Dull and cold wind – 8 March 2024

Sat for a while out of the sun, but gave up after a while and went into the big round building where yesterday’s Gala Event had been. It was warmer there.

Eventually when the skies cleared a bit and the sun shone, we walked to the ‘Island’. It’s actually a man-made island built on boulders and the last time we were there we had to queue for a table. Today was similar, but we managed to get an inside table out of the wind. I had a burger and Scamp had two of the fattest Sea Bass fillets we’d ever seen. We both had Mojitos.

By the time we were going back, the weather was improving and I went for a walk again in the wilderness. Got a photo of a group of wild goats and also what looks like a locust. I remember seeing locusts in Lanzarote a few years ago and these were very similar.

Came back to the hotel and watched the qualifying for tomorrow’s F1 GP. Didn’t find out who was on pole, because somebody pulled a plug somewhere and we were left with a black screen and muddled sound. No explanation. No apologies. That’s the way it is here.

Entertainment in the evening was two acrobats. The bloke seemed to have trained as a ballet dancer and the girl’s speciality appeared to be the splits. There was a fair bit of faffing about and posing. Entertaining for a while, but I was glad when it was finished.

PoD was a stunning Bird of Paradise flower in the hotel garden. Beautiful colours.

Tomorrow is Saturday and the days are slipping away.

 

In the big city – 7 March 2024

We got the ‘Cooncil’ bus to the big city of Puerto del Rosario.

A slow trudge through roadworks, then an unnecessary detour through a satellite town on the outskirts of Caleta where nobody got off the bus and worse still, nobody got on, but the driver was doing his job and covering the bases. Then out to the airport where one person got on and a host of hopefuls asked if this was the bus to Caleta and were told in no uncertain terms that this was the bus to Puerto del Rosario and the next bus, also a Number 3 would be going to Caleta. I don’t think he was believed, but it turned out to be the truth.

We stopped at the big central shopping centre and walked down a hill hoping to find something interesting. We found the church with the bar in the grounds, but although the church was open, the bar was securely shut. We found a three storey building whose gable being treated to a black and white mural of someone. Then we found a street cafe we’d been to the last time we were in Rosario.

There was a street market in the pedestrian area, mainly because two cruise ships were in the port. A fairly large P&O Azura and the enormous Aida Cosma. Not for the first time I marvelled at just how big these ships are. We walked down to the port and took some photos of them because that’s going to be the nearest we’ll get to a cruise this year, then went on an expedition looking for a fountain with models of dolphins round it, a line of hand painted benches and a big white Puerto del Rosario sculpture we’d photographed ourselves at. Despite our best efforts, we found none of the above, but went back up the hill to the cafe and had lunch. Scamp had Spanish Tortilla and I has Serrano Ham and Tomato in a baguette, both walked down with a beer.

We walked down through the street market and the further I went the more sure I was that we were on the track of the tree missing items. Sure enough at the bottom of the hill we found the big white 3D sign and the painted seats, but alas, no dolphin fountain. Maybe the next time we come this way DV.

After a seat in one of the painted benches we walked back towards the town and found another missing item, not dolphins, but a massive mural of Time Square NYC. Now looking a bit worse for wear, by still impressive. We went in to the big multi-level shopping centre looking for somewhere that sold power adapters. We found one, exactly like the item Scamp was looking for. Bought it and headed for the bus stop. Just got to the stop and the No 3 arrived, our bus to Caleta. No available seats. The bus drove away. Next one was about 10 mins later and it was a rammy! Folk shoving other folk out of the way and an opportunity for us to sharpen our elbows for a change.

A long journey through more traffic works and we got dropped outside the Atlantico Centre where we bought some stuff and went from there to the hotel

We had a Gala Dinner to look forward to except:

  1. Service was slow and without a smile
  2. Some of the starters were baked on to the plate because they were under heat lamps. Fillings were tepid inside.
  3. My entrecôte was as chewy as my walking boots and my roast potatoes were actually baked potatoes.
  4. Best of all, Scamp’s Mango Sorbet was actually a Blackcurrant Smoothie.

Gala Dinner showing off what the hotel can offer? I think not.

We did get to dance salsa again to Tina on the sax. Great fun for us and we got two rounds of applause!

Long day, some disappointments and some highlights. That’s what it’s all about.

PoD was a beautiful sunset over the hills.

As usual, no plans for tomorrow.

First full day in the sun – 5 March 2024

Woke around 7am and watched a glorious sunrise

Breakfast was fairly gentle affair. No big rush to get a table.

