So long 2025. It wasn’t the best year.
Hopefully 2026 will be an improvement.
Not much time to talk, The clock is catching me up.
See you in 2026.
Month: December 2025
Over to Fife – 30 December 2025
We got the bus to the town centre and another bus to Dunfermline. We were off to Fife!
We woke to a fairly heavy frost. The poor wee bluetits were having a hard time getting through the ice on the bird bath. It didn’t seem as if there would be much bathing there today. We were running just a wee bit too late to catch the early bus to the Town Centre, but we waited and caught the next one. I wasn’t going to drive today, thank you very much! Another wait in Cumbersheugh bus station where the temperature was slightly higher than the 0ºc temperature outside in the stance. On other days I’d have said it was freezing, but that one degree or so of warmth inside the waiting room made all the difference. The bus arrived right on time and we were off to Dunfermline.
First stop was for a coffee in Nero. For the second time recently I had a decent cup of coffee. Coffee that tasted as strong as it should have. Not watery, not lacking crema. Just coffee as it should be. Two wee cakes to keep the wolves from the door and we were ready to go for a walk in Pittencrieff Park.
We walked over to the park, but alas the door to the glasshouses was locked and a sign saying essential maintenance was underway. For once, it did look as if there was work being done, so we continued round behind the rose beds and over the hill that would take us back in to the town.
I wanted some cloth to make a couple of bow ties. I knew there was a fabric shop on the Main Street and found it quite easily. The girl who served me was really helpful and almost talked me into buying a pattern for a man’s necktie, but since neither she nor I could work out what some of the terms were, I decided to shelf it until I had a better idea what it was going to look like. Instead, I got two pieces of fabric to make a couple of bow ties. That’s not to say that I’ve given up the idea of making a normal tie, it’s just that it’s on the back burner for now!
Neither of us could really commit ourselves to lunch, so we went looking for a yearly wall calendar for Scamp and a book for me, but we could find neither of these objects, so we headed home and arrived at the bus station in Dunfermline just in time to catch the Glasgow Express. Even better, the X3 was due in five minutes back in Cumbersheugh and we hopped on.
Back home, dinner was a plate of Minestrone soup courtesy of John next door. They have both been good at feeding us soup lately. Maybe we’re looking too thin and they’re trying to feed us up? I really don’t think we need it.
PoD was a photo of Pittencrieff House looking splendid in the sunshine. I almost included a couple of photos taken with an Olympus E-PL5, an ancient camera from around 2012 vintage. A lovely wee camera. It still works!
Tomorrow is the last day of 2025 and the weather looks even colder. It’s -3.7ºc just now!
Off shopping – 29 December 2025
Looking for somewhere new to take our trolley through.
I decided it wouldn’t be Tesco, so that left Morrison’s or Waitrose.
Again, I chose, and it was Morrisons. Now which Morrisons?
There were two options:
1. The Fort (it would be busy)
2. Morrisons in Falkirk (it’s traffic light city!)
Between us we made the choice of The Fort and headed off as soon as we could. Two spaces when we left the house and headed on to the motorway.
The Fort itself was busy, not excessively busy, but busy enough. The bonus of going to any of the Morrison’s is the breadth and availability of the produce. I think it’s better than Tesco, but for the ‘thing you forgot’ Tesco wins. Morrison’s lived up to its promise and soon we were heading home. Unfortunately I got in the wrong lane and that means a drive round and round the circular car park until you can find the way out. It took me two tries before I could find my way out of the maze. Then it was just an easy drive home.
When we got home there were still two spaces in our car park, but by the time I’d unloaded the car those spaces had been taken. Driving is crazy at this time of year. My cousin had an answer to it. He said you should treat everyone on the road as a drunk. That’s a really good idea. I’ve used it often, especially at this time of year.
Lunch was a ‘well fired roll’ (the means black!) filled with a banana. Then Scamp sat me down and between us we chose an ‘under counter’ freezer to replace the very old one in the hall. It arrives on Friday and cost a lot less than the equivalent model in Currys. Sorted.
I went out in the afternoon to grab some photos. The best of a bad lot was a dried up Willow Herb which, with a bit of care and attention became PoD.
It was pasta for dinner, it being Monday. Scamp wasn’t really impressed with it, but I liked the different sauces and spices that went in to it.
We watched our trilogy of quiz programs later and Scamp beat me hands down getting most of the answers correct. I must work harder at these quizzes.
Tomorrow we may take the bus somewhere interesting.
