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The First Damselfly this year – 18 May 2024

Posted on by Zogman

We couldn’t decide what to do today, then Scamp suggested we go for a walk in Drumpellier park.

It had been very misty earlier in the morning but that soon burned off to reveal a lovely day. We walked counter-clockwise round the big pond and then walked into the trees. The trees are beautiful at this time of year with their lush green leaves. So much brighter than in the middle of summer when they darken down. We bumped into a wee excited boy with his mum. They had seen a deer and a squirrel. We walked on and chose a random set of paths to follow but too soon we were out of the woods and onto the converter belt of folk who just walk round the tarmac path that edges the pond. Scamp suggested we turn back and walk along a path that runs parallel with the tarmac path, but much deeper in the woods. That’s when we saw a deer. I don’t know if it saw us, but either it was quite used to humans walking through the woods, or it hadn’t seen us. It just crossed our path and walked into the dense woodland, lost to us. I wondered if it was the one the wee boy saw. We didn’t see any squirrels though.

Scamp’s navigation was spot on right. She told us where we would come out of the deep woods and on to a path we’d walked before, but in the other direction. The path took us back to the ponds and there in the ponds I saw the blue flash that could only be a damselfly. Indeed it was. I didn’t manage to get a clear shot of it, but I did catch another, dark yellow one and it became PoD. First damsel this year.

It was really warm today, so we got a couple of cones at an ice cream van then found a seat to sit on and watch the world go by.

We drove in to Coatbridge intending to buy the laptop we’d seen yesterday in Stirling, but unfortunately the only one they had was the display model and Scamp was adamant that she wasn’t taking that! Instead, we crossed the road and got a chicken for roasting for dinner, milk and some veg. Then we drove home for lunch, because all that walking had given us an appetite.

After lunch, Scamp went into the garden to sit in the sun and read. I changed into shorts and boots and walked over to St Mo’s and there I found, not only damselflies, but also a couple of dragonflies. Very early in the season for them. I forgot to mention yesterday that I’d seen the first swallow of the year. They are our late spring or early summer visitors and always brighten my day.

Dinner was great. Chicken was lovely and moist and Scamp’s crushed potatoes were equally good.

I was running a bit late yesterday, but yesterday’s prompt was for a cream cake. I think this one fits the bill. Layers of sponge alternating with layers of butter cream. Then the whole thing studded with strawberries, blueberries and a few brambles from the freezer. I’d eat it, given the chance!

Today’s prompt asked for A Game. The game I chose was Chess. I used to play it a lot, but once you stop playing you loose the rhythm of the game and it takes a long time to remember the patterns and the strategies. I really should go back to it, but it’s difficult to find a chess club where I live. Like so many things, computers have taken over and, while they are great for learning the game, playing against a human opponent is much more satisfying, even if you lose, which I did a lot!

Tomorrow Scamp is hoping to go and see the Strictly show in Glasgow with the rest of the FitSteppers. Hope she enjoys it.

‘puters and sunshine – 17 May 2024

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Scamp was out in the morning to go to FitSteps.

I stayed home and finished Cast A Cold Eye by Robbie Morrison. Worth reading, if only for the history of the Easter Uprising, the Black and Tans and what lead to the partitioning of Ireland. A good story, well written, part fiction, part factual.

I’d gone down to the shops after Scamp left and came back with fruit and some Sweet William flowers because Scamp wanted flowers for the kitchen. Forgot to get bread, though! However I did remember to take some photos. It was a bit breezy and the bush of Dog Roses I wanted to photograph was bouncing about a fair bit. I did get one good sharp shot and that became PoD.

After a cup of coffee and once Scamp had returned, we discussed what to do with the beautiful day that had opened up. We settled on a visit to Stirling and bit of shopping in Waitrose. Also, as Scamp’s computer was low on storage space again, we might have a look at a replacement.

We drove to Stirling and parked at Waitrose. Impossible at weekends, but easy on a Friday morning. Then we walked in to Stirling itself and had a panini each for lunch, then wandered back to Waitrose after a stop in Waterstones to buy the prequel to Cast A Cold Eye. We ended up with more than we’d intended buying, but that’s often the way.

Next we drove to Currys to look at a new laptop for Scamp. The lady we spoke to was very helpful, but not telling the whole truth about the ‘essentials’ we’d need over and above the laptop. She was also heavily hinting that Scamp should be considering buying virus checkers and space on the cloud for backup storage. It was at that point that I stopped listening to her and started shaking my head at Scamp when I disagreed with her sales pitch. In the end, she spoke more sense than hype, but the hype was still there. I think I’ll have a look at what we can remove from the present laptop, so that Scamp can use it without worrying, but the only solution I can see is to buy a new one.

