Category: A Walk

A Toy off the rack – 17 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

It’s a long time since I had a toy of the rack. I think I deserved it!

We went out in the morning and drove up to meet Shona at her brother’s house, then we went to Costa in the town centre for coffee and a blether. It’s a while since I’d seen her, although Scamp meets up with her every couple of weeks at least, sometimes more than that. She was looking well and seemed calmer than she had been the last time I’d seen her.

I left her and Scamp talking and went for a walk through the town centre, at least, the Antonine centre which is the most ‘modern’ part of the town. It’s still a dump, but a dump with more shops than the entire Phase Four on the other side of the road. I had a quick browse of what’s selling in the town this weather. The answer was nothing much. Out of date iPhones, iPads and ancient video games. It really is a depressing mall, and cold too. No heating to speak of and with a cold breeze blowing into Costa every time one of the automatic doors opens, I can see why there isn’t a problem getting a seat. When the two ladies were finished their blether and their coffee, Shona went shopping while Scamp and I went home for lunch … and a heat.

Yesterday I had almost made my decision to buy a new camera, not brand new, I hasten to add. It’s a bit long in the tooth an ‘used’, but it looked as if it had hardly been used and has some interesting features that make it worth the money. I tried phoning WEX to book it, but the phone went to voicemail or more likely, they’d locked it in a cupboard to avoid having to answer it. So I drove in to Glasgow and parked at Cowcaddens carpark which had a notice at the entrance to say that the gates had been locked open until “… a new operator has been appointed” So, no need to pay today.

I walked up to WEX and after a cursory glance at the camera, paid my money and drove home again. Camera didn’t look as if it had been used and a quick check once I was sitting at the computer confirmed the shutter had only been actuated about 700 times. That’s nothing for a camera. Their usual operating range is just under one million actuations.

I didn’t get much time to play with the new toy, because Hazy phoned just after I got in for a wee chat. I managed to tell her what I’d done to the Gmail problem and that it seemed to be working fine again (touch wood). She told me about the new book she’d been reading and gave it a less than wonderful rating. I told her about mine, “Gunner” and I think mine was better than her’s, but not by much. While we were discussing things a parcel arrived for Scamp – from Hazy. It was a cleverly designed pair of spoons that look like they will be very helpful for Scamp’s problem. She has already discovered a solution to her problem of measuring out coffee with the new Red spoon. The Black spoon may need more work, but even that Red spoon is a boon in itself (no pun intended)

After we’d said “Cheerio” I went out into the garden and took some photos of the Rudbeckia flowers in the garden. One of them made PoD.

Tomorrow we may go dancing if the weather lets us. It’s getting a bit windy outside the windae just now (Pun intended!)

New Shoes – 16 September 2025

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Well, trainers, actually.

We took the bus in to Glasgow on a bright sunny Tuesday morning. We were each looking for a pair of trainers for the holiday. My old ones were almost worn through. Scamp found a pair in John Lewis for a very good price. Nothing fancy, just trainers. I swithered, as usual and decided I’d go for a walk first. Scamp was going looking for clothes and we agreed to meet at Waterstones on Sauchiehall Street after .a cup of coffee in Nero.

My walk took me up Bath Street in torrential rain that seemed to come from nowhere, to WEX where I got a chance to test two possible new cameras. One was wildly out of my range, but it’s nice to play with shiny new toys! The other one was a bit less expensive, but did almost the same thing. I’d saved up a few quid, so I felt I was due a new toy. Not bought anything yet. Still thinking.

On my way back to meet Scamp I was passing an old climbers shop on Sauchiehall Street that was having a refurbishment sale. That usually means a closure or at best, a move to smaller establishment. I hope I’m wrong. Anyway, I went in for a quick look and they had a lot of lady’s jackets so I phoned Scamp and told her about it and she agreed to meet me. Long story short, she didn’t get anything in the shop, but I came out with a new Goretex jacket at a very good price. Strangely, I was reading the blog post for 15th September 2024 last night and I’d just bought a single skin waterproof jacket that I never really liked. Strange how the world turns!

We went to Wagamama for a very nice lunch, then we headed homeward, but not before I got a pair of trainers, almost the same as Scamp’s, also for a good price.

Got the bus home and watched the final of the Great British Sewing Bee. The best person deserved the win.

PoD today went to a couple sitting on the stone steps of a shop in Buchanan Street. Don’t they know they’ll get piles?

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to meet Shona for coffee.

 

Now that’s a better day – 15 September 2025

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Not brilliant, but with enough sunshine to make it worthwhile going out with a camera.

