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Drilling in the Sun – 17 August 2025

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The whole thing started out because Scamp wanted a hook to hold one of her sweeping brushes for use in the garden.

I’ve had an old Black & Decker with two NiCd batteries for what must be 20 years now, if not longer. Anyone who has used NiCd batteries will know how quickly they lose their charge. I’d been looking for a better drill for some time. A DeWalt for preference. Today I got one. It feels better balanced than the Black & Decker and hopefully it will last as long as the old B&D, but with better electronics. And yes, Scamp did get her brush hook. Now she’d like “ A few more things done in the house.”
No Comment!

Both of us took the folding chairs out and sat in the front garden with a book and a drink or two until we had cooked enough. Then, when the heat got too much we headed for the back garden where there was more shade.

Dinner tonight was Sea Bass with Potatoes and Sweet Corn. Dessert was a Peach Melba Trifle from Lidl at the new Westway retail park. So much cleaner and cooler than the overcrowded one in St Maurice’s Gate. Badly named, because it doesn’t have any gates!

We spoke to Jamie later and heard about the Birthday Barbecue. Really glad you had a good time, Jamie.

PoD was a photo of “Kelly Anne”. A pretty pink geranium, closely related to Rozanne.

I’ve deliberately not mentioned computing today. I’m having a day off from it. Tomorrow I may dive back in and try to workout where I am.

Also tomorrow, I’ve a dentist’s appointment in the morning. Fillings will be the order of the day. Just in case she need to drill it out a bit first, I have a DeWalt drill she can borrow!

A lazy start to Saturday, but … – 16 August 2025

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… then it got busier and busier.

This was the first evening dance for months. At least the first one we had a chance to go to. We didn’t do very much, but we did both remember to send Jamie a Birthday Message, just because it was a special one.

We spoke to Hazy in the morning and heard about the goings on down south. She and I talked books for a while and I told her of the problems I was finding with the iMac. I realise this isn’t your forte now Hazy, but thanks for trying.

As you will have gathered, this is a catch-up, so I’ll cut to the chase:

  • We both sent birthday wishes to Jamie.
  • Spoke to Hazy in the morning.
  • Scamp noticed that Karlyn and John, our next door neighbours, were dressed for a wedding.
  • I offered to take their photos and got half a dozen decent images.
  • Later in the afternoon Scamp watered the garden, both back and front.
  • Then Scamp was getting ready to go to the August Dance
  • That meant I had to too.
  • Actually enjoyed the dance, but the room in Brookfield was really warm, even with the doors open.
  • It was a lovely drive home after the Last Waltz. Very few cars on the road. It was like Glasgow had become a deserted city!

No PoD’s worth posting. Sorry!

Tomorrow I’m hoping it will be a more relaxed day.

Connections – 15 August 2025

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Scamp was out at FitSteps in the morning as is usual on a Friday.

After her exertions in the exercise class she went to meet Isabel for coffee. I can’t believe we’ve been calling her “Isobel” for years and nobody told us we were wrong, but as Scamp says, it’s not a thing we really think about. Anyway, apologies to Isabel.

Isabel was joined in the coffee shop by Shona and I was so glad to hear that. Two women blethering would have been bad, but three would just too much. Guys, just think of all that cross-talk going on for an hour or so!

<Technospeak>
While the ladies were blethering over coffee, I was worrying over the new iMac. I keep my Lightroom catalogs on an SSD, and I wanted to try making the catalog more versatile, so that it could be used on two computers at a time. I was worried that if I was swapping catalogs between computers, the data would get corrupted, especially if the two computer were running different OS versions. Eventually I decided to bite the bullet and try it. Surprisingly it worked perfectly. Another problem solved.
</Technospeak>

Eventually the ladies broke up. Isabel was going shopping and Scamp and Shona were heading to Broadwood Farm for lunch. Thankfully Scamp phoned me just as I was finish the test on the SSD catalog and I agreed to meet them at the restaurant. Restaurant is maybe too fancy a word for Broadwood Farm. It used to be pretty poor, but recently after a fair bit of upgrading, it had some better menus and decent food. Also, because I was not driving today, I could have a pint of Tennents!