A very dull day – 28 December 2025
The sun just didn’t want to take part in today’s photos. I don’t know why. Maybe he/she had a hard night yesterday and was resting.
It certainly was a dull day. We didn’t even leave the house, but we did go for a wander in the garden, seeing some evidence of plants showing their green spikes here and there.
After lunch, I forced myself to go for a walk round the pond. Plenty of folk out fishing. They didn’t look as if they had caught much of anything, but they had plenty of tackle with them and they weren’t doing anybody any harm. I left them to their pursuits.
One and a half times round the pond was enough to tell me I was fighting a losing battle and I went home, not exactly empty handed, but with only a very few shots in the bag. Then I found that the bag itself had a tear in the zip and wouldn’t close. Not a good end to a dull day.
Dinner was a baked potato each with different toppings for both of us. A glass of Port later gave us a little bit of brightness and an ice lolly each cemented the good feeling.
We watched an absolutely awful “Two Doors Down”. It was awful. It was like a kids program with too much swearing. I will not watch that program again. Not quite so bad, but still in the Awful category was a Christmas edition of Death In Paradise. Another hour of my life I won’t ever get back. Thank goodness for Celebrity University Challenge. At least someone makes good TV.
PoD was a walker, just visible mid, left walking round St Mo’s pond. Now you see what I meant with “A very dull day.”
Right, that’s grump over. Tomorrow I believe we may be going shopping.
Walking in the woods – 27 December 2025
Another dull day. Not a lot of photogenic light, so I had to make do with what I had.
Scamp and I went for a walk to the shops in the late morning and came home with two big bags of stuff we thought we couldn’t do without. It wasn’t until we were walking home I realised just how heavy these shopping bags were. I know now! When we got home, the light hadn’t improved much, but just enough that would make it worthwhile to take a camera for a walk.
<Technospeak>
I brought my A7c with the intention of bolting on a 16-35mm lens, but instead I stuck with the 10-18mm I already had on the camera and one possibility after another made me appreciate that little lens more and more. It’s actually an APS-C lens, designed for use with a ‘crop sensor’ which means the camera wants to reduce the size of the image by ‘cropping’ the top, bottom and each side and throwing away all that useful image space. I read somewhere that occasionally an APS-C can almost cover the full frame sensor and this one certainly can. With care, you can get a decent shot from this little wonder lens. That’s what I did today.
</Technospeak>
My first target was the boardwalk over the pond, but the light just wasn’t great, so I wandered over to a fallen tree and shot a few frames before I saw the Dandelion sprawled over the roots and each ripped out when the tree was blown down earlier in the year. Another few shots and I was engrossed in taking different angles. Finally, I dragged myself away and looked for other topics, but happy with the photos I had.
I’d decided to make a loaf. A better one than yesterday’s. I checked with ’Numbers’ what the best proportions were and made a decent looking loaf. I kept it in the living room because the heat in there would help the dough ‘prove’ enough to make it expand and get the yeast working. After an hour it was looking pretty good. It’s so long since I’ve baked any bread, but Scamp asked me if I was using the ‘basket’ and I remembered the woven basket that you use to allow the bread to expand into. Long story short, the bread looks good, although I haven’t cut it open yet. I’ll leave it for breakfast tomorrow, if I can resist the smell of fresh bread long enough.
We watched a few things on catch-up, but there wasn’t all that much to whet our appetite, so I read for a while, checked out the photos and by then it as almost time to go to bed. That’s almost exactly where I am just now. I’m intending reading for an hour before I go to bed.
Hopefully we’ll have better weather tomorrow. Some sun would be good.
Boxing Day – 26 December 2025
Thankfully no boxes were found on this cold day.
Not a lot to say about the day, other than the sun came out to play for a very short time. I did get a few photos over in St Mo’s, mainly with the Lensbaby with a Sweet 35 lens. I wasn’t altogether happy with the results, but I really needed better lighting to make the most of this curious lens. Maybe tomorrow.
I’d promised to make a loaf yesterday, but I forgot. I did come good on my promise today, but the first attempt was a bit of a disaster. The second try produced a loaf that was edible, but only if you were desperate. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll manage the ‘Goldilocks’ loaf (not too soft, not too hard, Just Right).
Dinner tonight was chicken soup. That means it was yesterday’s chicken used to bolster today’s vegetable soup and despite Scamp’s complaints about it needing something to strengthen the flavour, I found it really good. Lots more for tomorrow in the pot, so plenty of time to improve the texture and taste.
