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Officially Spring – 1 March 2023

Posted on by Zogman

We drove up to Costa at the town centre this morning for coffee with Isobel on the first day of metrological spring.

Unfortunately, half the weans in the town were also there roaring and shouting, crying and screaming and generally being obnoxious. For the second day this week, all the schools in Scotland were closed while their teachers were out protesting. The noise made this the most uncomfortable couple of hours I’ve had although the coffee was good for a change. I just feel sorry for the folk who have to work in that place with that noise all day.

Isobel gave Scamp a bunch of roses, and gave me a bottle of wine as anniversary presents. Then she explained the tortuous details of her side of the family tree while Scamp made notes to send to her cousin in Australia. I’ve never really been interested in genealogy, and seeing the complexity of this family’s family tree ensured that I won’t be delving into ours any time soon. We dropped Isobel off at her house afterwards and did some shopping in Tesco on our way home.

My daily walk in St Mo’s brought a hibernating or perhaps a just hatched sixteen spot orange ladybird as PoD. I now know where at least around ten of these insects can be found. All orange and all with sixteen spots. I did take a couple of photos of some clumps of Cladonia lichen too, but the ladybird was the winner.

Scamp made leek & potato soup for a starter and she had cauliflower, broccoli and potatoes for her main course. I had soup and then steak and kidney stew with potatoes and the left over cauliflower and broccoli. The Instant Pot heated the stew using the slow cooker function. Useful tool.

Watched Landscape Artist of the Year and we both disagreed with the judges decision. Of the three finalists, the winner would have been in last place if they’d asked me to judge.

Tomorrow Scamp would like to go out somewhere different. I’ll sleep with my thinking cap on tonight.

The last day of winter – 28 February 2023

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That’s metrological winter, not real winter. We’re not going to be suddenly wearing shorts and tee shirts.

For a couple of weeks I’ve been having a nagging headache and a pain in my neck. Yes, I know I am a pain in the neck, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. I blamed it on the stress of going on holiday, but knew it wasn’t that. Just after 9am I phoned the surgery and got to speak to the nurse at the second attempt. She asked me some questions and gave me an appointment for 10.35. Just about 10.15 Hazy phoned and I managed a “Hello. How are you?” Before I had to drive up to the doc’s.

The doctor gave me a few prods on the back of my neck and down towards my shoulders and said she was of the opinion that it was arthritic in nature and has given me a month’s course of pills. More Pills! I managed a quick conversation with Hazy when I got back before I settled down with a cup of coffee to solve the Spelling Bee, I’d already scored 4 on Wordle.

After lunch I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got PoD which is a clump of Cladonia tangled up in spider webs. Not exactly earth shattering, but interesting little lichens.

The only other thing vaguely interesting was a deer which saw me before I saw it. It ran away until it was sure I was a safe distance away, then kept watching me while it fed on some coarse grass. I tried a couple of shots but it was far too far away.

Back home I made stew with the Instant Pot. Twenty minutes to cook 500g of diced beef, two kidneys, three carrots and a chopped onion. That’s not bad going. I reckon that twenty minutes could have been cut down to fifteen without causing much of a problem. Scamp had potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower.

We’re working through our backlog of tv shows. Tonight it was The Apprentice. Can these people really be as stupid as they are portrayed? I’m beginning to think that most of them are out of work actors making a dishonest bob. None of them would survive in a real job. So says a man who hasn’t worked in a ‘real job’ for about forty years!

Tomorrow we’re booked for coffee with Isobel.

Photos – 27 February 2023

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Photos old and new

Actually I hadn’t taken any of the photos I’m talking about.