We walked in to Caleta town to see what changes there had been. Not a lot. Lots of the shops were closed on a Tuesday and a Wednesday, apparently. We’re guessing this is the low season.

Ice cream cones each and a seat in the sun.

Booked a special dinner for Thursday – Tex Mex. We did the other option (Italian) the last time we were here, five years ago.

Just for fun we  went to the kids club to see Pepe. Only a few kids in the club, but the main man was there and that made up for everything. Lots of mums and dads and grannies and grandpas up dancing along with the weans

Entertainment tonight was a rather aloof girl playing an electric cello. The only dancers on the floor were two Russian (?) girls performing what Loudon Wainwright called ” a modern dance”. Very arty, and they looked three sheets to the wind, but after last night, who am I to criticise? By the interval, half the audience had left, and we did too!

PoD was a picture of two bright red flowers in the hotel garden.

No plans for tomorrow.

Dancin’ – 2 March 2024

Today we drove to Brookfield for the first dance class in a while.

Last week I was under the weather and we cancelled. Two weeks ago we did go to the class, but I was not feeling well. That has been the extent of our dance classes this year. Today was better, just better, that’s all.

Class started with the LA Swing sequence dance. It’s a sort of Charleston thing, but nothing to do with Los Angeles. The ‘LA’ part stands for Lace Agate and it’s an exhausting piece of nonsense. I don’t mind telling you, I was knackered after two tracks of that.

Next was a more sedate Spring Waltz which started life as the Christmas Waltz, then the Winter Waltz and now the Spring Waltz. “Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent” as the voiceover for Dragnet used to say. After a tricky bit of cheating with the Back Corté being noted and corrected by Jane, it all started to flow. I actually got to like its elegance.

Another sequence dance, the Melody Foxtrot gave us a chance to relax, because we knew this one fairly well and were in the minority for that, because it seemed to be lost on some of the other dancers. It’s nice to shine at something.

Next was Jive. One of Jane’s favourites and she was adding in new patterns to this exhausting dance. Nothing difficult, just moves with fancy names. We got through them fairly easily.

The class finished with Scamp’s favourite ’Shivers’ by Ed Sheeran. Actually it was only three quarters of the track because Jane ‘accidentally’ pulled the plug on the tape machine and that put an early end to that. Scamp my never forgive her.

We drove home along a busy M8 much busier than the traffic we’d had going to Brookfield in the morning. I took the Kingston Bridge route for a change and I think that was a mistake, but we weren’t going anywhere in a hurry, luckily.

Dinner tonight was a stir-fry from M&S and it was OK, just OK. As Scamp would say, “it filled a space.”

PoD was a Christmas present from Hazy. It’s the top of a beetroot, growing in plain unadulterated water. It’s sitting in a perspex container on the window sill. It’s been growing for a couple of weeks now and I’m thinking of planting it outside in the greenhouse.
This is the third successful ‘plant’. The first two were a garlic clove and a cutting from a spring onion. Great idea Hazy.

Watched the first F1 GP of the year. It was interesting, but it was the usual suspects who were leading from the start. I think it’s time for something new.

No great plans for tomorrow. Maybe some tidying up now that the sketching and painting are over for a month or so.

The first day of Spring – 1 March 2024

Meteorological spring that is, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. A cold wind put paid to any thoughts of warm spring days.

We drove up to Tesco for messages, but they didn’t have the whisky I was looking for at a price I was willing to pay. I can wait. It will come down to a reasonable price soon.

One high point of the day was our Friday lunch in Brodens. Fish & Chips for two and a glass of Merlot for Scamp and a pint of Guinness for me. All the elements of the lunch were perfect, as usual.

I was tempted not to take a camera out later in the afternoon, but I went anyway. However I might as well have stayed home in the warm house for all the interest there was over in St Mo’s. My PoD was a branch of four catkins bolstering my belief that this is Spring, despite the cold and the wind.

It was good not to have to think about sketches and painting. But there’s a lot more to it than just the drawing. There’s the time it takes to get the sketch scanned, cleaned up and then there’s writing the story that I always like to add. After that I post the sketch to Flickr then Facebook and finally add it to EDiF and/or 28DL. It’s not just about painting pretty pictures. I may do it all again in May, all being well.

I’ve just been told that the dance class is on tomorrow. Don’t know what the ‘menu’ is yet, but it seems we have more than enough couples for a qourum.

 

The 29th day of February – 29 February 2024

It only happens once in every four years and today was it.

Scamp was out to lunch (again) with Isobel and I was out taking photos with Alex. She drove to the Village and I took the bus in to Glasgow. Maybe we were celebrating ‘family’ because of this special day. Or may be we were just out having lunch.

