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Hunting Beasties – 12 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

We went as far as the shops today. Only a 15minute walk. Better than nothing.

We were looking for batteries for a couple of garden lights. Plenty of the wrong type of batteries, but none of the ones we wanted. I suppose we could have driven up to the town centre, but to be honest, neither of us could be bothered. I may go in to Glasgow today or tomorrow on a battery hunt, but it depends on the weather.

Actually, today was quite a clear day. Plenty of blue skies and light clouds, but cold. I went out later to see if there was anything worth photographing. I don’t know why I went for a walk in the woods, clambering over fallen trees everywhere. Halfway through my walk I found an old friend. It’s an Orange Sixteen Spot Ladybird (Halyzia sedecimguttata) to give it its posh Sunday name. Just about the length of the nail on my ring finger and tucked into a crevice in a tree. Apparently they don’t feed on aphids like most ladybirds, but on mildew on trees like oak, sycamore and ash. It’s amazing what you find out when you go walking through the woods. That was my PoD.

While I was out, I bumped into a man walking his dog. I’ve spoken to him in passing many times, just saying ‘Hello’, or a comment on the weather. Today he stopped and said he was intrigued by me walking round St Mo’s pond with a camera. I told him about my plan to take a photo every day and just laughed. He is a bit older than me, but strangely enough, he and his family had moved into Cumbersheugh not long before we did. Like us, he complained about the way the estate has gone down hill these days. I think I’ve bumped into him most weeks for about ten years and this is the first time we’ve said more than ‘Hello’ to each other. It’s good to talk, sometimes.

Scamp and I did go over to the shops which were crowded with loads of folk, all doing their best to get stuff, any stuff from the shelves, because the shops wouldn’t be open on Christmas Day! What will we do if the shops are shut? We’ll all starve!! We did get some cheap tinned anchovies in Lidl, though, so the walk was not in vain.

Scamp’s now got Jamie’s wee tree draped in coloured lights. In the afternoon they look quite good, but at night the shine really brightly. A few other bits and pieces are adorning the inside of the house too. It is beginning to look like Christmas.

No great plans for tomorrow. The Dyson has been put on the back burner for now, so we’ll see what the sales bring, if anything worthwhile. We may go to the last evening dance of the year later tomorrow.

Out in the country – 11 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Today we drove out to The Smiddy near Blair Drummond. Expensive, but good food.

It was a surprise trip for Isobel, just to get her out of the house after a week of dull, cold, windy days. We all need a wee break now and again. It was a fairly easy drive, out towards Stirling, turn left and just keep going until you reach the smiddy. For any non-Scots, a Smiddy is a blacksmith’s workshop. There is no smiddy there anymore, but the restaurant has a rustic feel to it.

Isobel had soup, Scamp had Mac ’n’ Cheese and I had a Minute Steak Baguette. All of it seemed to go down well and nobody complained. Before I could stop her, Isobel was up at the till paying for the lunch. It was supposed to be a treat for HER, not for us! Anyway, the ladies went for a wander round the shop, I bought myself four fat sausages and went for a walk to get some landscape shots. Except, when I took the camera out of the bag, the card door was open and my face fell. There was no SD card in the camera and I didn’t have one in my bag or in the car. Oh well, I’d just have to find another wonderful shot somewhere else.

After we drove back and dropped Isobel at her house, I went for a walk in our garden and found a Christmas Rose flowering brightly under the Buddleia bush. That was one in the bag. On the way back we had stopped off at M&S in Cumbersheugh to get some things for later. One of them was a packet of Gingerbread Mug Hangers. They looked so good I couldn’t resist doing a tabletop shot of one of them. His name is Duncan, because he’s really good for Dunkin’ in your tea or coffee! He became PoD.

We watched another episode of Portrait Artist and although I couldn’t say the best artist won, I would say it was really well done.