We were up and out fairly early today, early for us anyway. Scamp wanted a lift to Tesco and after dropping her off, I drove over to Condorrat to the dentist. Half an hour later I walked out of the surgery with my broken tooth fixed. It still doesn’t feel like my own tooth, but I’m getting used to it. Just as I got to the car, I got the message from Scamp to say she was waiting for me in the Tesco cafe. I found an empty ‘Drop Off’ slot, where we loaded the car and drove back home. An efficient way to get ‘The Messages’.

Later in the day, while Scamp was deadheading some of the flowers, I went for a walk in St Mo’s, a shorter version of my usual walk, mainly because we were expecting to go to Kirsty’s dance class, but as it turned out, the class had dwindled. One of the men had pulled a muscle in his back, one couple were on an extended weekend holiday and another part time teacher was sunning herself in foreign climes. We decided that only four of us didn’t really make a quorum, so Kirsty agreed to cancel tonight.

That gave me enough time to process the photos I’d taken in St Mo’s. Not a bad haul and the PoD went to a bunch of Antirrhinums poking their bright pink heads out of a break in a fence, like a trio of runaways. It made me smile and it’s now on Flickr.

We may go on a trip to Glasgow, tomorrow. Looking for the elusive trainers. Maybe a walk up to WEX to see what they have to offer too.

No excuses – 14 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Today we didn’t do very much. I’ve no excuses for this, it was just the way the day turned out.

It was a normal Sunday. Watched Laura Kuenssberg tearing strips of poor undefended MPs and other politicians. It was fun for a while watching them squirm, but you knew they were lying because their lips were moving. That took all the fun out of it.

After lunch I went for a walk over to St Mo’s. There wasn’t very much over there to photograph, but I did get out for a walk which was good … until the rain came on. As usual, the rain waited until I was at the furthest point from home, then it started. I didn’t mind, because I had my big orange Rab jacket on and it’s fairly waterproof and the rain was fairly light for most of the walk home.

PoD was an old favourite of mine, the view down the avenue of trees that takes you down past St Mo’s school. A bloke with an umbrella was kind enough to walk into view just as I was crossing his past. I waited a few minutes and got my Photo of the Day and he never felt a thing.

Dinner was a rump steak for me and potatoes with ratatouille for Scamp. Rice and prunes was the dessert.

Spoke to Jamie later in the evening and heard that he and Simonne are considering going away for a week some time soon, not sure when yet. This time Vixen gets to go with them which should please her.

Thanks for the hint Hazy. I’ll tell you how I got on with it once I work my way through it.

Dentist tomorrow to get a broken cap on one of my teeth fixed. Oh what fun!

More shopping – 11 September 2025

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Yesterday was window shopping and a touch of ‘real’ shopping.

Today was back to reality shopping in Tesco. Scamp had made a fairly large shopping list and we just worked through it, managing to find most things, but with the usual few missing items.

We’d intended to have lunch, but I’d a bit of stomach cramp so we postponed it. Then Scamp’s pal, Annette, arrived. Now I’m not being sexist here, but two women discussing things can lead to “Three’s a crowd” so I took my stomach cramp upstairs and read for a while. After Annette went home I did trust my stomach with a couple of slices of toast and a cup of tea. That seemed to settle things down. I’m blaming a pot of Kefir yogurt for the problem. The last time I had some, it had exactly the same effect. I’ll be more circumspect in future.

The weather today has been hit and miss. Sometimes the sun shines for an hour or more and sometimes it only lasts for a short while before the driving wind sprays everyone with showers. I caught a couple of those showers today. I also missed one by sheltering under the trees when I was out for my constitutional over St Mo’s then on across the football park and back home. Sometimes I extend the walk to include the path to the shops, but I was keeping a weather eye (literally) on those big black clouds that were rolling in from the north-west.

I went out with a different camera/lens combination today. A Lensbaby Sweet 35 lens for closeups and a Tamron 70-180mm zoom. Both on the A7iii. The Lensbaby gives dreamlike effects and the Tamron is an almost ideal short telephoto. Both worked very well, but the Tamron won the day with another shot of a Bird’s-foot Trefoil behind a chain link fence. This one has a much better background than the original. PoD sorted!

We couldn’t decide what to have for dinner, but in the end Scamp had an omelette and I had a fry-up. For me it was a bit of a test to see if my stomach was back to normal and it seems as if it is … touch wood.

We watched another boring episode of Masterchef. Thankfully it’s coming to an end soon. Good riddance I say!

Tomorrow is a cooking and maybe a baking day. Crawford & Nancy are coming to dinner. Whoever is free will probably be making the starter (possibly soup), Scamp is intending doing the main course and I’m booked for the dessert. We’ll see how it goes.

Shopping – 10 September 2025

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Not Tesco shopping, but looking for books, trainers and prezzies!