The first photos are ones that date back to around 1980, we think, and are of Jamie and Hazy, probably in school. The original has sat on the top of the bookcase in the living room for as long as there has been a bookcase there. Unfortunately it faces the front window and gets the full force of the sun in summer. That’s what has faded it over the years. I’ve scanned it and tried a few times to bring back the colour, but without success. When we came back from holiday I remembered that Photoshop now has a beta version of software that they claim can use AI to restore the colour and repair the scratches on old photos. I tried it on a fresh scan of the old photo and it did quite a good job. After that I dunked it in Lightroom, back into Photoshop, into ON1 and finally back into Lightroom until Scamp and I were satisfied with the result. I’ve now printed it and cropped it to fit the frame. Scamp has cleaned the glass and the frame and the photo is now back on display again. The photo restoration took about four hours, but it was worth it.

I thought I deserved a walk in St Mo’s after that, intending to capture another shot of the ladybirds. Instead it was a photo of a tiny little snail, about 4mm diameter clinging to a tree trunk that made PoD. I have no idea why they climb trees, maybe it’s because they are there!

The second set of photos you’ve already seen Hazy. They were taken by the photographer in the hotel. Good photos too. Separated by about 43 years and light years of technology!

That was about it for Monday. Watched another confusing Death In Paradise and envied you and Sim, Jamie!

Tomorrow I’m going to try to get an appointment with the doc.

Sunday is Washing Day – 26 February 2023

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There were two full cases of washing to be done, so we got on with it.

I say ‘We’, but Scamp was the organised one and she got things sorted into stuff to deal with right away and stuff that could wait for a few days.

With that done we settled down to a normal Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg tearing into politicians of all parties while we had lunch.

Scamp decided to do some ironing and I decided to take the macro lens over to St Mo’s to see what it’s one eye would see. It saw a few Cladonia lichen, but they seemed to be a bit dried up. Probably needed a shower to brighten them up. It saw some ‘Green Blobs’ or more correctly the fruiting bodies of moss. It was the Green Blobs that got PoD after a bit of jiggery pokery in Lightroom and Photoshop. I liked it anyway. It was good to get some direct light to brighten things up.

Back home we re-heated yesterday’s curries and had them for dinner. As a starter we had a glass of champagne in new glasses. The bubbles were from Jackie, Murdo and Mairi. The glasses were a present from Annette. Pudding was Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream.

Watched a couple of silly programs on the tv tonight and went to bed before midnight – just before midnight for me!

Green Shoots and Quickstep – 25 February 2023

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Drove to Brookfield in the morning through a lot more traffic than normal.

I don’t know what all the rush was for, but lots of folk were going west today. Not only that, lots of folk had already been there, didn’t like it and were going back east again, judging by the biz on the other carriageway.

We started with a silly wee sequence dance and then we were into the Quickstep. We (I) struggled to start with, but eventually things began to come together and we actually danced for almost a full track without a stop. My, but quickstep is exhausting. Next was a sequence dance to allow us to get our breath back before we entered the slightly easier Foxtrot. Easier, maybe, but not Easy. I was still making mistakes and Scamp was doing her best to correct them. Tango was next and we even managed to incorporate the new turn that Jane had put in. One more sequence and we were done for the day. This is the first dance class for ages that I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed.

Back home I went for a walk in the woods at St Mo’s and got my first ‘Green Shoots’ shot this year. Just a sycamore seedling popping out of the leaf litter, but it’s a sign of things to come. That became PoD.

Dinner was courtesy of Bombay Dreams. Scamp had her usual Mushroom Paneer and I, for a change had Chicken Tikka Bhunna. Both tasted as good as you’d expect from this restaurant/take away.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to relax a bit.

Bobby Flavell – 24 February 2023

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We found out today that Bobby Flavell, one of our long term neighbours had died suddenly on Tuesday. Such a sad thing to happen to a true gentleman.

It was a dull day. Like Tenerife, but without the heat. I walked over to St Mo’s and got one dull shot that became PoD.

The day after you return from holiday is always dull, but losing an old friend makes it feel worse.