I went up in the loft, later in the afternoon and with help from Scamp we managed to bring down the Christmas Tree, three boxes of decorations, two bags of different decorations and the Snowman table cover. Scamp did almost all of the tree decorations as usual while Joni Mitchell sang the entire ‘Blue’ album without a mistake. The Snowman table cover has been allowed to warm up and unroll and is now on the table. Numerous battery powered lights have been checked and new batteries fitted, although we’ll need more over the weekend. Of course the Fairy is in her place at the top of the tree and Fairy Nuff is in her place on the tree. The letter has been read and all seems to be well in the world.

We have no definite plans for tomorrow, but we’re looking for a new Dyson Cordless Vacuum and prices seem to be quite good at the moment.

The Gas Man Cometh – 10 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

We’d booked a service on our boiler and the engineer was coming today, maybe early.

As it happened, he wasn’t that early, arriving about 10am. The service only took about 40 minutes. He’d noticed Scamp’s Essential Tremor and told us that one of the people whose boiler he works on has a special vibrating watch that temporarily numbs the effects of the tremor. It’s got a chargeable battery, but no face, presumably to make it look like a normal digital watch that defaults to a black screen. We might look into it. Good of him to suggest it.

When he’d gone, we had a sandwich and a coffee and then I had some shopping to do. I drove to The Fort and felt the car still get a buffeting when I was out on the open road, all courtesy of Storm Bram that was still roaming around.

I couldn’t believe just how busy The Fort was. Loads and loads of people buying ‘things’, anything that they could get their hands on. I wanted to go to Hobbycraft to get some fabric to make a new bowtie for the evening dance at Brookfield on Saturday. The selection was poor, much poorer than I’ve seen it before. Also, the queues for tacky Xmas things extended half way down the shop, so I gave it up and went looking for a book in Waterstones, with no luck there either. I finally came home with some odds and ends from M&S. I may go looking again on Friday, all being well.

While I was galavanting in Glasgow, Scamp was putting up more new curtains, this time in the bedroom. She’d also washed the inside of the windows too, the rain battering on the outside of the windows kind of put her off washing the outsides.

When I got home she started making a curry and it both smelled good and tasted good. Hotter than we expected with plenty of flavour.

We watched the final episode of Shetland. Everything was explained down to the finest detail. Now we just have to wait and hope for a new story in the series, all things being equal.

Today’s PoD was a view along the avenue of The Fort with its sparkly lights.

Tomorrow we may take Isobel out for lunch at the Smiddy near Blair Drummond if the weather holds, and we may even bring her back with us if she behaves herself!

Wild and Windy – 9 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Today began with a trip to Tesco.

Just a shopping expedition for the basics, fruit, veg, cereals. All the usual stuff that we need to stock up on, and one of the reasons we need a car. Imagine having to carry, drag, haul a trolley full of shopping the couple of miles to the house without a car, any car. Life would be impossible without one, but for my mum it was just a way of life. Granted, we didn’t live far from our local Co-op, but we didn’t have a car, so carrying stuff was the norm.

Anyway, we do have a car and it was loaded with all the aforementioned ‘stuff’ then between us, Scamp and I carried it from the car to the house. We had just closed the front door when there was an almighty downpour. I had been going out for a walk, but decided it would be better to give it a chance to calm down a bit first.

After lunch I did get to go for that walk over to St Mo’s because according to the weather reports it was going to be windy later. Not a particularly cold day, but a breezy one. I was glad I did go, because I spooked at least three deer. One adult and two juveniles. These were the first deer I’d seen in St Mo’s for months. I was beginning to think they had fallen foul the local nutters, but, although I didn’t manage to get a photo of the deer, I did see them so they are doing well.

PoD turned out to be a slightly edited version of a shot looking along the boardwalk in St Mo’s that shows just how high the water from last night’s rain had been. Further round the pond the water was pouring through the outfall, but the path was still flooded too deep even for my trusty boots, so I did what I usually do and walked back around the pond and then home. By about 4pm Storm Bram was ramping up and even now at just about 9.30pm it’s still rambling around us, but maybe not just as fiercely.

