Month: September 2014

It was an early start. The alarm buzzed at 4:00am and after a swift breakfast we were off to the airport. Got the tickets and waited for the call to gate. Basically, everything went fine apart from a 90min transfer to the hotel, but we were warned about that. Once we got to the hotel the problem appeared. It would appear that Barrhead Travel had taken our money, issued us the documentation but hadn’t booked the hotel! To give the hotel staff their due, they sorted things out swiftly and we got a 2nd floor room with a sea view. Beautiful sunny and hot day.

Sunset over the Sanctuary of San Salvidor in Mallorca

Poor wee spider sitting in its wet web in the early morning drizzle.

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The Titan crane at Clydebank.

After Clydebank we went to Loch Lomond, well, Lomond Shores – just more shops.  Then the Titanic struggle of the home journey along the M8.  I consoled myself by remembering that I was only travelling that way once.  Some unlucky punters have to face that nightmare every day.

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… turn to brown. Apparently it’s all to do with the sugar.

It was a relaxing day … once we came back from Falkirk after seeing the F.A.  A weight lifted from both our shoulders.  Expensive, but hopefully worth every penny.

Golden Bowl for dinner tonight and saw these leaves on the walk over to Condorrat.  That Panasonic 20mm f1.7 lens is a true cracker.  Cropped and some sharpening in Lightroom5 then colours emphasized in Intensify.

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With all the hype about the iPhone 6, there are those who say the camera in the iPhone 4 is inferior.  This is the result on a dull day, wide open at 1/15th in my unsteady hands. It’s certainly good enough for me.  Straight out of the camera, almost.  Only cropping done in Lightroom.

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Went for a walk as usual this morning from Auchinstarry.  Weather was no great, but soon it became quite dismal.  Drizzly rain by evening.

This was the view from the canal at Auchinstarry.  It was the last bit of sunshine we saw.  The view was a bit uninspiring although I did like the patch of sun on the hills.  I did what I could in Lightroom and then passed control over to Intensify, allowing it to bring out more detail and also to intensify (no pun intended – but it is a good name for the prog) the colours.  The final result is not really representative of what I saw, more like what I’d have liked it to look like.

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My painting palette.  Painting is becoming a messy hobby.

It’s strange really.  Way back in the early ’70s I was dead keen on painting.  Then in 1974, I decided I’d get an SLR camera to take photos that would be subjects for a painting.  Little did I know that photography would take over completely from painting for the next 30 odd years.  Now that I’ve retired and have a lot more time on my hands, I can once again start painting and maybe, just maybe I’ll be able to use photographs as subjects for my painting.  It’s started.  I’ve already done one painting from a photo.  Who knows what will happen now.

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We went to Perth today.  We got coffee, tea and an excellent lunch for me at Cafe Tabou.  S didn’t have such a good lunch and was feeling under the weather on the way home.  However, a few voddies tonight helped her forget her woes (hope she doesn’t read this!).  The town was mobbed with maddies of the YES! and NO THANKS! persuasions, all steadfastly trying to sway the undecided and uncaring middle ground.  As one old guy we saw in the park said as he ripped off his sticky badge, “It’s a load of shite”.  Never a truer word spoken.

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By the way, if you scroll down, you’ll see what the folk above were so interested in.

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I never did like the idea of wearing chest high waders, but this bloke seemed quite at home up to his oxters in Tay water.  He was drawing a lot of admiring glances from the watchers on the shore, but he didn’t seem to be raising any fish, far lest netting them.  Lovely clear water too.

Used to be called a SP in photographic circles, but I’ll revert to the now universal ‘Selfie”. It reminded me of the cover for Bill Wells and Aiden Moffat’s “Everything’s Getting Older” album. There’s probably a good reason for that.

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Went for a walk along the Luggie this afternoon.  It’s the first time I’ve been there in ages.  Probably around 10 -15 years.  It’s not changed much and it was an interesting walk.  Lots of mating dragonflies round one of the ponds.

Spider webs get everywhere.  I liked the way these cow parsley seedheads were being pulled by the spider webs.

Seen in Leckie’s in Falkirk. Always worth a browse to see what bargains they have in today. It looks as if they are selling single gloves for £5.50 or £10.00 for a pair. A real bargain for the one armed man.

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