Scamp had Fish ’n’ Chips and Shona had Mac ’n’ Cheese. I was the odd one out, not having a ’n’ meal. Instead I had a Traditional Carvery, which was a couple of slices of turkey, a Yorkshire Pudding, with a couple of chunks of ham. It was fine for what it was. The cauliflower cheese was a bit lumpy and the stuffing was made from cardboard, I think, but it filled a space.

Shona wanted some drinks to take to Ben and I wanted a box of mini ice lollies. Scamp drove Shona home and I walked back home. It was another warm day again. I’m getting used to this heat now, just as long as it doesn’t go mad and climb up into the mid 30s Centigrade.

PoD was another photo of a Red Admiral on what’s left of the white Buddleia bush. I think that might be the last of those flowers until next year DV.

Tomorrow we’re not going dancing in the morning, but may go to the evening dance.

A fairly lazy start – 14 August 2025

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We knew that wouldn’t last!

There were lots of things that had to be gathered together, but I’m not allowed to give any more details, other than to say that sellotape is really sticky and adheres to every surface it’s not meant to stick to. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it had a mind of its own.

Back home and with a couple of slices of toast for lunch, a quick shower and a tidy up, we set off to Coatbridge by the most complicated and circuitous route the Sat Nav could make up. Eventually we found the destination at the hospital. We arrived with about 20 minutes to spare, but we needn’t have worried because the consultant was running about 30 minutes late.

So about an hour after arriving at the hospital, we got the decision we’d been hoping for, since the end of January, six months ago. I don’t think either of us was really bothered by the wait now, and the answer was basically “Keep taking the tablets”, and add an extra one for luck!

On the way home we stopped at M&S in Coatbridge for fruit and something for tonight’s dinner. We arrived home exhausted and posted messages to friends and family.

Today’s PoD was another photo of the Japanese Anemones. This time a solo flower in the garden, backlit by the sun just before it sank behind the fence in the back garden.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to go to her FitSteps class then might meet Isobel for a blether followed by lunch with Shona. That’s if everything goes according to plan. I’m thinking I might have a look at the new iMac, now that it’s mine and I can’t give it back.

Just a normal day – 13 August 2025

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But a normal day, with extra heat. Hottest temp recorded on Scamp’s phone was 30ºc.

We went shopping at Tesco and then started filling up the new fridge. Once that part was looking more like we’d expected, Scamp started on the old freezer. We managed to get most of the food transferred and the freezer too looks better.

I went for a walk in St Mo’s later in the afternoon looking for some photos. What I found was hundreds of butterflies. Mostly Peacocks, but also a few Red Admirals. I don’t think I’ve seen so many butterflies in my life before. I know I’ve said that before, but it really is a remarkable sight. I made sure I was well protected with Smidge, from the clouds of biting insects that I was sure were waiting in the wings.

Despite being surrounded by butterflies this afternoon, they didn’t feature on PoD. That honour went to an Emerald Damselfly that I saw clinging to a grass stem.

When I got home, Scamp and I had a seat in the garden for a while with a Soda & Lime each. Then from nowhere came a little sprinkle of rain. We took the seats in and the rain stopped. So my chair went back out while Scamp stayed in the house to take a call from Annette. Again those sprinkles started. They never got really serious. Just drips from the clouds but maybe a sign of things to come.

Thunder showers are predicted from tonight until midnight tomorrow. Maybe they will cool the weather down and we’ll get some comfortable sleep.

I’m not saying we’re looking forward to tomorrow, but we are looking forward to hearing the result.

Another hot one – 12 August 2025

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Temperature reached 28º which is very hot for us Northern types!

We were going in to Glasgow to do some shopping today, but instead of driving in, we caught the train instead. I was looking for a pair of trainers and I think Scamp was just checking out my ability to walk past the Apple shop without going in! In the end I couldn’t find a pair of trainers that I liked and was willing to pay for. Instead, I tried on a pair of Scarpa Terra GTX walking boots. Exactly the same boots I bought in 2022. They have covered a few hundred miles since then, and were worth every penny.

