Well.

The Beijing Mileses have gone off to Argyll, hoping to get to play with Alexander’s new boat. They’ll go from there to Strathardle, where we’ll join them on Wednesday. I have a dentist’s appt here tomorrow.

That’s the basic story.

Jabot

No Montrose jacket. We went to Kinloch Anderson bright and early on Saturday morning. You can’t just buy one, it has to be made. And it can’t even be measured for, without the kilt of the gent who is going to wear it. That is because a Montrose jacket is worn on the sort of occasion on which a gentleman from time to time may THROW his arms into the air. The jacket is anchored to the kilt by subtle means to prevent a midseason gap.

So we came away with detailed forms on which a Beijing tailor is to enter the necessary measurements. But whether James will get this done when he gets back, is another question.

Here is a picture of him wearing the jabot without a Montrose jacket. He looks vaguely Swiss Presbyterian. At least the Velcro fastening arrangement seems to work.

Internet access

With the Mileses here, the house was full of laptops and smaller devices which sadly languished without wi-fi. James got to work. Alistair, suddenly a teen-ager, got to work too. Listening to Alistair’s end of a telephone conversation with my ISP, I felt much as I do listening similarly to his father speaking Mandarin. He’s really doing it.

In the end, the ISP told Alistair (rightly or wrongly) that they don’t support wireless connections, and we decided to switch to BT. They provide a satisfactory service in Strathardle, and they will be cheaper.

We've done it. I'm signed up for BT broadband. But they need a “migration code" from the current ISP, and there was no hope of getting one at the weekend. Alistair is going to try from Argyll this morning.

As the day wore on, James succeeded in getting the present system to work at least partially – some laptops could receive the signal, others couldn’t.

When I disappear, it will be because we have got in such a muddle that I have no access at all to the outside world.

Green Granite Blocks

I have finished the fourth rank of blocks. Today’s assignment is the slow row, setting colours for the new rank. As before, a picture will follow when I am far enough along with #5 that #4 can be seen in its entirety.

Food

We had a pleasant lunch of pasta and cheese, but my radish crop wasn’t big or bushy enough to make an interesting contribution. Maybe next year.