PoD went to a close up of a cow parsley reduced to the claws of the plant. No seeds or seedpods left, the birds must have been needing the extra feeding the seeds provide.
We watched White Christmas. Some amazing dancing in a film that had quite a few old stars in it some of whom were singing about Dreaming of a White Christmas that was a possibility in the days when it was filmed, but which doesn’t seem to be likely this year. A feel-good film. We also watched a Paddington film we’ve seen again.
Hoping to get out somewhere tomorrow, even if it has to be on the bus.
Christmas – 25 December 2025
A chance to catch up with friends and family.
It was just the two of us this year, but with Jamie and Hazy setting things up we had a three way connection over WhatsApp. One pair in Trinidad, one pair in London and one pair in Scotland. We had a good half hour or so chatting away to each other, then it was time to say goodbyes and sign out. Isn’t technology wonderful when it works.
It was still dry at home, so we went for a fairly long walk round Broadwood Loch, but Scamp didn’t have boots with her, so it was the shorter walk rather than the longer version she would have preferred. I got a few photos, but not very many. It wasn’t really cold out, but not very welcoming either with a damp feeling in the air. We passed a few folk out walking and exchanged the usual “Merry Christmas” greetings.
Back home, lunch was Scrambled Eggs on Toast with Smoked Salmon. A posh lunch for a special day. Later in the afternoon and while the chicken was roasting in the oven, I took two cameras out for a walk in St Mo’s. Why two cameras? I have no idea. I looked in my bag and there were two cameras there and it seemed a shame not to take both.
I got a few photos, but the light was poor. Then as I was walking round the pond the sun shone for a few minutes and I got the shot I was hoping for with the light just touching the tops of the reeds. One in the bag and a keeper to boot!. The rest of the walk was less productive because by that time the sun had sunk below the treelike and darkness wouldn’t be far away.
By the time I got back to the house, cooking was in full swing. I’d completely forgotten that I was to bake bread today and the chicken was still in the oven, so regretfully I left the loaf until tomorrow.
The chicken when it came out from its tinfoil cover smelled exactly like a chicken should, but had to wait another half hour before Scamp would deem it safe to eat.
So, Starter was fresh Prawn Cocktail followed by Breast of Chicken for Scamp and a portion of breast for me with a Drumstick as well. Both were served with Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts and Buttered Carrots. Dessert was a lovely trifle.
We watched a silly little Sewing Bee spin off. Nothing worth watching. Then the final, final of Strictly which I didn’t watch because I was working on today’s PoD. Any excuse to avoid the nonsense.
No plans for tomorrow. Maybe another walk if the weather holds, but nothing grand. Boxing Day is another day for relaxation.
Relaxing Day – 24 December 2025
A much more relaxing day after yesterday’s busy, busy.
Blue skies and sunshine greeted us this morning. Up fairly early, but didn’t go out until the sun had warmed the garden a bit.
Just about lunch time we went for a walk to the shops to get some things for Scamp to make a trifle, plus odds and ends we’d forgotten. M&S was really quite busy, but they’s put some thought into laying out their aisles a bit more sensibly, allowing more people to get to the checkouts, except this was Cumbersheugh and too many people looked at the people manning the empty tills and looked away again. What’s the use of having a cleverly planned set of aisles when the shoppers are too stupid to use them. They just follow the person like cattle.
Rant over.
We walked back up to the house and I went for a walk in St Mo’s. The bright sun was really too low to get decent lighting, but I did find one or two shots worth taking. PoD went to a thorny wild rose stem.
Not long after I’d returned, Scamp was complaining that she didn’t have the tinned fruit she thought she had, so I volunteered to go get some from the wee local shop. I even found they sold ready made and measured do it yourself trifle kits, so I got one of them as well as a tin of mixed fruit. I took a camera with me, but didn’t take anything with it.
Dinner was Fish Risotto and for dessert we had the remaining Pastéis de Nata, one each. These ones were Bramley Apple flavour. Expensive, but delicious.
We watched another Christmas Mastermind and then the 1946 It’s a Wonderful Life. I’d never seen it before and neither had Scamp. Absolutely brilliant.
Still a few things to do tonight, but I’m running late and need to get to bed before Santa does his rounds. Hope you all have a great Christmas and look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow, all being well.
Out on the town – 23 December 2025
Just me and a camera. Scamp wasn’t invited. This was a man’s Christmas Shopping expedition.