We walked down Buchanan Street after I’d bought the boots and listened with a couple of hundred others to the massed pipes and drums of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo band. It actually was quite stirring music and it drowned out some terrible ‘singing’ from a few street buskers. All the pipers and drummers were in full dress regalia who must have been really uncomfortable in today’s heat.

We had lunch in Waterstones on Argyle Street and were surprised with the quality of the Tuna Croque. I must remember to introduce Alex to it sometime. Pity the coffee wasn’t quite up to the same standard.

We caught an absolutely mobbed train home. It was heading for Edinburgh for the final Oasis concert and had the feel of the crazily overcrowded train we’d been on after Christmas. Glad we weren’t going far on today’s one.

The temperature in the car going home read 31º, but that was mainly because we were parked in the full blast of the sun. Not that there was any shade anywhere in the car park.

We ended up sitting in the garden when we got back, drinking Soda Water and Lime and being surrounded by clouds of butterflies. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many butterflies in one place before and definitely not in our garden.

PoD went to a photo I took in Caffè Nero in Glasgow. It’s a combination of two photos and it took me a while to remember how to join two photos together to get the effect I wanted. However I did eventually remember and I was pleased with the final result.

Tomorrow we may go shopping. Nothing special, just Tesco shopping for the messages, to fill up the new fridge/freezer.

A busy Monday – 11 August 2025

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The big van arrived right on time at 9.30am and we were waiting for it.

John Lewis were delivering our new fridge/freezer today. It arrived right on time and the first thing the guy said was “It’s going to be a tight squeeze, through the front door.” I was prepared for that with my trusty Stanley cross-head screwdriver I removed the retaining bolts from the front door and that let me take off the outside handle and the inside one too, plus the big square section key.

That made all the difference and about fifteen minutes later the JL guys were back in their van after getting the new addition into place and removing the old one. One in and One out. Then they were off to another customer. I reassembled the front door and Scamp plugged the new fridge in and we left it to rest for four hours just as the driver had told us to do.

Next stop for me was the dentist for my annual checkup. Apparently my teeth are in good condition, but I’ve a filling to look forward to next week. I think I got off lightly.

After gazing admiringly at this big white box for four hours, we were ready to switch it on for the first time. Again, Scamp had the honour of switching the the fridge/freezer on for the first time. It started making an alarm noise, but we shushed it and told it to go to sleep for a few hours and it settled down.

We walked down to the shops to get some milk and bread and blueberries. I bumped into the guy who used to be the ‘Janny’ at the school, but who is now an assistant manager for the schools in the area. Glad to see him getting on in the world.

By the time we’d exchanged reminiscences and set the world to rights, Scamp was off, carrying the shopping. Despite my argument that it was really my job to carry heavy things, she chased me away and told me to go and take some photos.
That’s what I did and the PoD is a dandelion or a near relative at least, after the morning’s showers.

Tonight’s dance class with Kirsty was Rumba. We managed to get it working quite well, but not every time. Kirsty was happily teaching Scamp how to do the body sways that are such an integral part of Rumba. I just tried to remember the steps in the right order.

When we got back the new fridge/freezer was working silently in the kitchen. Scamp declares that she liked it. That’s good enough for me.

I think we’re maybe going in to Glasgow tomorrow, but for a change, I do’t think we won’t be visiting the Apple shop!

Getting there – 10 August 2025

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I’m hoping I’m nearly at the end of the struggle against the iMac M4. Always hopeful.

It seems like ages since I wrote a blog, but it was just over a week. In that time I’ve driven to, and also caught the train to the Apple store in Glasgow. The Geniuses there have been very helpful, but it really time they started making it easier for the general public to deliver their problematic hardware. It would also be a bonus if they actually tested their iMacs after repairs and changes had been made, considering the distances some of us have to travel and expense of the equipment.

Complaints apart, the M4 iMac really shifts. An Enhanced Super resolution that takes about that takes about 2.5 minutes on average on my old Intel iMac takes about 3 seconds! That’s one of the things I spent the high bucks on. It looks like no more making a cup of coffee while the machine churns through the heavy duty computing.

Scamp has been a tower of strength during the last couple of weeks, offering sensible ways to tackle what I saw as impossible situations. Thank you again and again for being there pushing me in the right direction and telling me it was time I took a wee walk … in the rain if need be!

