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Dancin’ – 1 August 2026

Posted on by Zogman

On the first day of August

It was a busy morning with traffic on the road, probably from folk coming home from holiday and others on their way out. Once we got past Glasgow airport the traffic reduced. Today we were back in Brookfield and dancing old dances. Some were more successful than others. People, including us, were still having problems with Rona’s Rumba. Jane was making changes to the routine but, as someone said, there are too many turns both clockwise and anticlockwise. I can understand that Jane has devised the dance for a friend who passed away, but you sometimes have to stand back and look at the routine. That’s all I’ll say.

It wasn’t my best day. I was complaining about everything. I have no excuse for it, just one of those dance days when things get under my skin and I can’t do anything right. We danced quite a few routines that, normally we’d work our way through without any problems, but today they just didn’t work. Most of it was my fault. Probably best to forget today and come back fresh for the next dance.

For once we drove home over the Kingston Bridge and kept the wheels turning all the time. It’s not often I’ll say that. The weather was variable today. Cloudy one minute and in sunshine the next. Not to be trusted, though because Scamp was complaining about little showers of rain when she was working in the garden later. We both worked on an old tree that’s been growing next to the wall in the back garden and between us I think we’ve given it a good short back and sides today. Our ‘Brown Bin’, the garden waste bin was almost full with one bushy tree.

We had three butterflies changing places round the Buddleia bush in the garden. One of them, a Red Admiral, finally settled on a plant pot and I managed one photo of it before it flew off. That photo made PoD.

I spent some time rearranging my Lightroom catalog, something I’ve been meaning to do for months now. Hopefully it will be a more logical way of working this year.

Dinner tonight was Mac ’n’ Cheese and although it was a bit salty, it tasted great. Scamp was cooking, of course!

No plans for tomorrow so far.

Out to see the doc – 31 July 2026

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Or at least the doc’s assistant.

It was time for my annual checkup, or my MOT as some folk call it. Dropped Scamp off at Tesco for her to make her way along to Costa where Isabel would be waiting for her. I drove on to the doc’s surgery and signed in. I was way too early, but that didn’t bother me, I had my iPhone and it had my Sudoku puzzle on it, so I’d have something to do.

A while later the automated voice called me to speak to the sister. It was quite a positive discussion. I knew there were a few things I needed to do, like losing weight. The sister wanted to do a PSA test and a blood test too. I’d been lucky enough to get the tests in quickly before the bloke who takes the samples away for analysis left. Better to get it done quickly. After that and after answering all the sister’s questions and after she answered all of mine, we had a plan of action to put into place next week if there are enough free spaces to get an appointment. That was my morning done and dusted, so I drove home and had a well deserved coffee and waited for Scamp.

As it happened, when she arrived we discussed what we’d been doing in the morning and had lunch. Then we solved the Wordle and all the rest of the puzzles that keep our brains active. In the afternoon the rain started and it looked like I wouldn’t be going for a walk, but later the sky cleared and I did manage a short jaunt round St Mo’s and got today’s PoD which was the seed pods of a Gorse plant, although every time I look at it, it looks like a wolf! Too wild an imagination.

Scamp made Chicken Milanese which is a chicken breast that’s had the living daylights beaten out of it. I imagine calling it “Chicken Milanese” describes it better than my example! Whatever you call it, I thoroughly enjoyed it with potatoes and a lovely ratatouille, or “Rats” as Scamp describes it.

We relaxed to Gardeners World for an hour in the evening. Actually, not a bad day.

I think we may be going dancing tomorrow.

Another warm day – 30 July 2026

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Scamp was taking Shona to have a tooth removed. Rather her than me

I took some time to myself and read a few more chapters of my latest book, The Midnight Train by Matt Haig. Strange book, but I’m only about a quarter way through it. I want to find out where it goes, but am not in a hurry.

When Scamp returned she started a conversation with Jackie and not wishing to earwig, I put on my rain jacket and put three new windscreen wipers on the blue car. What a difference that made. Wish I’d dine it weeks an ago. With that done, I drove up to my favourite photography spot to get some wild sky photos. It was quite cool up on the moors, but I did get a few photos I liked.

I drove home and after I’d been brought up to speed with Jackie’s comings and goings and Murdo’s possible need for a new cataract op Scamp made dinner. Salmon, Potatoes and Corn on the Cob. Very nice, I really enjoyed the salmon slice, Scamp.

Tomorrow I’m booked for my annual checkup and as usual, I’m not really looking forward to it. At least it’s going to be in my usual place and not in the main surgery.

We are hoping the wildfire down near Dunwich burns out soon, or the wind changes direction.

PoD went to a landscape that brightened up my day.

Oh yes, and Shona did get her tooth out without too much trouble.

 

Raindrops on Roses – 29 July 2026

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Another of those days when the rain just forgets to turn off.

It started in the morning, just a drizzle that wouldn’t go away. As the day progressed, the rain got heavier and then it disappeared, but I knew it was just waiting for me to go out, then it would return again … and it did.