Scamp and I managed to put the new curtains up this afternoon and they do look very good. I think we’re both pleased with them. They should keep the living room much cosier in these windy days. I say Scamp and I, but she was determined to climb up on the tv table and do all the fancy hooking and I was left to hold her hand when she wanted down.

We’re hoping to get out somewhere tomorrow if the wind calms down a bit more.

Out on the Town – 8 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Nothing exciting, no parties and no drinking. Just shopping for stuff to go to Santa.

Scamp had the whole thing organised. Bus in to Glasgow on a wet, drizzly day. Through Buchanan Galleries passing JL on the way into a shop in Buchanan Street then across the street to yet another shop. Across the street to one more shop, then along Argyle Street to Next to get a shiny top for Scamp and M&S where I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

Bumped into Lorna and Andrew from Kirsty’s class. Then we managed to find an empty couple of seats in Nero and had a short respite from the walking, taking time out for a cake and a coffee.

Fed and watered, we walked up to Tiso to get proofer for my Rab jacket, but discovered we didn’t need it, because it’s lined with Goretex. We walked back up to JL to get new curtains (Strawberry Thief by William Morris – very posh) for our bedroom then we got the bus home.

Except … the bus broke down on the slip road of the motorway and we had to wait for a mechanic to come and fix it, which only took about ten minutes, either that or the driver had forgotten his dinner time piece box, then we were on our merry way back to Cumbersheugh.

I lost count of the shops we visited today, but none of them were selling cameras or lenses, so they were no fun at all.

We just got in to the house when Scamp’s phone beeped. It was Kirsty to say that since it would only be us at the evening’s class, she was thinking of cancelling. We agreed and could relax.

Next thing to do was to convert our Virgin V6 box to a Virgin TV 360. The remote and the instructions had dropped through our letterbox in the morning before we left on our whistlestop tour of the shops in Glasgow. After a false start, everything just worked. Now we have a whizzo box that does everything except make the tea. Scamp had it sussed in no time at all. I just sat there and watched, making the occasional sarky comment.

PoD was a girl playing bagpipes in Buchanan Street in Glasgow. I felt sorry for her. What she played was lovely, but she looked cold.

Tomorrow I believe we may be going shopping. Just local shopping for necessities.

Another sleepy wakening – 7 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

After yesterday’s late rising, I had hoped today would have been better, but it wasn’t.

I really need to go to bed earlier. Granted, yesterday was busy and the day before, but I really need to get to bed the same day I wake up, starting today.

Today wasn’t nearly as busy as yesterday. Neither of us went very far. Scamp made her usual trio of small Christmas cakes and baked them, filling the room with that lovely scent you only get from baked fruit, spices, alcohol and dough. Scamp has it carefully measured, both the dough and the baking time/temperature.

While she was baking I was out walking with the A7iii and did find a couple of decent shots of desiccated plant stems and seeds. I almost got a shot of a cormorant in the pond, but didn’t quite catch it before is swam away. I’m always amazed at the distance these birds can swim underwater. St Mo’s pond is quit murky looking and it’s a wonder they can see where they are going.

Dinner was minestrone soup followed by Giovani Rana ravioli. After that it was time to watch the final f1 race of the year with a trio of drivers vying for first place. I won’t say who won, but it was a strange race with a lot to tactics in play.

We watched another episode of Strictly and we were both surprised at the pair who left the competition. Now it’s all down to four.

Spoke to Jamie and heard about all the plans that are now coming together for the month ahead.

We’re hoping to go in to Glasgow tomorrow if the weather is conducive.

Slept in – 6 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Well, we both sort of slept in this morning, but managed the day quite well after that.

