) cars were few and far between;   petrol cost 5/8d (28p) per gallon (4.54 litres)...and most people still travelled to Leven by bus.    The roads still follow the same route... but have a new addition to the road surface.... the pothole.    In 1957 I could bike to Kirkcaldy Technical College (as it was then) and home without having to worry about potholes; they just didn’t exist.    You know something ....those were ‘the good old days’... only thing was we didn’t know it. I’ve enjoyed myself today;   a restful day chatting with Alice;    and we h

24th March 2023 (Friday)   08.30....This morning’s weather has a  look of showery day... but sunny spells come between showers so we could have a bonnie day ... with an interesting sky.   The weather forecast for KY9 is....32.5 second pause.... is ... ‘light rain and a fresh breeze’!   It could be a ‘play day’.... with a few ‘rest’ periods in between the ‘play’ bits.   The air is reasonably warm so I might get the bike out after breakfast. 21.00      The wind dropped away to just a light breeze after lunch... and the air became pleasantly warm.... in fact it was almost summerlike.   By the middle of the afternoon interesting clouds began to build up and they gave few showers later in the afternoon, so it has been a day of mixed weather.... but an enjoyable one.    I got the bike out and went up to Kinneuchar then up to Chapel Green when I got back to The Ferry.   The road to Kinneuchar was busy... as was Chapel Green.    I sat on Jim’s seat and pondered;   day dreaming is something I

23rd March 2023 (Thursday)    08.30....what an absolutely gorgeous Spring morrrrrrrning;  Blob is twittering happily at the very top o’ the Rowan tree.... and I was singing(?) in the shower.   Yep .... this could be a ‘play day’.   We have a few fluffy clouds slowly drifting across a blue sky.... there’s only a light breeze (unlike yesterday) and the air is warm (9C).   Me?.... I’m feeling frisky.    11.30     The paper(s) have been uplifted, ad bread from the baker’s; although it’s cloudier, and I noticed showers towards Edinburgh, it’s pleasantly warm.   I suppose we might catch the edge of a shower but that’s not going to bother us.    Must ‘go’...’slight flap on’;   I’m going out to lunch with Alice, Izzie and Alan.     I’d better try to smarten myself up a bit.   Everybody else will be smart... then there’s ‘me’. Alan and Alice. 16.30     I have enjoyed my birthday;  in fact it was incredible.   The postie delivered cards and a parcel.   Cards were handed in and Marcie handed sun

22nd March 2023 (Wednesday)   08.30....There’s a frisky wind but the rain has moved away;  though there is a threat of showers.   Actually it’s a bonnie morning, albeit a bit breezy for the bike.  However the wind is slowly moderating so I might get out (on the bike) after lunch time.   In the meantime ‘slight flap on’;  got a bit o’ ooverin’ and dustin’ to do.   Change o’ plan;  the ‘flap’ is on hold until after a mug o coffee. 15.45     I don’t know what was in the air today, but it wasn’t oxygen;   so this has been a ‘rest day’.   and the ‘ooverin and dustin’ has been ... er.... put off until later.    It was too windy for me to go biking so I had a run up to Kinneuchar in the car:   I planed to potter my way along Main Street but ended up having a wander round the kirkyard.     Kinneuchar was extremely quiet ...the only folk I saw were in the top deck of a’95’ bus.     When I got back to Ivy Derek was at his van, so I ended up chatting to him about the world in general.... mostly

21st March 2023 (Tuesday)      “Happy Birthday to Iain (58 today);  jings... that’s the same age as I will be in a couple o’ days.   08.00.... The light rain has moved away and we have a bonnie morning... with an 'Goldeneye'. interesting sky.    Actually,  I am looking for a good drying day ‘cos I have a washing on;   if the washing doesn’t dry today it will tomorrow;   because tomorrow is going to be windy.... as in’ strong winds’. 22.00    The weather was amenable this morning so I did the Elie Estate bike run again;  and, although tired, I am happy with how I’m feeling.   It seems that it takes me about six weeks to get over a ‘winter bug’.   Once the weather settles down to Spring/Summer I should be buzzin’.    Anyway, after the morrrning trip on the bike, I had breakfast, then went to Methil to visit (and torment) Alice.  I wanted to go to B & M’s so we did that, and met Jock (sometimes ‘John’) who was in ‘flap on’ mode as he had to get back to Elie to get Honor’s l

20th March 2023 (Monday)     09.00 ....the sky looks reasonably promising at the moment;  in fact if it stays like this I might get the bike out, after breakfast, o go for the paper.   The weather forecast tells me that there is the ‘chance of light precipitation’.... but ... hey ho... I can cope wi’ light precipitation.   And so can the bike. 12.00      With the weather forecast showing more chance of precipitation in the afternoon,    I did get the bike out to go for the paper;   and came home by way of Elie Estate   for some exercise.... and to become fitter after having the ‘flu.   I got back to Ivy just as a spell of drizzle crossed over us so I went out at the right time.    The bike battery is now being charged so I should be able to go for a longer run the next time that the weather is agreeable. The flag atop the Balcarres Crag tower is flying at half mast this morning, because The Right Honourable Robert Alexander Lindsay, the 29th Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, KT, GCVO,

19th March 2023 (Sunday)   07.00....nice, peaceful morrrrrrning.... and there’s a fresher air so I’m feeling positively playful.   The 'plan' is to go out on the bike once the air warms up; it’s not cold, it’s just not as warm as it was yesterday.   I’ll take the car up to Elie to pick up the paper after this update.... and another cuppa. 12.15     The paper has been uplifted (the Sunday Post for a change of ‘truth’) and the harbour had a quick bumble roond.    All is where it should be;   nae cones for me to tangle up with.    I had planned to go out on the bike but the air is cooler than it was earlier.... 8C as opposed to 10.5 when I first looked at the thermometer.     And the clouds have thickened; so there’s good chance that the bike won’t be coming out at all today. 20.30    The bike was brought out, in the middle of the afternoon when there was only a smirr o’ wind.   Unfortunately it had backed to the Southeast so it was cool... especially when biking into it on my wa

18th March 2023 (Saturday)    08.00....We’ve had some overnight rain, but the rain has move away and the sun is breaking though to give us short sunny spells.... and it is warm.   It could be ‘play day’ ....once Jackie and Iain arrive.   In the meantime I’ll have breakfast before having a last minute run roond wi’ the ‘oover.   I hope the weather is fine for the journey down from Auchnagatt.... and up later in the afternoon. 18.30    Iain and Jackie arrived at 09.30, just as the kettle boiled.    So we had a cuppa, and caught up with each other’s news.    Jackie and Iain then had a walk to the beach while I defrosted soup for lunch.   Over lunch we considered various options where we’d like to spend a couple of hours;   finally settling for the Cupar Garden Centre. The Garden Centre was busy;   the fact that they were doing a special menu for ‘Mother’s Day’ weekend, in the Restaurant, probably helped to bring in customers.   We joined the throng and enjoyed a wander round a very col