Alex and I met at the bus station and went for a coffee while we discussed our outline plan for the day. I suggested taking the subway to Kelvinbridge, taking some photos, having a Paesano pizza for lunch and taking in some architecture and graffiti. I was fairly sure this would suit Alex as well as me, and I was right.

There were a few places around Kelvinbridge that met both our requirements. I always find the way the Kelvin rushes over the rapids and down under the bridge a bit strange and unnerving. I can’t explain that, I just find it a bit nightmarish and it always draws me in to watch it again. It’s something to do with a bridge above me with the water of the River Kelvin running under me.

We left the Kelvin to do it’s stuff and walk up the hill to Paesano (West End). Fed and watered we walked down the steps that took us to the walkway above the Kelvin and over it to photograph both Mrs McChicken and also the Caledonian Mansions a restored sandstone building above us on the corner of Gt Western Road. Alex loves architecture and so do I to a certain extent. From there we returned to Gt Western Road and walked west to Byres Road.

While I was buying two books with a book token I got from Scamp at Christmas, Alex was off photographing a wee lane near the Spanish restaurant Scamp and I had visited on Monday. We met up again outside the book shop and headed towards the subway to go back to the city centre. It was there we found some lovely light on Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church and spent another twenty minutes or more photographing it from all angles. Alex demonstrating his ability to photograph the reflections of it on car bonnets and roofs. He is one of the most inventive photogs I know.

Finally we walked into the subway and as the train came in, Alex was asked by a lady who seemed three sheets to the wind whether that train went to Glasgow. It’s a strange question, because the trains follow two concentric routes round the city. All trains go to Glasgow! He tried to explain that to them and they got on anyway. It was all part of a big adventure to them. Unfortunately we were in the same carriage as them and were caught up in their conversations which revolved around Fascinators and Hats. I sense a wedding was in the offing. When they got off at Buchanan Street I distinctly heard one ask if the train went any further. To which the answer was probably YES and NO. It’s all to do with the concentricity.

We went on to St Enoch and found some more subjects to photograph. Centered around the Metropolitan Church of St Andrew and the reflection of it on the mirror glass of its next door neighbour.

Another coffee to prepare us for the bus home and we went our separate ways. I had 105 photos with three of them rejected. Alex had a lot more. It was a really good day. Good conversation and interesting photos. I look forward to sharing them soon.

Today’s PoD was the Caledonian Mansions building.
Today’s prompt was for Gold. I’m not a seeker of wealth, so generally don’t have much gold about my person. Neither do I have any fish, although I did used to have a few Goldfish and a lovely Shubunkan until the cat found it, but I digress. I chose a goldfish as my final sketch for EDiF 2024. Such a placid fish it only needed some air bubbled through the water in its tank and the occasional flake food. This was an official 15 minute sketch with about half an hour of paint splashing later.

Scamp seemed to have a good day with Isobel who is considering whether to have another knee op. Strangely, so is Alex’s wife thinking the same thing. She has an appointment with the doc tomorrow to discuss the likelihood of it getting done. Who knows, they may end up in the same ward!

No plans for tomorrow, but I’m hoping I won’t be doing any sketching for a wee while.

 

A dull day – 28 February 2024

One of those days when it started raining and forgot to stop.

Scamp was out at midday to go to a Witches Lunch in Moira’s house so I was left to my own devices. I decided I’d spend my time gathering together bits and pieces in the back bedroom. I got about halfway down my list and decided to have lunch. I was hoping the rain would take a lunch break too, but that didn’t happen. Like me it was busy and didn’t have time for frivolous things like stopping for an hour or so. It just changed from heavy rain to light rain and then back again.

Almost every day this week I’ve been blog writing almost to midnight. The sensible thing to do today would be to start with the sketch in the early afternoon and that would let me concentrate on the posting and writing earlier in the evening. I struggled to find something that would fit with today’s prompt “Navy”. My first though was a naval ratings hat. I sketched that, but it didn’t really look like it was intended to. I didn’t want a hat that Lord Nelson might wear, then I found an advert for a child’s duck shaped toy made to look like a sailor. That would do fine. I got the sketch done quite quickly, but the painting took ages. It wasn’t possible to use my ’Splashy’ technique. It had to be painted neatly and cleanly. I did manage to finish it and that ticked a box.

That made it coffee time and it looked like the rain had stopped. Of course as soon as I took a camera out it started again. I wasn’t going far, just into the garden. Five minutes of photography and I had enough for today. The subject was a tray of purple crocuses and with the right lens and a wide aperture I could almost blur out the roughcast in the background. Dunked into a couple of processing apps and it looks good.  That was PoD catered for.