We drove to The Fort in the outskirts of Glasgow. A vast array of shops selling almost everything imaginable, but mainly clothes, shoes and jewellery. I was looking for a specific book, ‘Wild Houses’, but didn’t end up buying it. I applied three rules I got from the English teacher I had at college more than forty years ago. She told us to:

  • Read the entire first page, because it provides the ‘Hook’ that keeps you wanting to read more. If the book fails that test, reject it.
  • If it passes the first test, select a page from around the middle of the book and read about half of that page. If you’re still interested, the book is worth buying.
  • If it fails the second test, don’t reject it out of hand. Take a note of the title and author and test it again in six months or so.

My book fell at the first fence. It just wasn’t for me.

Scamp and I were both looking for a comfortable pair of trainers. My old ones are worn right down and no longer waterproof. I tried in three different shops and didn’t find anything I was willing to pay good money for. Scamp had the same problem.

That meant Books and Trainers were a waste of time and money. Thankfully she did find the prezzies she was looking for, so we didn’t go home empty handed. When we arrived at The Fort around 11am, there were spaces on every row in the carpark. When we left, just after midday, there seemed to be none. People were prowling around actively searching for parking spaces. This was on a Wednesday, usually a quiet shopping day. I dread to think what it’s like on a Saturday afternoon!

We drove home and I admit I was being a grump. Maybe because I’d a near miss with a less than interesting book or a pair of too expensive trainers, or maybe it was just the mood I was in, but the drive home was in silence.

I went for a walk in the afternoon. I got halfway round one of my usual walks when the rain started. I didn’t mind, really. I had my Famous Blue Raincoat on and despite its tears and patches, it kept me dry. Dry enough to get a few shots of a little wee hoverfly that sat patiently for me. That became the PoD.

Dinner tonight was the best fish ’n’ chips I’ve had for ages. Scamp made it and it was way better than any food from a chip shop. Thanks, Scamp.

We’ve no plans yet for tomorrow, but it looks like it will be wet.

 

 

A dull day – 9 September 2025

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A day that threatened rain that never quite arrived.

The highlight of Scamp’s day was ironing. It’s not something I’m likely to turn my had to doing. I know a lot of folk who like ironing. I’m pretty sure Jamie does it. I jokingly say that I make sure I burn the first item of clothes and never get asked to do it again. There’s no truth to that story, well, not a lot of truth, anyway.

My contribution to work in the house today was driving over to Tesco for ‘The Messages’. Even then, it was just enough to fit in a ‘Bag for Life’ and no more. Just the essentials today, no alcohol on a ‘School Day’.

When Scamp started the ironing, I laced up my boots and went for a walk over St Mo’s and back through the woods. This is the first day I’ve been for a walk through the woods since the big storm, months ago. I don’t think anyone walks through the woods now. Too many fallen trees blocking the paths that used to lead to the ponds and the great Horse Chestnut trees that are still standing. I need to find some other paths to follow.

I did get a few shots in the afternoon, but it wasn’t until I came home that I found my PoD sitting in our garden. It’s a Berberis bush carrying its bright red berries. They look very inviting, but according to Wikipedia some of them are poisonous.

That was about it for the day. I emailed a couple of photos from the wedding to Simonne because the originals had disappeared en route. It’s this thing about Apple vs Microsoft again. Microsoft won’t allow Apple images to be read on their system, and vice versa for Apple. Why can’t they just agree to work with each other. As my mum used to say, “That’s how wars start.”

We may be going over to The Fort tomorrow looking for birthday prezzies, I believe.

Out and about – 8 September 2025

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An early rise this morning to see Jamie and Simonne safely on their way back home.

It was a flying visit, but it was great to see them for a couple of days. Good to hear that the boys (and the girls) were all well and grown up now. I don’t think we would recognise them after all this time.

We wandered around the house feeling like lost threads. Scamp put the fold-down bed away and I put all the glasses away. Still there was a whole day ahead and no real plans for it. I suggested we go to the Kelpies and use them to recharge our energy. Scamp agreed. Also, we could take a look in at Klondyke Garden Centre when we were there anyway. That sealed it. We were going to Helix Park where the Kelpies live.

Drove over almost to Grangemouth and paid our £4.50 to park, then as we were walking on to the beasts themselves, I saw a new view of these mighty magical horses. Two heads were rising above a grassy bank that made the statues look even bigger than they usually do. I took a couple of shots anyway and we walked over to see the Kelpies.

The park was mobbed, quite the busiest we’ve seen it in years. We did the usual walk round and between these metal creatures. Unfortunately the wind was from the west today and the smell from the sewage works was almost overpowering. We didn’t tarry long and walked back to the wee restaurant for a cup of coffee and a chocolate biscuit each. We agreed there was just too big a crowd today and drove over to Klondyke to search out a bargain or two among the plants. Once Scamp had chosen her selection of bulbs from the vast selection, and I had picked up a fairly healthy looking Acer at a knock down price, they all went into the boot of the blue car and we went to search out some food.