We drove home in even more sunshine, and spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting in the garden soaking up some rays and admiring he flowers. Dinner was a Charlie Bigham veggie lasagne which is quite superb.

Today’s prompt was A Cream Cake. It was such a lovely day and as I said, we spent the afternoon in the garden with a G ’n’ T each, so I never really got round to sketching it properly. It is half finished and drying in the ’Painting Studio’, ie the back bedroom. I’m intending finishing it tomorrow, all being well.

That was a lovely day. Not a lot done, but listened to a lot of talk, half of which was hot air, as if the air wasn’t hot enough already. We may go somewhere nice tomorrow.

Planting – 16 May 2024

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It was a dull morning with one of those depressing white skies.

According to Scamp it was likely to brighten up in the afternoon. I liked her confidence and hoped it wasn’t misplaced. My first task was to split up my five dwarf sunflower seedlings in their tiny wee pot and two gangly mixed sunflowers in their pot, then repot them all into slightly bigger, individual pots. I built up the wooden garden table and got to work. They split easily and all had good root systems. I was about halfway through the seven seedlings when the first spots of rain started falling. I hoped it was just a shower, but as it got heavier, I adjourned to the kitchen and worked on the draining board. I did get them all potted up neatly. Then Scamp took over and was doing the same thing with her Calendula plants. The difference was I had seven plants, but Scamp was thinning out what must have been a hundred wee green plants. By the time we were finished, the rain had stopped. We watered the plants and they went to live in the greenhouse.

The postman brought a surprise letter for me which had my new Travel Card in it. That was pretty good delivery time by the robotic sounding AI voice I was ordering it from last week. I can go on a bus again with a clear conscience.

For lunch we went to Torwood Garden Centre. I had a quiche which tasted ok, but wasn’t, because I could feel it wasn’t happy in my stomach all the way home. It was a dodgy egg mix, I think. We did get some flowers, though. Carnations, leeks, rhubarb and geums to name about half of them. They all fitted nicely into the boot of the car. Drove home and unpacked. Then Scamp started organising them into the places they were going to live, while I went for a walk in St Mo’s. Today’s PoD was a Dogrose that had just flowered today. Two days ago it was wrapped up tight as a bud and today it was soaking up the sun that had appeared while we were in Torwood.

Dinner tonight was a slice of Salmon with Jersey Royal potatoes and a wee salad. I didn’t really want anything because of my dodgy quiche, but I was glad I did, because everything on the plate was lovely.

Today’s prompt was A Sunhat or A Pair of Sunglasses. The sunhat was the easy one. Sunglasses are the most awkward things to sketch. I sketched my Tilley Sunhat. Probably the most comfortable hat I’ve worn. It’s usually quite expensive, but I got it for less than half price after applying two discounts!
It keeps me cool in the summer and, because my hair is thinning on top, prevents me getting sunstroke in foreign climes!. One of the best things about it is it’s ability to be folded into a tiny space and when needed it pops out without a single crease.

PS. I’m not affiliated to Tilley, I just like things like this that simply work!

Tomorrow Scamp is hoping to go to FitSteps after missing out last week. Other than that, we have no plans.

A Flaneur – 15 May 2024

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Just a wee walk round Glasgow with my brother.

Since Scamp wasn’t in need of the car today, I gladly drove it to the station, parked there and got the train in to Glasgow.

I was early for once and went for a walk along Sausageroll Street and by the time I got back, Alex had arrived. We went for a coffee as is our usual plan of attack and then just wandered down Buchanan Street taking the odd photo here and there. Down into St Enoch’s and through on to the Clyde Walkway. We didn’t see any new graffiti since our last visit and while Alex took some shots of the reflections of the cathedral in the glass sided building next to it, I manage a few shots of the cathedral between two trees … until Alex walked into the frame and stood taking his shots. As it happened I’d got a couple before he walked into the frame. I also liked the lighting on a modern high-rise block of flats, posh looking flats beside the river. I changed them to mono later and that seemed to improve them.

It was a toss up whether we would continue along the side of the river or go and have lunch. I won the toss and we did lunch in Paesano, of course.