Scamp got a lift home which saved me driving over to Moira’s to pick her up. Her day seemed to go well. Dinner tonight for us was a pizza from the freezer.

Still got a bit of work to do in the back bedroom, but I’m hoping to get most of it done by the weekend.

I’m intending going in to Glasgow to meet Alex tomorrow. Scamp may go and visit Isobel.

Watch for the tumbleweed – 27 February 2024

This morning we were out to visit Our Man In Falkirk.

Andrew was looking very relaxed today. No fancy shirt, but he was just as sharp as usual. He talked us through the last half year and made his predictions for the next year. He explained that the new software they are using was designed in New Zealand of all places and that it was made in the same place as the hobbits live. You have to listen carefully to his stories because he is quite adept at slipping in the occasional joke like that just to see if you are listening. We were. Apparently our previous company were using version 1 of the software, but we have the most up to date version. We both like the way he speaks. He doesn’t water things down, nor does he talk down to you. A very clever man who inspires confidence. Just watch for the jokes. He’s even a photographer who used to do his own developing and printing!

Scamp and I went for a walk when the interview was over, after being warned by him that there were a lot of good opportunities for Street Photography near Asda. That said with a nod and a wink. As we were walking up to what used to be the main street. I noticed a few worthies who fell into the category he was describing, but I did’t take any photos, just in case.

Scamp went to Bonmarche looking for bargains in the clothes. I went to Waterstones to get a couple of books. We both came away empty handed. Maybe I’ll get the books on Thursday when I’m hoping to meet Alex.

Scamp and I were amazed how far Falkirk had slid down the slippery slope. What was a busy Main Street, was now a ghost town. It’s incredible the difference in about five years. I think M&S was the first to go and from there it’s been closure after closure. I’m guessing Waterstones won’t be long before it pulls the plug on Falkirk too.

We drove home via Torwood, but there was almost no room in the carpark and we assumed the cafe would be the same. We drove home and stopped for supplies in Tesco instead.

I went for a walk after lunch and drove to Fannyside which is a great place for skies and cloudscapes. It didn’t let me down today. Two lovely landscapes with impressive cloudscapes, one mono and one in colour. Mono won PoD.

Dinner was Baked Potato and Beans. Not amazing, but yesterday’s lunch was so good, it would be difficult to beat it.

Today’s prompt was Peach
I probably should have tried painting this soft fruit in pastels, but Old Dogs and New Tricks led me back to watercolour. So here is my interpretation of Peach. I must practise more with those expensive chalky sticks. I’ll dig them out some day and make a different kind of mess.

Tomorrow Scamp is going for lunch at Moira’s house. I’ve things to do at home.

Going Spanish – 26 February 2024

Today we took the bus in to Glasgow. We were going for a late lunch.

“Late” because it should have been last week we went for lunch in Café Andaluz in the West End, but I really wasn’t at my best last week and thankfully Scamp got the date changed to today. The lunch was a Christmas gift from Scamp. Christmas seems such a long time ago now. We had a lovely lunch of five plates of tapas. Spanish black pudding, Chicken pieces on skewers, Patatas Bravas, Lamb tagine and Prawns in garlic oil, with sides of olives and bread and a glass of Sangria. Dessert was Churros for two! Just brilliant on such a lovely almost warm and very spring like day.

We had taken the X3 in to Glasgow and then while I went to get my hair cut, Scamp went browsing for sandals without success. Then we got he subway out to Kelvinbridge and I grabbed a few photos of the River Kelvin rushing over the rapids. From there we walked through the park and up the steps that led to Great Western Road. We walked past all the posh and weird shops that it’s been famous for, since I can remember. When we got to Byres Road we went looking for the restaurant which is well hidden in plain sight along a narrow lane.

We were far too early, so we went for a walk in the Botanic Gardens. We didn’t go to the Kibble Palace circular greenhouse today. Instead we walked up to the garden area which was covered with black polythene sheeting to heat up the soil ready for planting. It was when we were walking back I saw PoD which is a line of magenta coloured crocuses. They were shining so brightly in the sunlight, they just had to be the PoD.

We just had time for a gentle walk back to Café Andaluz and lunch.

When we were finished there, we walked down Byres Road checking out the shops that had changed and the ones that have been in the same place for years. I saw a couple of books I fancied, but I’d left my book token at home, so I hope I remember their names. I’m sure I will.

