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White Rabbits (x3) – 1 November 2025

Posted on by Zogman

As usual on Saturday we went dancing at Brookfield.

Today’s lesson was a Slow Foxtrot. After a few dummy runs, following the teacher in a fairly busy class, we actually worked our way through the routine with out a mistake. I was amazed, Scamp was impressed and Jane, the teacher was delighted. I don’t know what stars were aligned, but as far as I was concerned, they were the right ones!

With the at least one dance under our belt, we went into an, as yet unnamed, Cha Cha that we almost managed to get right. Finally we added on a White City Waltz and that completed a fairly satisfactory first lesson in a long while.

Driving home was a bit of a nightmare. Heavy rain and cars everywhere and I chose the wrong lane to be in. If I’d stuck to the Kingston Bridge route I’d have been home in half the time, but I didn’t, I chose the longer M74/M73, You places your bets and you takes your chances!

PoD was a low view of some dried up flowers with some golden light on a tree in the background. Still got that lovely autumn light.

Tomorrow we may go out for a walk.

Another wild day – 30 October 2025

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We drove to Glenburn for a tea dance and a party. The tea dance had more than its usual plate of cakes and biscuits. The party was to celebrate Stewart’s Big Birthday. I hope he enjoys it and has many more.

Just the usual tea dance folk dancing to the same tunes, but nobody was complaining, we certainly weren’t. Lots of opportunities to sit and talk, especially at tea time and nobody was bothered if you made the occasional slip up on your chassé or lead with the incorrect foot. It was a get together, plain and simple.

We left early as usual to avoid the schools coming out and the beginning of the homeward journey of the office workers. Heavy rain made the journey longer than we’d expected, but arrived home in a reasonable time.

With the weather and the nights getting dark earlier, I had no real chance to get any photos today, so my little Caganer, a small ceramic figurine of a person in a pooping position, which is considered a symbol of good luck in Barcelona agreed to take its place. It reminded me of my “… I think he’s doing the toilet …” joke. A story for another day.

Hoping for some better weather tomorrow.

Stravaigin – 29 October 2025

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Stravaigin is a Scots word that means to roam, wander or travel through, often casually or aimlessly. That’s Alex and me every second Wednesday or Thursday.

This week it was a Wednesday. It suited Alex and it suited me. We met in Buchanan Street bus station in Glasgow, went for a coffee a Nero and planned our day after I’d bored him rigid with my tales of travels in about a dozen different places in the western Mediterranean. Next stop was through St Enoch’s square and down to the Clyde Walkway to photograph some graffiti.

By then the rain was threatening and we decided it was about time for lunch which would be in Paesano, the best pizza restaurant in Glasgow, or anywhere else for that matter.

After that we went over to the GOMA. Alex likes it, but I can take it or leave it. I can’t see the art in this exhibition. Also, there doesn’t seem to be any rotation of the sketches or paintings. Surely there is more interesting stuff hidden away down in the vaults.

From the GOMA we went for a coffee in Nero before we went our separate ways. Just managed to miss the bus, but that meant I was one of the first on the next one, which arrived on time. Amazing!

PoD was a close up of one of the chain link girders that support the suspension bridge across the River Clyde.

No real plans for tomorrow. We’ll see what turns up.

A change in the weather – 28 October 2025

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A much stormier looking day.

Another walk around St Mo’s. Making the most of the late afternoon light. I used the 10-18mm ultra-wide lens. The combination of the ultra-wide on the Sony A7c gives really wild looking sky and ground. Of course I did a bit of toning and also some colour changes just to make it look a bit wilder than it really was.

The weather started out well, but soon it deteriorated and then the rain came. That put an end to today’s walk.

Meeting Alex for a photo walk tomorrow. Hopefully be able to show off some photos from our travels.

Dull and Wet – 27 October 2025

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Not the best weather today.

I shouldn’t be surprised. We’ve had some great weather for the last few days and it had to end some day.

A bit more organisation in the cases. I think we’ll be able to get them up into the loft ready for our next adventure whenever it comes.

Rather than risk getting splashed with a surprise shower, I decided to photograph one of my chilli plants. Good colour contrast between the red seed pods and the green leaves. They’ve produced some decent fruit this year again, this being their third season I think. That was PoD.

Scamp arrived back home about 5pm and almost sold Aberdeen to me. Maybe we’ll go there for a quick weekend break.

No plans for tomorrow.

Out for a walk – 26 October 2025

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I decided I’d go for a walk around St Mo’s again.

Before that, I had to go round the house, changing all the older clocks because it’s only the newer, digital clocks that can auto adjust to Daylight Saving Time. I always remember the mnemonic Spring Forward and Fall Back.

Walked over St Mo’s hoping to find some inspiration. The lighting was good with the low sun creating great textures on the grass and the trees. A little gentle use of warm yellow lighting back home helped greatly. It would have been even better if the clouds hadn’t started massing, but I was quite happy with the final result.

Spoke to Jamie in the evening which felt a bit strange with Scamp being in Aberdeen, but I gave him a disjointed description of our October holiday. I found out that Ori, Scamp’s favourite dog of all time was going away to live in Canada with Simonne’s sister. He wouldn’t be alone as there was another of Jaime’s dogs going with him. I hope they both enjoy their new home. Hope it’s not too cold for them, after being used to Trinidad’s warm weather.

PoD was more of the man-made channels in St Mo’s pond.

Scamp returns tomorrow and is determined that she’ll get the bus home from Glasgow.

Party Girls – 25 October 2025

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I don’t know what the reason for the weekend romp was, I wasn’t party to that, thankfully.

My job was to get Scamp in to Glasgow and to drop her off at Buchanan Bus station, then I was on my own for the weekend. I accomplished that task fairly easily and the ladies got on their bus for the almost four hour journey to Aberdeen.

I drove home and started to tidy up my room. Of course that never lasted. I read a fairly substantial part of ‘Clown Town’, Mick Herron’s latest ‘Slow Horses’ book. By the time I put it down about half finished, I understood less than I knew when I started. It’s a bit too padded out for my liking.

PoD turned out to be a photo taken from my room window. The Campsie Fells looking splendid in the late afternoon light.

Tomorrow I may start again at the tidying up … then again I may not!

Fungi – 24 October 2025

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The unseasonal temperate spell we’re experiencing is helping to produce some nice groups of fungi.

I found this bunch of fungi deep in St Mo’s. As usual, it’s a bit of a mixture. It’s actually two shots of the same object. One focused on the front edge and one on the back edge. After dunking the assembled mushroom in Photoshop, I could hardly see the join.

That gave me the PoD.

Tomorrow Scamp and the rest of the witches are off to Aberdeen for a long weekend. Only just back from a fourteen day cruise and off again to sunny (they hope) Aberdeen. Good luck with that. I hope the weather is kind to you all.

Unpacking part 2 – 23 October 2025

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Today it was my turn to start my unpacking.

It was pretty much a rerun of yesterday. I also began cutting out some of the deadwood in the photos I’d taken. Lightroom didn’t help. It started putting photos in the wrong sections of the computer. It has happened occasionally in the past and I did manage to get most of the images back in their proper place again. There are reports of this happening all the time in the Lightroom blogs. They concentrate on bringing out new whizzo topics, but don’t go back and solve the problems that are still there from Lightroom 6. Annoying.

Anyway, I think we’re getting there with tidying up the physical room. It’s much easier than working with the digital version.

Today’s PoD is again in St Mo’s. This time it’s a narrow channel that was designed and dug to provide cover for waterfowl and it works really well. I liked the sky.

Tomorrow will probably be another version of today!