Actually, it was a bit early for Christmas shopping, if I’m truthful. Usually I try to get all my prezzies organised and bought by the end of play on the 24th, and today was only the 23rd. But, let’s not quibble about a day, I was in shopping mode.
First I dropped in at the Apple shop, trying to find out why I couldn’t get the same controls on my iMac that I have on my MBP. It was while I was explaining the problem with a Genius that I realised my mistake. It wasn’t an Apple problem, it was a Lightroom one. Apple and Adobe are two different companies and I was trying to cure an Adobe problem by talking to an Apple person. He did offer a solution which went part way to become the answer, but emphasised that he was speaking as an Apple authority, not an Adobe rep. I thanked him and left before I made any more foolish mistakes.
I walked back down Buchanan Street going over and over what he said and taking a few photos too. PoD went to the Balloon Man who stands at the corner of Buchanan Street and Gordon Street, twisting and turning balloons into squeaky shapes that balloons aren’t really meant to be twisted into. It’s only when you examine his twists and turns, you realise what he’s doing and the shape suddenly changes from a saggy balloon into a Mickey Mouse or a Bow and Arrow. The best thing about him is that he never speaks to the adults, only the kids. They love him and listen intently to his stories. Clever guy!
I wandered further down Buchanan Street, but the light was getting poor, so I headed back up and made the daft decision to get the subway out to Byres Road to buy another box of Pastéis de Nata for Scamp and me to share. Well, I had lots of time, and could afford to be daft. I was standing right outside the entrance to the underground, so went in and I got a return ticket. About twenty minutes later, I emerged from the same entrance with my yellow box of little pies. On the way I picked up the last of my Christmas Presents and headed for the bus. I loaded my phone with some new music and relaxed into the music, gazing at the darkening sky as the bus took me home.
Back home, Scamp suggested I use up a couple of egg yolks to make Pasta Carbonara. It’s ages since I last made it and I think I made a good fist of it, although I must admit it wasn’t my best, but practise will help there.
We watched a couple of Christmas University Challenge programs. One fairly up to date, presented by Amol Rajan and another a bit older, chaired by Jeremy Paxman. Two totally different approaches to the same quiz.
We got some photos from Jamie and Simonne from Trinidad. It looks lovely, even if Jamie was bitten a fair bit by midges!
That was about it for the day. Dinner was good. Pastéis de Nata were good. What’s not to like
Hopefully tomorrow will consist of wrapping prezzies and tidying. Wrapping can be fun, but tidying? Maybe not so much!
Shopping and Fruit Flies – 22 December 2025
Out this morning for a bit of shopping. At least, shopping for Scamp.
I dropped Scamp off at Tesco and headed for somewhere that would be redacted if I’d posted it here, so must remain a secret. Unfortunately I didn’t find what I was looking for, so drove back, picked up Scamp with the ‘messages’ and we drove home for lunch.
Thankfully we got parked fairly easily. The parking in our street is a bit hit or miss at times. Today was one of those strange days when there were lots of spaces when we left, but only one when we returned from Tesco. Parked the car and left it there for the rest of the day.
After lunch which was roasted cheese on white bread, with dried basil sprinkled over the melting cheese(try it sometime. Cinnamon sprinkles work too). I went for a walk over to St Mo’s. It’s a strange looking pond now that the water level has dropped by about 75mm. Also, the pond weed is much thicker than it should be at this time of the year.
Today’s walk took me over behind St Mo’s school (all the kids are on holiday) then out into the woods where I found today’s PoD which is Amber Jelly Fungus on some winter trees. Odd looking fungi whose colour does look like amber. I also got a couple of nice cloud photos that I must plumb into Photoshop to be a home made cloudscape background.
Dinner was Sea Bream with Potatoes and although the fish was quite small and thin, was delicious. Scamp wasn’t so complimentary.
We’ve been pestered by tiny little fruit flies in the house. We can’t find out where they are coming from, but I’ve found a way of getting rid of them. Scamp has been experimenting with little jars of Apple Cider Vinegar with a drop of washing up liquid to reduce the surface tension. The top of the jar is covered with cling film with holes punched in the top. The flies are attracted by the smell of the cider vinegar and crawl down through the holes then fall into the liquid and drown due to the reduced surface tension. It works, but takes quite a lot of time.
I’ve chosen to use my battery powered tennis bat You may remember Jaime having one in Trinidad. It makes a lovely crack as it despatches the flies. Other than that, we didn’t do much today.
Tomorrow I may get the bus in to Glasgow to get the final prezzy that I’d hoped to get today.