In a short dry spell we drove to Tesco, and found for some Peppadew spicy peppers. Next thing I needed was a set of windscreen wipers in Halfords. The last time I went looking there they had hardly any.Thankfully, they had all three in stock. When I came out Scamp was heading for Aldi where I got a packet of Butteries (also known as Rowies). I’m sure two of my readers remember them from their time in Aberdeen. Scamp got a couple of Carmel Custard Doughnuts.

On the way home there was a long, long queue to get round one of Cumbersheugh’s roundabouts and the reason was some roads were closed and those that weren’t were restricted to one lane. Scamp had noticed a warning when we were heading out that claimed the all the roads round the roundabouts would be close for three weeks THREE WEEKS! I can just imagine the chaos that will bring. Anyway, we did manage to get back home … just as the rain came on. I wasn’t going to get those windscreen wipers fitted today.

We put the Peppadew peppers into yesterday’s Carrot & Lentil Curry and that made it taste a lot better. Also, Scamp just had to test the custard doughnuts and I had to do a similar test on the butteries. Both passed with flying colours.

After dinner the clouds blew away and the sun shone and I got today’s PoD in the garden. A rose branch covered in water droplets.

Tomorrow, Scamp is intending to take Shona to the dentist to get a tooth removed. I hoping to stay well clear.

Raining – 28 July 2026

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I know this will break the hearts of my readers “Dahn Sarf”, especially with another heat wave heading their way, but we had rain almost all day today. Sometimes heavy rain sometimes light, but always there. Hopefully those in the south of England will get their fair share of it too in the coming weeks and months.

I’m afraid there wasn’t much to report today. I walked down to the shops in the afternoon to get some ‘messages’, but other than that I hardly moved from the house.

I was duty chef today and I was making Carrot & Lentil Curry. It’s so long since I last made it, I completely forgot what the ingredients were. Then I remembered that the original was sealed into a double sided, clear plastic sheet. Find that and you find the recipe, and Scamp knew where the plastic sheet was. We almost had all the makings of the curry, but the local shops didn’t sell canned Pimentos. However, our version of it was good enough for today. Tomorrow I may drive to Tesco to get a new jar. Scamp says she was delighted with the cut down version. Happy Wife, Happy Life!

We thought we’d lost the chance to see who won Bakeoff The Professionals because, for some reason ITV were showing it on the wrong day, but Scamp managed to find it somewhere on ITV. I chose the wrong pair, but Scamp got it right. Brilliant program.

PoD went to a branch of Rowan berries from the back garden. They look like plump little oranges!

No plans for tomorrow, but it looks like the weather may improve. Probably not what you were wanting to hear if you live down south!

Back to normal – 27 July 2026

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After the faded glamour and glitz of The Blackpool Tower Ballroom and the fun of Glasgow Merchant City Festival, today it was back to reality with a bump. Monday is ‘Messages’ day. A trip to Tesco was as far as we got.

After we emptied the car and put all the ‘messages’ away, we had lunch. Then Scamp decided she was going out to make some changes to the back garden. I let her get on with it and settled down to write some of the blog and put the rest of it back into the places it should have been in yesterday. Then Scamp explained what she wanted to change in the garden and where things were going to go.

Thankfully, it was around that time that Hazy phoned to see if we were busy. We talked about Blackpool and dancing and and dentists. Also, how the hats got on people. If that makes no sense, don’t worry. Books, as usual, were topics for discussion too. Good to hear that Neil is enjoying his school holidays.

After we had said our goodbyes, it was back to the back garden for more of Scamp’s ideas for its alterations. Actually it looks as if it will work quite well, but it will need quite a lot of changes.

It was a cool afternoon with the threat of rain always just there in the wind and very little sign of blue skies. I didn’t really want to go out to take photos, but I did get some photos of the bees on the Buddleja bush in the garden. They were Bombus pascuorum (Carder Bees). One of the shots made PoD.

It looks like we are going to have more rain tomorrow. That will be good for the garden. We’ve had a few showers, but we still need more to keep the plants healthy.

No plans for tomorrow.

Glasgow Merchant City Festival – 26 July 2026

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It being Sunday, we knew we’d get parked at Croy station and from there we would get a train to Glasgow. That sounded like a plan.

It was a very good plan, because although the train was a bit late, it was an express that didn’t stop after Croy. Unfortunately once we got to the Merchant City, there was very little to see. For once we were too early. We decided to walk round to a Nero and have a coffee. A cake would also be a good idea.

Scamp wanted to have a look in M&S for something for dinner, but she seemed to drawn to the dress department too. There is a wedding in the offing and I suppose she needed to see what was fashionable these days …
We did spot some things that would work well for dinner too and then we walked back to the Merchant City. In the time we had been wandering around M&S and having coffee, lots of stalls had popped up and the place looked much more lively. Two large balloon shaped people were running around the stalls. The Show was on.

Scamp stopped by one of her friends who was selling bangles and to quote her, “… one just jumped out at me!” So she bought it there and then. It looked good on her too.