After lunch we walked in to George Square and took some photos of folk. Street photography it’s called. I’m not keen on it, really, but Alex is and he’s good at it. Something to do with his brass neck, I think! Thought I’d caught one bloke off guard, but then realised he was smiling, probably having taken a shot of me when I wasn’t looking. Alex was off photographing buses, of all things. Well, I shouldn’t criticise since I’m the one who photographs spiders fighting!
I got a photo of two blokes about my age talking animatedly, both with guitars on their backs. Either they were discussing the merits of nylon strings vs steel strings, or they were commiserating with each other on the poor results of their favourite football teams. That was PoD.

Another coffee and we were heading home. Alex to the bus station and me to the train station. The train was really busy but I got one of the last seats. Then an old lady (ie older than me!) got the one across from me. As she turned, I noticed she’d been ushered into her seat by a younger woman. I offered the younger woman my seat and although she refused at first, I told her I was getting off at the next stop and she thanked me and took the seat. When I was getting off, two seats became vacant and the lady turned and mouthed “Thanks again”. That made my day brighter. A good deed done.

Dancing tonight was the second part of the waltz and it was a bit more difficult than the first half, but with Kirsty’s breaking down of the steps it became easier and Scamp also helped keep me right. Next week we’re hoping to join the two halves together. Another practise tonight may have cemented the second half in my memory. Only time will tell.

Today’s prompt was A Glass of Wine. I couldn’t find a glass of wine, so I sketched one. Just a glass of red wine that had been enjoyed by someone or some people. It’s a pretty glass, or was at one time before being dribbled on, had lipstick marks made on it and had been generally abused. That’s what happens when you mix a clean glass with a good bottle of red wine and a group of people with a drouth (Scots word for a thirst). It was very nice wine!

No plans for tomorrow yet.

Rain! – 14 May 2024

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Last night it rained and this morning “the streets were wet again with rain”.

It was strange to see rain again after a couple of weeks with any. It was good soaking rain, to, the kind the gardens need. The rain lasted all day which is great, as long as it remembers to turn itself off again tonight, because Alex and I are hoping to do a photowalk in Glasgow tomorrow and rain would make it uncomfortable.

We had an early lunch because the computer was set up for Neil’s Gran’s funeral service. This was the second funeral service we had watched. The first was Simonne’s mum’s just before the end of the Covid restrictions. I was impressed with Canute’s eulogy. It was very well presented and he spoke clearly. Towards the end, the choir sang one of my dad’s favourite hymns, How Great Thou Art and that nearly had me in tears.

When it was done we got around to normal things again. I walked down to the shops to get tonight’s dinner, which was going to be Prawn Stir-Fry. On the way back I attempted a few photos of dandelion ‘Clocks’ the dandelion seed heads. ‘Attempted’ because I knew when I was taking them that they weren’t very good and I was right.

Back home I sketched out today’s prompt request, A Dachshund. I don’t like dogs, but the prompt asked for a sketch of a dog, so I spoke to Mr Google and he kindly sent me in the right direction to find one that might fit the bill, and that’s what you see here. My interpretation of a Dachshund.

Dinner was ok, just ok, but I have to admit I fried the prawns perfectly, for once. Just before I started the cooking I grabbed a few shots of ‘Golden Torch’, probably Scamp’s favourite rhododendron. A close-up of a rhododendron flower got PoD.

We watched a cookery program with Jamie Oliver making springtime meals. I found it a bit tedious after a while and started counting how many times he said ‘Beautiful’. Just over 15 times in one 15minute section. One a minute, but it felt like more.  Although it passed the time. But both Scamp and I were impressed with the Rhubarb and Custard pie he made. That looked ‘Beautiful’. I think Scamp may try it.

As I said at the start, I’m hoping to meet Alex for a photowalk tomorrow. Just a daunder around Glasgow.

Now who sang those lyrics in the first line of today’s blog? And what was the name of the song?
As Scamp will tell you, I love quoting lyrics!

Change in the weather – 13 May 2024

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We woke to white skies all around. No sign of the blue skies we’d been enjoying last week.

I was out in the morning to get bloods taken at the health centre. Two chatty nurses kept me talking after the bloodletting had finished. I though at first it was my magnetic personality and my scintillating conversation that was dazzling them. Then I realised they were just making sure this auld guy had been sitting in the chair for the mandatory five or ten minutes, whatever it was, before releasing me into the wild world outside.

I’d got out early and decided I’d pick up a loaf and some fruit, plus Scamp’s meds on the way home. With all the warm weather we’ve had, the trees have been dropping their sap on the cars, and mine felt like the bonnet was covered in sandpaper, so a trip to the carwash would be a good idea … except, it seemed that everyone else in Cumbersheugh had the same idea, so instead I drove home.