Saturday mornings can be a bit of a problem. We have to be up early, have breakfast, and be out to face the drive to the dance class in one synchronised movement, or so it seems. Today the synchro was broken and we were still yawning, but fed, when we headed west on the M8. Thankfully we weren’t the last to arrive.

I wasn’t looking forward to today’s class. I just knew it was going to be filled with more Samba nonsense … but it wasn’t! Instead it was a mixture of dance styles we’d seen before or danced before, but had forgotten. I can’t quite remember the format, but there was a form of Argentine Tango that Scamp said she’d seen, a Christmas Pudding dance, performed to “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas”, a couple of sequence dances that we danced without breaking the sequence and, of course, a waltz or two. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning’s education and exercise, and was doubly delighted by the missing Samba!

We drove home on the M8/M73 route to avoid the Kingston Bridge. When we got home I went out almost right away to get some photos for the blog, only to find that Flickr had crashed and wasn’t showing any record of my existence. Try as I might with a lot of huffing and puffing I couldn’t get it to recognise me. Then I checked with ‘Downdetector.co.uk’ and discovered that the Flickr website was indeed down. The next move was to read a few lines of instructions suggesting I should delete the a couple of caches and that was the answer. Flickr knew me again. I think it must have had a heavy night the night before and was just recovering. Anyway, Scamp phoned for a taxi, because we were going to an early Christmas dinner.

A week or so ago, one of the guys in the Monday dance class had suggested we book a table in Dullatur golf club and have a late lunch there as it might be the last class this year.

It turned out to be a great afternoon. Scamp and I had Arancini as a starter then she had Fish ’n’ Chips and I had Lasagna. She didn’t like the arancini and didn’t eat much of hers. Mine was ok, but only just ok. A couple of drinks and a chance to catch up with a lot of folk we either dance with or have recently danced with. We got a lift home with Kirsty.

Today’s PoD is a reflection of some rushes in the flooded pond.

Tomorrow we are hoping to relax!

Time for a haircut – 5 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

I was meeting Alex for a photowalk at Kelvingrove Art Galleries today.

Scamp was kind enough to give me a lift to the station where I bought my ticket and walked straight on to the train. Very convenient.

In Glasgow I walked round to The Nile Barber. The best one in the town. I usually get my hair cut in Cumbersheugh, but the barbers I’ve been going to for a while will be closing soon and they are a bit “Hash Bash” which means they don’t spend any more time than they need to and it shows.

Hair cut to my specifications (4 on top 3 back and side) and glad I’d brought my woolly hat and Buff, I was off to meet Alex. We’d already agreed that we’d go to Kelvingrove for a walk round the exhibits and a spot of lunch, but first we had a coffee in Nero and caught up with each other’s lives.

Walked round to the bus stance in Buchanan Street and got the 77 bus to Kelvingrove. Lots of scaffolding protecting the building today. It seems that lots of money is being pumped into Glasgow recently. I don’t know where it’s all coming from, but the roads are being relined, George Square is closed for at least two years and now it’s the Art Galleries turn. Someone somewhere has been fiddling the books I think.

Inside it was much the same as ever, The iconic Spitfire still hangs from the rafters with its fur of dust. The animal exhibits also have a covering one half the lights were off in the hall. We need lots of lights at this time of year and with this dreich weather. Well, you can’t have all these improvements to Glasgow and Lights Too they’ll shout!

I wandered into the queue to see the Christ of St John of the Cross painting by Dali. It really is an amazing piece of work. I’m glad it has returned safely from its travels round the world.

Lunch for us pair was in the wee narrow restaurant beside the main building. We both went for sandwiches and as usual they were very good. Another walk round our favourite places in the gallery and then we headed for home. Got the bus to Sauchiehall Street and stopped in at Waterstones for a coffee before we went home. By then the light was disappearing fast and I guess we both knew there would be no more photos taken today.

We walked back down into the city centre and then went our separate ways. Both of us taking the bus, but on opposite sides of the bus station.

A plate of Minestrone soup was waiting for me when I got home and it was good.