I’m not usually impressed with garden centre food, but today’s Steak Burger was an eye opener. Best one I’ve had in ages. Scamp had a Mushroom Quiche and I had that brilliant burger.

We drove home and I planted the Acer while Scamp was going round dead-heading some of the fading flowers.

Kirsty’s class today was Cha-Cha. I wasn’t impressed. I used to say Cha-Cha was my most hated dance. I thought I was over it, but today, with the noise from the ghetto blaster and Kirsty shouting over the top of it, none of the instructions were going in to my head. She (Kirsty) wants to do another session next week. That gives me almost seven days to make up an excuse not to go.

When we got home there was a message from Jamie & Simonne to say they had arrived safely after a fairly easy drive. Glad they had an easy day for a change.

PoD went to the picture of the Kelpies looking over that grassy bank.

No plans for tomorrow … yet!

We went shopping – 7 September 2025

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You know it’s been a dull day when the highlight is “We went shopping”.

Some days are like that. You can have days when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and you manage to capture fifty photos, each one better than the last. Then there are days where you manage to grab half a dozen shots of butterflies and are satisfied with that. Today fell into the ‘satisfied’ category.

We went shopping, as I mentioned and that got us out of the house for half an hour or so. Just the usual shopping for lunch and dinner. Mainly essentials.

Jamie and Simonne were on their way back from yesterday’s wedding but were stopping off in Glasgow to meet up with a couple of their old friends. They arrived back at the house around 5pm. By then I’d been out for a walk across the football park behind St Mo’s and had hardly taken the camera out of the bag. I did get just over 100g of brambles on the way back.

I made a hash of getting Simonne’s SD card to work in the new computer. Why do the different companies insist on sticking to their own formats. It would be so much easier for everyone if they just took the sensible approach of one size and one format fits all. Anyway, in the end we got the photos she wanted, although I’ll have to work out how we make a heart shaped background for one of them.

For dinner, Scamp and I had Chicken Milanese with our own potatoes and Scamp’s speciality, Rats, which of course is short for Ratatouille. Jamie & Simonne shared a pizza. We all had Passionfruit & Raspberry Cheesecake for dessert while we watched Lando Norris being humiliated by being given a derisory second place as compensation for having had a slow pitstop. Poor guy was very noncommittal in the interview.

We’re expecting the young ones to be leaving early tomorrow to take the road south. Hope they have a problem-free journey and arrive home safely.

Us? I think we might be going looking for the elusive bread bin again, with maybe the chance of dancing Cha-Cha in Kirsty’s class later.

In all their finery – 6 September 2025

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The youngsters were up about 6am and busying themselves getting breakfast and choosing what to wear to the wedding.

We pretended we were still sleeping, but knew we were just kidding ourselves. We too got dressed and made sure they had had breakfast and had all the accoutrements you need for going to a wedding. Just to be sure, I went over the basics of the camera again and could see that she was confident with using it. It’s a fair step up from her old Nikon as I’m sure she realised.

Suddenly, the car was packed and they were dressed and ready for a final curtain call at the front door to show off their finery, then they were off to the wilds of North West Scotland where a church was waiting for them.

We didn’t go back to bed. Instead we had breakfast and sat and did what we usually to, ie Wordle, Spelling Bee and Strands … Then we made plans for the day. We’d intended going to Edinburgh, but somehow that got put on the back burner and the burner was turned off. We settled instead for a visit to Stirling. Both of us were still looking for a pair of trainers and possibly a new pair of trousers for me. I’ve been promising myself those trousers for months now, if not years. I didn’t get them, but I saw two pairs of trainers that would work for me and a couple of pairs of trousers that would do the job too. Scamp didn’t get anything either, but did express an interest in a dance skirt. We but all of the above into that same back burner and vowed to come back and look at them.

I did get a book I was interested in and got the bloke in Waterstones to tell me about another one that I’d forgotten the name of. I didn’t have the name, but I recognised the title from his desk display. Unfortunately it wasn’t in stock, but I’ll call back and order it soon. The name was Wild Houses by Colin Barrett.

Lunch was two toasties in Caffè Nero. Both the same, although one was supposed to be a Ham & Brie toast, but it was a Tuna Melt that arrived. Scamp’s order was a Tuna Melt. I suppose I could have had the Tuna Melt magically transformed into the H&B, but I was hungry and in this case the TM would do fine.

We did a bit of shopping in Waitrose to pay them for allowing us to park in their store for a couple of hours and then we drove home. I went for a walk and came back with a couple of decent photos. PoD turned out to be a Bird’s-foot Trefoil flower, viewed through a chain-link fence. I thought it made a neat frame for the wild flower!

Tomorrow we’re expecting the Photographer and her assistant to return from the North West before going out again with friends later. That’s the plan for now.