Back home Scamp was edging the concrete slabs we have spread across the grass at the back of the house. If you don’t keep cutting the grass back it attempts to cover the slabs. Scamp was doing a good job of disabusing it of that idea.

After lunch she started cleaning up what we laughingly call a patio. It’s just a load of badly laid concrete slabs placed end to end, but we did make some wooden duckboard plates to allow some air in under the plants, but other forms of detritus had found its way in too. Between us we managed to sweep it up and add it to the compost bin.

I took some time out from the garden to sketch today’s topic which was A Songbird. The Blackbird is our finest and most easily recognised songbird. Years ago you could hear Larks and the occasional Song Thrush, but the urbanizing of our countryside has ousted them all, that and the seagulls and magpies. I’m just happy to listen to the blackbirds singing in the morning and in the evening.
We try to encourage them into our small garden, leaving chopped up apples for them to tear apart as repayment for their song.

After that, I took the A7 over to St Mo’s and got some decent photos. It was a toss up whether PoD went to Mrs Wolf Spider hauling her egg sac behind her, or the wilderness garden with aquilegia, poppies and dandelions that has sprung up in the last two weeks at the end of our road. In the end Mrs W won out.

Dinner tonight was Red Pasta. That is a tomato based sauce. This time with Cirio concentrated tomato puree. We couldn’t get it anywhere, then a couple of weeks ago we found it on sale in Waitrose, so we got two packets. Lovely strong tomato flavour. Not a bad dinner with basil and spinach leaves too for more texture.

That was about it for today, except to say that it’s raining tonight, not torrential, just good soaking rain. Scamp had feared that we’d need to start watering the garden, but Mother Nature did it for us!

Busy tomorrow afternoon.

Toasting – 12 May 2024

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Another warm day, but a close, uncomfortable heat, rather than the sunny summer heat we’d had last week.

It wasn’t too hot or uncomfortable to prevent Scamp from doing a bit of plant shifting in the back garden. Between us we have worked out a possible two tier plant stand between the greenhouse and the back fence. Plans are at the pie-in-the-sky stage, but we both have an idea what is needed. The problem is we may not both be thinking about same idea. Only time will tell.

After lunch I suggested we drive to Coatbridge to get a new toaster. The old Tefal single slot toaster has been working at less than 100% efficiency for a long time and we’ve been fighting a losing battle to get it to work. Today we made the decision to buy an new one. Not one of the all singing, all dancing gigantic ones, just a long slot one like the Tefal, but one that would work all the time. What we settled for was a twin long slot toaster. Slightly bigger than the Tefal but not by a lot. It would still fit into the space the old one came out of. It was a sad day to see the old one go, but that’s progress. We drove home and had to put the air-con on for the first time this year.

Before dinner I managed an hour in St Mo’s but that’s not where the PoD came from. I found a nice little bunch of Aquilegia growing beside the fence of a house on my way back home. They made PoD.

Today’s prompt was A Gemstone. Not being much of a gemologist or a jeweller, I asked my old friend, Mr Google and he pointed me at an Aquamarine which I purchased on-line so that I could sketch it for today’s prompt. It was a lot smaller than I’d anticipated, but with the help of a camera and a macro lens I got a big enough image to sketch the gemstone you see here.

You didn’t really believe that story, did you? No, I’m sure you didn’t.

Tomorrow Scamp needs to get her meds from the chemist and I need to give a thimble full of blood to the vampires!

A Lazy Day – 11 May 2024

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Yesterday was a rush, but today was a day to relax.

We walked down to the shops to get some cheesey bread, ordinary bread, potatoes and teacakes. After yesterday’s buying spree, today’s was frugal.

We walked back up the road and after lunch, Scamp installed herself in the wee patch of sunshine that had appeared in the back garden. I walked over to St Mo’s and got today’s PoD which is a Common Carpet Moth.  I’ve not started on the prompt for today which is An Umbrella.  I might manage to squeeze it in after I write this.

It was  a beautiful day again today, temperature in the mid 20s centigrade.  We sat in the garden for most of the afternoon and enjoyed the sun

Dinner tonight was Spaghetti with Crab and Chilli.  Long, long time since we’ve had that.  It was delicious.

That was our lazy day.

I just got a red alert on my phone for a possible Aurora!  I’ll believe it when I see it.

No firm plans for tomorrow, yet.  Maybe a walk down Glasgow Green.