We stayed for a while, watching a street artist hauling folk around on a long wooden rod (much more interesting than this description), listened for far too long to a tuneless jazz style band and a group called Brass Aye who could play proper, interesting music. PoD went to a group of ladies in yellow robes demonstrating why you can distort things with Chinese Whispers.

When we were finished, we went back to M&S, bought some food for tonight and got the train home.

I think we might go back again to the second Merchant City Festival next week, if we have the time.

Dancin’ in Blackpool – 25 July 2026

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Not your usual dancin’. This was dancin’ in Blackpool, not Brookside.

Taxi in the morning to Holiday Inn at Strathclyde Park. We met another dancer there. Natasha was the teacher for the first dance class we went to about twenty years ago! I wouldn’t have recognised her, but Scamp did. Twenty years? Who would have thought it!!

Picked up the minibus there that would take us from Strathclyde Park to Blackpool. A three hour drive with one stop for a ‘comfort break’ would bring us to Blackpool, right to the door of the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. The show was already in full swing, so we got our dance shoes on and watched the expert

Dancers of varying abilities were showing off their steps and we watched entranced for a while before we took the plunge and hit the floor. We had had no real chance to practice, but that wasn’t a problem, as two ladies took Scamp and me around the floor for the first time. Such a civilised way to start the day. After that, and when they were sure we could cope by ourselves, they left us to pick up another couple showing signs of having dancing problems.

After that, we danced our little feet off for over two hours. The building really is an amazing place, truly vast. It has a ground floor and two layers tiers above that. It also has a fully sprung floor that you don’t notice to begin with, then you feel the movement as you dance.

Eventually time was running out and we hadn’t really had anything to eat all day, so we left the dance hall and fought our way in a gale blowing in from the sea and found a Pizza restaurant with a space for us. By the time we left there we had just enough time for a quick walk along the prom before finding our minibus and the drive home.

A quick drink back at the Holiday Inn and then got the taxi back home.

It was an interesting experience. Would we do it again? I don’t think so. Blackpool is a poor looking place now. Very run down and a shadow of its former self. Also, six hours overall in a minibus isn’t good for the back. Not the most comfortable day we’ve had.

PoD was a shot of the the dance floor once most of the participants had left. An image of its former glory.

Tomorrow will be all about recovering.

 

A change in the weather – 24 July 2026

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Much cooler today and it rained overnight. That will save us lugging watering cans around the garden! More forecast for tomorrow.

Scamp was out in the morning for coffee with Shona. I stayed home trying to make some sort of organisation into Lightroom Classic. It seems that as the catalog gets busier and busier, more errors creep in to Lightroom. Yes, it’s a really clever application, but it can be a pain in the backside sometimes. Probably a lot of the problems are human error, but not all.

While I was walking round the garden looking for some subjects to photograph I caught a glimpse of something zipping past the Buddleia bush. It stopped once and I realised it was a Humming Bird Hawk Moth. I’ve never, and I mean NEVER seen one in Scotland. My daughter in law got some photos of one in deepest England a year or so ago, but I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d see one in Scotland. By the time I got my phone camera out of my pocket it was gone. Amazing! I’ll be watching that bush for the next month until I get another chance like that!

When Scamp returned and I told her about the amazing visitor, I don’t think she believed me at first. Then when I laid siege to the buddleia bush she knew I wasn’t joking.

Not a lot other than that to speak of. Dinner was Fish ’n’ Chips from the chippy. PoD was a Japanese Anemone and I did eventually manage to get Lightroom Classic to do what it was meant to do.

I think an early bed tonight will be good. I’ve not been sleeping well, and maybe I just need an early night for once.

Just a bit cooler today – 23 July 2026

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I think the days of the hot heat are numbered. It does feel a little bit cooler today.

I think I might have had too much of that hot Paisley sun yesterday. While Scamp wandered round the back garden rearranging things, I went to my bed for an hour or so in the afternoon. I felt a lot better when I woke up. Not entirely sure what caused it, but Alex and I had been walking around Paisley for a while, yesterday. It might have been that.

After I woke, I took a camera out for a walk in St Mo’s and almost immediately a Common Darter dragonfly flew over my shoulder and landed neatly right in front of me. I got that ‘dragonfly feeling’ again. The feeling that the insect was watching me even more intently than I was watching it. We both stayed in that pose, each one of us keeping a weather eye on the other and neither wanting to be the one who made the first move. It was a bit like an old spaghetti western. Eventually I blinked and walked past the insect. I’m sure it sniggered as I walked round the pond.

After the impasse I walked down to the shops and brought back some strawberries, some raspberries and a melon. The fruit was for tonight’s dinner once it was mixed with chopped up baby potatoes and little gem lettuce, beetroot and a boiled egg with some mozzarella and a few other veg. It turned into a filling meal.

Scamp and I had watered the dry looking plants in the garden with a watering can when I came back from St Mo’s and we gave it another sprinkle tonight because a lot of the plants were looking quite dry, especially the ones that are clipped to the top of our fence (not the new one). The wind tends to dry these poor plants.

Tomorrow, Scamp is intending to meet Shona for coffee and a blether. I’ve got other things to do. The dragonfly got PoD.