All in all, I’d say I’m happy with results now. Of course there are always things that need tweaking, but once the majority of the new iMac is stable and probably against Scamp’s better judgment I’m going to do a backup, a sensible Apple backup on an ssd. For seven or eight years I’ve made them and then when I needed them I realised I’d forgotten to make one. Don’t forget the backups.

Spoke to Jamie tonight. I did take a bit of ribbing from him and Scamp, but I deserved it. I’m hoping the blogs will be arriving more often, but no promises.

PoD was a wee red dragonfly.

Thanks for your patience. I’m told I don’t have any!

Dentist tomorrow!

The Rose – 2 August 2025

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Scamp loves roses and this is one of the best.

The rose is the Comte de Chambord, a beautiful pink rose with a lovely scent, but watch out for those thorns. It made PoD.

Another day of fighting against the new iMac. I know you’re probably fed up with it and so am I. Eventually I took Scamp’s suggestion and spoke to somebody, somewhere, I have no idea where, but he, it was a man, has found me a slot in the Apple Store in Glasgow tomorrow afternoon. I’m taking a notebook with me which I hope will be filled with suggestions for solving the problems I’ve had, when I get home.

The rest of the day was a dull Saturday that turned into a comfortably warm one. Scamp and I took turns at watering the garden. First she watered the back garden flowers and veg, then I did the same for the front garden. I’m sure the flowers will appreciate the refreshing water and ‘The Compte’ will be one of them.

Lunch was going to be at Wagamama in The Fort, but we didn’t quite make it there and resorted to Fish Fingers, Egg and Spaghetti for dinner instead. If you have nothing else to eat, you won’t go wrong with FFE&S. Unless you are Hazy!

We watched the qualifying for the Hungarian which turned out to be a less than exciting way of passing an hour or so in the early evening. Hopefully the race will be better, tomorrow.

The new iMac is now all wrapped up ready to go to Glasgow tomorrow. Scamp may go to a utilities sale, also in Glasgow, looking for a good deal on a freezer, a fridge or a combination of the two while I speak to a ‘Genius’.

It’s a busy week coming up with Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday all spoken for in one way or another.

Sunday looks wet and Monday looks very windy. Let’s hope the flowers survive the week.

More flowers – 1 August 2025

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More work struggling against the problems of being a new iMac owner. Who knew something as simple as taking photos and writing about it could be so stressful.

Today’s target was to trim down and cut out some of the clutter that seems to have insinuated itself into the old iMac, meanwhile hoping that once I’d filled up and emptied the bin, it would have the sense to leave the rubbish there and not bring it back again using iCloud Drive. Why can’t it just be simple, like a ZX 81 was, back in the old days of ‘real’ computing? Ah, but I digress.

Both Scamp and I overslept slightly this morning and I won’t say she was late for FitSteps, but she could have been. Me? I made myself some coffee and started the machines, yes, both of them were on the table at the same time. I hadn’t realised that you could sit the old and the new side by side and control them to a certain extent using only one mouse. A lot of swearing was involved, but I did manage to, as Roger Waters said in ‘The Wall’, “Cut out the Deadwood”. Or some of it at least. There are another few Gigabytes still waiting to be chopped out, but when “Scamp returned and mentioned going out for lunch”, I put away my keyboard and shut down both the monitors. Food comes first.

I opted for Borden’s of lunch. It used to be The Masonic (AKA the Chib Inn). It was almost empty when we arrived and we feared that they might have been bought out or was under new management, but a pint of Guinness for me, and a glass of Red for Scamp proved that it was just a passing phase. This was confirmed by a Mac ’n’ Cheese for Scamp and a Steak Pie for me. Both went down well. They also prevented me from driving later, which also suited.

What I did do was book an MOT for Monday, just so I wouldn’t forget and be left without a car this month. I couldn’t be bothered going anywhere to get a PoD, so the close up of the Rudbeckia became PoD. Cropped to a square it fitted perfectly for the first photo of August.

Tomorrow we may go somewhere on the bus or the train, but probably not driving. I quite enjoy these lazy days.