 

Chef for a day – 10 May 2024

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I’d done some prep yesterday, but today I was cooking a full three course meal!

Scamp left to go to FitSteps just before 10am and was back about fifteen minutes later to report that there was work being done on all the roads leading to the town centre. There had been no notification of the works and there were no diversion instructions. She was not a happy bunny.

To make the most of a bad start to the day, we drove to Tesco to stock up for tonight’s dinner for Crawford & Nancy. Drove home and decanted all the food and drink, then I drove up to the fish van at Calders and picked up tonight’s slab of cod which would be the centre of the main course.

A bit more prep after that because Scamp always says that the “mise en place” as the French describe it, preparation, is the key to success when cooking. It worked for me. Almost an hour later I was prepared and had some free time to get today’s PoD in St Mo’s. It was a male Wolf Spider looking for a mate. They’re called Wolf Spiders because they don’t build webs, but stalk their prey.

Today’s EDiM prompt asked for A Bridge. I chose the railway bridge that carries the Stirling to Glasgow line over the Luggie Water. It’s really quite an old bridge, stone built and bears the name SCM1 132/676. Wouldn’t it be so much nicer if the had called it the “Bridge Over Luggie Water”, but the railway companies aren’t very romantic, so SCM1 132/676 it is.

Back home we had the living room to clear and the table to set. By 7pm we were ready to receive visitors and there they were at the door!

After getting drinks organised I started in the kitchen. First task was making the filo pastry nests for the starter. I’d already measured and mixed up the egg and milk for the nest and it was just a case of pouring it into the nest, adding the chopped up veg and cooking the four ramekins in a water bath. One down!

Next was Bacon and Peas with Cod. I’d made the bacon and peas many times, but I’d never fried the big chunks of cod in butter before and was a bit worried about making a mess with this fairly expensive chunk of fish. However, it all just worked and, although it would have been better with a bit of salt, there were no complaints.

Finally it was Creme Caramel (the grave symbol still doesn’t work on a Mac). All that was needed was to extricate it from the ramekins and serve. It looked the part and, even better, it tasted right! One more thing to do and that was to make the coffee which turned out strong, but otherwise it was fine.

Finally I could relax and enjoy a wee dram or two with Crawford because Nancy was nominated driver.

When they’d left I checked my phone and saw Fred’s photos of the Northern Lights. I got one grainy green photo on my phone, but nothing on my camera. Maybe being slightly inebriated contributed to the lack of photos.

Hoping for a lazy day tomorrow and maybe another chance of an aurora photo.

Talking to the big horses – 9 May 2024

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But earlier we were looking for fish.

We finally settled on what to make for tomorrow’s dinner for Crawford & Nancy For it we needed some cod with the skin on. To get fresh fish in Cumbersheugh is difficult, but we reckoned we could get what we were looking for at the fish van that hauls up just outside Calders garden centre. Yes, he had cod, but he’d just skinned it, because that’s what people want these days. However he said he was happy to bring us skin-on cod tomorrow. He took our name and email address and we bought, (well, Scamp bought) some crab meat for us and some veg. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll get the cod.

Drove back to Tesco and what did they have in their chiller cabinet? Cod with the skin on, but it wouldn’t be fresh, it would be deep frozen pre packed cod that had been thawed out. Fresh cod would be better. It was like a Monday shop on a Thursday but with some extra bottles of wine.

Once we’d unloaded the car, we drove over to Helix Park in Falkirk, which is where the Kelpies live. The weather was beautiful. Lovely blue skies and light fluffy clouds. We had a walk round the Kelpies and then went for lunch in the cafe. It was Mac ’n’ Cheese for Scamp and Lentil Soup for me. Good filling stodge. Then we went for another walk round the big horses and listened to the birds, probably nest building, inside them. An ice cream cone with a flake each rounded off our lunch and although there were hundreds, perhaps thousands of folk taking selfies and photos all around the Kelpies, they stayed serene and the background noises seemed to disappear. We just sat and watched. Of course I took some photos too. PoD went to a shot of Duke looking down at a couple who were photographing him.

We drove home and I started making tomorrow’s pudding which is Creme Caramel. It’s a bit of a faff to make, but not as much a faff as trying to type the Grave accent on a Mac keyboard. I think it’s made now, but the Grave accent still doesn’t work on my Mac keyboard.

Today’s prompt was Hippopotamus! Hard to spell, but almost impossible to sketch. I have a painting, but I’m not willing to make it public yet. Maybe tomorrow morning will be better.

Tomorrow it looks like we’ll be baking and cooking all day.