We had an afternoon drink in Oran Mor G&T for Scamp and an Innis & Gunn IPA for me. Quite fruity and almost floral. Worth paying extra for.

And that was us almost done. Subway back to Glasgow and a crowded X3 home. A lovely day.

I’d a bit of catching up to do. Two sketches to do. One for yesterday and one for today. Thankfully the blog for yesterday was done and posted on time

Yesterday’s first:

Yesterday’s prompt was Salmon.
This one took me a bit of time. First I had to get myself a new rod and reel and also some fly fishing line. Then I had to catch the fish. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, mainly because I went fishing at night. Not so many nosy folk out on the river asking if you have a license and things.
After an hour I had half a dozen decent sized salmon. I chose one the right size and got the sketch done and then splashed on the paint. Job done. Anyone want a salmon? Just don’t ask where it came from.

And today’s prompt was Rust.
I chose a rusty nail. Not the most exciting sketch ever, but it fulfilled the prompt. That’s the one on the right, by the way.
The other one is also a Rusty Nail. For those who have never heard of it, it’s a mixture of Whisky and Drambuie. Very nice!
The difference between the two is subtle. The first one is hit with a hammer. The second one, if you make it in a big enough glass, make you feel like you’ve been hit with a hammer!

Tomorrow we’re hoping to see the only man brave enough to wear a loud shirt in a built up area. Andrew.

Ah! That’s more like it – 24 February 2024

Feeling almost normal again. I’m keeping it at that. I’m not ready yet to say I feel human again!

A lazy morning today sitting in the sunshine in the living room. It had been freezing during the night and was still quite cool outside. We talked about what we wanted to do and where to go. Scamp suggested that Glasgow wasn’t really a good idea at weekends and I agreed. Her second suggestion was Chatelherault for a ‘gentle’ walk. That fitted the bill for me, so we gathered together all the things we needed for a walk and drove over to a rather busy carpark near the “Big House”. The house was the hunting lodge of the Duke of Hamilton, but is now a busy and expensive (so I’m told) wedding venue. Since a ‘gentle’ walk was to be the order of the day I suggested walking down past the steel cut out figures of William Wallace, Robert Owen and David Livingstone. Usually a good photo opportunity, if the sun is playing nice, but it wasn’t today.

The path splits after them. One route takes you to the Old Avon Bridge and is quite scenic, but you have a long slog back up the hill again. The other route takes you through the woods, high above the Avon Water and back to the car park again with the option of stopping at the cafe. We chose the second option.

There were a family in front of us who were with a man in a motorised wheelchair. He seemed to be making heavy weather of the first climb up through a muddy path. By the time we caught up with them he was stuck fast between two exposed tree roots. Couldn’t go forward and couldn’t go back. We offered to help them, but the woman who I reckon was the his daughter said thanks but they’d manage. They seemed to thing that if they got past the tree roots everything would be fine from there. The wheelchair looked really new, but if he kept trying forward and reverse he was going to flatten his battery. Eventually the woman said “NO! WE’RE GOING BACK!” I thought at that point the boss had spoken. In retrospect, it was the correct decision.

We said Good Luck and walked on. It was heavy going for a while climbing up through puddles, burns and mud, then the path firmed up and dried up too. We carried on and a couple coming from the opposite direction told us it was pretty muddy the way we were going. We thanked them, and noticed that they were wearing ordinary town shoes. Just near the end of the path we discovered what they were talking about. The path dropped away in a steep slope that was almost pure mud. The centre 400mm or so was fairly dry and navigable. How the bloke would have kept control of the wheelchair in that I hate to think. Anyway, the worst was behind us.

We got to the cafe and Scamp grabbed a table while I stood in a queue for 20 mins or more but got two scones with jam and clotted cream and two coffees. The last two scones at that. Paid for them and for a pot of marmalade I’d picked up we enjoyed our lunch.
Note to self: The coffee in the Cafe is excellent. This is not Costa coffee!! It’s safe to drink.

Drove home and parked, then walked down to the shops to get a couple of small pizzas for dinner.

PoD was a view looking up the hill at The Big House as Alex calls it with a heavy sky behind it. Partly processed in Lightroom, partly in ON1. I’ve decided it has its uses.

Today’s prompt was Ruby.
I thought a Ruby ring was the easiest and simplest thing to draw. Simplest, yes. Easiest? Nothing to do with reflections and refractions is ever going to be easy, but this is my answer anyway.

Felt so much better after that walk in the woods. They say that walking in pine woods is good for the respiration. Perhaps it is. Perhaps I was just happy to be outside in the air again.

No plans for tomorrow, but maybe Sea Bass for dinner!