My Photo Blog

A Dragonfly Saturday – 4 July 2015

Posted on July 4, 2015July 4, 2015 by Zogman

The thunderstorms through the night seemed to blend in with my dreams as is often the case. When I awoke it was to heavy rain. Not at all like yesterday with its wall to wall sunshine, well, that’s Scotland for you. Lazy start to the day and then lunch with June in Bridge of Allen, or is it Allan? I’m never sure. Anyway, lunch was good as it always is in this wee Italian. After lunch we went to Dobbies to get (even) more plants for the garden. I’m always amazed at the number of plants Scamp can cram into our little postage stamp of a garden. Such was the case today. As always, to avoid being infected with the gardening bug, I made a hasty exit … to St Mo’s today, but it could well have been cycling or down the canal, anything to keep me away from horticulture. The weather had cleared up by now as the magic fairies had predicted last night.

Lots of damselflies around today in a variety of colours. Mainly blue as usual, but also red and brown. Then the big surprise, a dragonfly. A stubby little brown dragon, but a dragon none the less. Also a lot of butterflies. Can’t remember what the orange one is called, but I remember seeing a lot of them this time last year, so I should be able to find out. No deer to be seen today, but when driving to Hamilton to pick up Jac and Murd, I saw a few beside the motorway. Such a precarious existence they have. The evening was spent comparing cruise notes with Jac and Murd. Much drink was taken. It’s a good job I’m not up and out early tomorrow.

An afternoon in ‘The Toon’ – 3 July 2015

Posted on July 3, 2015July 5, 2015 by Zogman

For once it was not up and out early. In fact it was more lie in bed until you know you’ve got to do something before you get bed sores. I’d promised I’d clear out the back bedroom (my painting room) so Scamp’s sister and her husband have somewhere to sleep tomorrow when they return from their cruise. After that, I was exhausted so I got the bus in to Glasgow. Half an hour between buses and then forty five minutes for a twenty minute journey, and the pinheads in the government wonder why people don’t use public transport. When was the last time they actually sat on a bus? However, I shouldn’t complain too much because I don’t have to pay for the privilege

Glasgow was jumping today. It was looking its best, though and the sun made it look much more vibrant than usual. I took a wander down Bucky Street past St Enoch’s to the Clyde, but apart from taking a shot of a Brian May lookalike playing loud guitar with lots of reverb and little else. Then as a complete contrast my next few shots were of a couple of Polish guys playing some smooth jazz. There wasn’t much to see down by the Clyde. Lots going on, but nothing that moved me to press the shutter button. I walked back up along Queen Street where I usually can find something interesting at the GOMA, but nothing worthwhile today. Loads of people but no interesting shots.

Got the bus home. Luckily the fast bus which only took just over 20 mins. Scamp was sitting in the garden when I got home, admiring yesterday’s work. I decided to join her and sat for a few hours taking in some rays. Of course, I also managed to take some shots of the flowers we bought yesterday. The gazania really shone in today’s sunshine. It had to be the star.

Larky, plants and some beasties – 2 July 2015

Posted on July 2, 2015July 2, 2015 by Zogman

It was a noisy night, with thunder and lightning in the wee small hours. Torrential rain too. Got up early and out to the optician in Larky (honestly, I think I’m up and out earlier than I was when I was working).

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After the tests were done and the new reading glasses ordered, I waited until my eyes had returned to normal after the drops the optician had put in to dilate the pupils, then drove home. I intended to go in to Glasgow on the way, but couldn’t be bothered and also my eyes weren’t really ready yet, so came directly home. Scamp decided she wanted some plants for the garden, so we took ourselves off to Dobbies near Bearsden. Laden with horticultural species, we returned an hour or two later. Scamp was eager to plant out her plants – if you get my meaning. I felt that it was a bit late to get the bike out and took thelazier option of a walk around St Mo’s.

I took the Tamron for further testing, but on the off chance that there would be dragonflies around, packed the 105mm macro lens too. Found a couple of butterflies, some damsels and a spider, but no dragonflies. Packing the macro lens was a good idea, it beat the Tamron hands down, but then it is a prime and a really sharp one at that. On the way home the rain started. It didn’t last long, but at least it would help to set the new plantings for Scamp.