We did have one bright spot in the day that lifted our spirits. That was the delivery of a tall, square parcel. Inside was a wooden crate made from thin laths of wood. Inside that was a bundle of wood shavings that protected a rose plant. A Golden Wedding rose. Of course it had come from Hazel, Jamie, Neil and Simonne. A lovely present to get on a dull day. Thank you all.

Tomorrow we’re going dancing.

Homeward Bound – 23 February 2023

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Took some photos of “Our Tree”, the big palm tree outside our balcony after breakfast.

Dragged our suitcases down to reception, got our ‘All Inclusive’ bands cut off and waited for our taxi which arrived early.

Quiet drive back to the airport. Different driver, no talk of Cuba or Salsa clubs. We were going home. Silence sometimes is golden!

PoD was a photo taken from the aircraft window of Mount Teide poking its nose through the clouds.

Collected our luggage at the other end and drove home. What more can you say about the end of a holiday.

Sunbathing and Paella – 22 February 2023

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We sunbathed all morning and I finished my book about a murder set in Kinlochleven 30 years in the future in a snowstorm. Not at all like Tenerife.

In the afternoon we watched part of the animacion team and one chef making an enormous paella. Unfortunately there were loads of clams and mussels in it, so no use for me. We walked down to the front and eventually found the restaurant of a wee man we’d passed on Friday. He was trying desperately to get us to buy a drink in his restaurant, but we were on a mission that day and promised we’d come back. Eventually we found him and we had that drink. Mine was a Mojito and Scamp found a new kind of Rum. Captain Morgan’s Black Rum is now her best favourite. It’s got an old fashioned caramel or treacle flavour to it. Her Rum & Coke looked and tasted better than my Mojito. We kept ourselves entertained by the antics of the wee owner.

Back at the hotel there was some music we danced to for a while, spoke to a few people we’d nodded to in passing and went back to the room to finish the packing we’d started in the morning.

PoD was a photo of the paella cooking class.

Sat on the balcony later and had a fairly strong G ’n’ T and went to bed.

Homeward bound tomorrow.

The Pianist – 21 February 2023

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Sunbathing in the morning, all morning.

Walked down to the front after lunch and turned right.

Walked almost out to the paragliders landing area because Scamp’s ankle is improving and it’s a good level path for most of the way.

Just to contradict what I said about the weather here, this afternoon was lovely with white clouds in a blue sky and sunshine. We sat for a while watching the waves crashing and I managed some moody landscape shots. I also got a PoD which was an almost silhouetted group of folk walking along the path between palm trees.

In the evening the entertainment was a pianist and we feared the worst, the return of the disinterested woman. However we were pleasantly surprised to see a well dressed man, Rafael Montalvo who started with Einaudi and continued through the Beatles and Queen and had me in tears with his version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. When he was finished, Scamp went and told to him how much we had enjoyed his recital.

Another evening discussing the day on the balcony with another G&T

 

Swimming – 20 February 2023

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Today I was going swimming in the cool upstairs pool.

Not cool as in fashionable, but cool as in not very warm. The upstairs pool on level 5 of the hotel is a long narrow strip of unheated water. The last time we were at the Jacaranda an Italian man told me to take a cold shower before entering the pool because I wouldn’t feel the water so cold then. I remember that it worked. Today I was ready for the shock of the cold water from the shower, but the water in the pool was still a shock to my system. Two lengths of the channel was quite enough for me. It was refreshing, but I was glad to warm up on the sun bed, in the sun.

After lunch we walked down to the front and photographed some flowers. We stopped in at The Pantry for a Barraquito on the way back

There is s definite weather theme on Tenerife:
Clear sky and sun in the morning.
Cloudy just after midday and that cloud doesn’t clear until around 6pm.
Around 6pm the cloud clears and the sun shines for an hour or so.

In the evening in the Piano Bar we sat listening to a guy singing. Quite a decent singer, just nothing we could dance to. Watched a family group of four playing chess. They played every night, rotating round so eveyone got a game.

Eventually we retired to the balcony with G&Ts to keep us company.

PoD was a Hibiscus flower.