PoD turned out to be a sculpture of a dog made from old wellington boots!

Scamp and I are hoping to go to dance class tomorrow and maybe a late lunch too.

Dancin’ – 4 December 2025

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Today we were heading to Glenburn for a Tea Dance.

Before that Scamp offered to drive to Tesco in the morning to get a loaf and some veg for dinner and encouraged me to go for a walk in St Mo’s because the sun was shining. Yes, the sun was shining until I got to the park, then the sun disappeared and it started raining. However, I have to thank her for getting me moving and I did get some photos of Cladonia lichen to make a PoD.

For once, the hall was a bit more empty than we’re used to. Not that it bothered us much. We still managed to do the usual circuits of the floor, but to Christmassy music to emphasise the coming of Christmas with all that entails.

We started with a Waltz as usual and stumbled through two tracks. Then a few sequence dances just to get more folk on the floor, I think. That was followed by a Cha-Cha and a Rumba One ( which is always followed by a Rumba Two – Just a little bit faster than a Rumba One ). Another sequence dance and time for a blether with David and Carol, before the tea trolley came round.

As usual, tea time tended to last a little bit longer than was really necessary. The second half was a fair copy of the first half, with a couple of different sequence dances to fill the floor again. We had a chance to talk to Barry and Cath and interested to find that Barry has been told he has crystals in his ears. I’ve had that a few years ago. It seems that the solution hasn’t changed in that time:
1. Sit facing forward and move your eyes slowly from left to right and back again, without moving your head.
2. Sit with your head facing left and try to move your head as far as you can to the right without moving your eyes, then repeat in the other directions.
No crystals fell out of my mouth or ears in all these exercises and I felt no great benefit. Barry was in total agreement.

Spoke to Ronnie and Millie later. Ronnie was in hospital for a while earlier in the year with heart problems. He looks a lot better now than when we last saw him and he still bounces when he dances. He’ll never change!

We drove home through today’s rain and crawled over the Kingston Bridge. I’d hoped we would make better time that way than going the M8/M73 route, but I guessed wrong.

Hoping to meet Alex tomorrow for a day in Kelvingrove Art Galleries taking photos.

 

A haircut on a cold day – 3 December 2025

Posted on by Zogman

It wasn’t my turn to get my haircut, it was Scamp’s, but I think my turn is coming soon.

You know how it is when you’ve been reading a really good book and you are desperate to find out how it finishes, but don’t really want to rush through it? That was me today. I did finally give in and finish the book, and it was a satisfactory finish. I won’t spoil the final pages, but The Fathers is a great book. Well worth the time I spent on it. One of the top three books this year. I commend it to you.

Once I was recovering from the book, I dressed for the weather and walked down to the shops to get some bread and some fruit for Scamp who was almost ready to drive to the hairdresser’s. I took a camera with me, but didn’t bring it out of the bag. After lunch I walked round St Mo’s with the same camera and another lens or two hoping to get some shots of the geese on the pond, but there were none. Maybe I was too early or maybe too late, but the birds were otherwise occupied, so today’s PoD was a bunch of dried up brambles instead.

When I got them home they weren’t all that interesting, but after using an old preset, they began to look their moody best. I quite liked them. Not at all comfortably coloured, in fact they were the exact opposite and that was what I was aiming for today.

A knock at the door signalled the arrival of the man from Virgin who just switched on the V6 box and said it needed replaced, just as we’d suspected. It took him less than half an hour to replace the old one with a new one and tune it, then we were good to go and so was he. Poor bloke sounded like he was heading for a dose of the cold of flu.

At last we could sit and watch the programs on a real TV. No more crouching over a laptop, although the laptop had been a great idea of Scamp’s. It got us through what would otherwise have been a boring few days. Scamp has already loaded up our mainstay programs.

Tomorrow looks like a Tea Dance day. I don’t mind tea dances. There’s usually a lot of cheerful banter.