Summer (what summer?)

This summer has been the worst weather-wise in a very long number of years.  A few warm, sunny days - and only a few.  Mostly it's been rain, rain, rain.  All day yesterday and more this morning.  At least it is warm. Yesterday I spent sorting out the garage, having a major clear-out that is needed every now and again.  I think it's partly because I am helping my mother clear out her place, little by little.  It's infectious.  And liberating, I must admit.  Mind you, usually when I throw something out I haven't used in years I'm looking for it about a week later...

Sand dunes at Portstewart, à la lith.

In other news, the Oxford adventure is over - Missy has finally vacated her shared house.  And...drum roll...the next adventure beckons.  She has been offered a place in Newcastle University to study for an MRes in Neuroscience.  The MRes is a Masters by Research - a 12 month thing.  There are taught modules in the first and second semesters - research methods, essential groundings in neuroscience and more specialist modules of the student's choosing, such as 'The biological basis of psychiatric illness and its treatment', 'Scientific basis of  neurological disorders', 'Sensory systems'.  Then it's into a 24-week research project where the student (under guidance of a supervisor) gets to grip with a lab-based project in the area of their choice, ending up with a 30,000 word dissertation.  Effectively the student takes responsibility for their own learning along the way and can attend various taught courses across the Faculty to support that learning.  I've always like the structure of the MRes - it seems to be more like how people learn 'in the real world' as opposed to being taught and assessed by exams (which were never Missy's forte).  Exciting times. My brother helpfully chipped in: By the end of her project perhaps she'll be able to finally fathom out what happened to her father's brain...