The return of the Tamron – 1 July 2015

Posted on July 1, 2015July 1, 2015 by Zogman

Scamp decided that we’d go in to Glasgow today and she would drive for a change. I phoned Merchant City Cameras and my Tamron lens was back, so we were good to go. Lunch at the Cranberry cafe we were at a few weeks ago and then a bit of shopping before walking back and picking up the lens. After that, we went for a walk around Glasgow Green. Saw a cormorant by the bank of the Clyde. Haven’t seen any on the river for a few years.

When we got home I put the Tamron on the Nikon and took it out for a quick run through. I cycled to the place I was at yesterday and the lacewings were there in abundance (an abundance is a disco in a bakery if my memory serves me right). They seemed a good subject for the repaired lens. I felt the action of the lens was a bit stiff and the focusing mechanism seemed a bit more stiff than it had been, but after looking at the results, it would appear that it is fixed, but only time will tell.

Weather today was much the same as yesterday. Temperatures in the high twenties and although there was some sun and a breeze in the morning, but by afternoon and the cycle ride, it was a lot duller, the wind had dropped and there was the threat of rain. Just spits in the wind, but there are warnings of heavy rain tomorrow.

The Hottest Day of the year – 30 June 2015

Posted on June 30, 2015June 30, 2015 by Zogman

Today was hot. Not pleasantly hot, but sticky, clammy, close hot with the threat of rain in the air. Not a day for doing the washing, but needs must etc. So, I although I was up late this morning, I did get the washing into the washing machine and out on the line. When Scamp came in she stated her intention to attack the field of grass in the front garden. Being a non-gardener myself, I took the easier option and went out for a run on my bike. As I’ve said, today was hot, so it was cycling top and cycling shorts for today’s run. I went to the usual places and found very few damselflies and no dragonflies, so I started to look for the easier options of spiders. It was while looking for the spiders I came upon a lacewing dangling from a leaf. It took a bit of messing around before I found the right extension tube configuration for the image, but the result looked interesting. Too many flies and midges to allow for any more photography here, so I headed home. Just at the Barrs pond, I found lots of mating damselflies, but unfortunately they were all too far away. Tried for a few, but without much luck. The lacewing was the star performer of the day.

Today was hot. I think I’ve said that before, but it’s worth repeating. I am in Scotland after all. Tomorrow is to be hotter. Is that even possible? There is the caveat that there will probably be thundershowers, but we’ve survived that in Venice, so it should be a dawdle in Scotland.

An exhausting day – 29 June 2015

Posted on June 29, 2015June 29, 2015 by Zogman

The first day in the gym after a fortnight stuffing our faces on the cruise. 30 minutes in the gym then a swim to relax. Best bit was the sauna and the jacuzzi. Who would have thought that just two weeks could have had such an effect. Even earlier, I had a hospital appointment to check for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), but it was all clear, thank goodness. We had our usual salsa class at night and it just added to the exhaustion. As for the rest of the day, I have no idea where it went, other than I took some photos of the shooting seed potatoes as a POD. Oh, yes, and I put another batch of photos on Flickr. I think it will take the remainder of the week for us to recover. I aim to have a less stressful day tomorrow when the weather, according to the magic weather fairies, is to be fair and sunny. We’ll see.

Lazy Sunday – 28 June 2015

Posted on June 28, 2015June 28, 2015 by Zogman

Last Sunday, I took 110 photos. Today, I took just 5. That’s the way it goes sometimes. The furthest I got today was the back garden. Torrential rain, then sun with a bit of a breeze. Not a bad day, just a lazy one. A very lazy one. My shot of the day was this one of pansies in the rain. Taken through the kitchen window this morning. Too lazy to go outside. That’s the way it goes sometimes.

Ok, I’ll be honest. All is not as it seems. As usual. There just wasn’t enough depth of field to capture the whole flower, so I took two shots. One with focus on the front and one with focus a bit further back. Then took the two images into Potatoshop as layers and aligned them then used a mask to cut through part of the top layer to allow the bottom layer to show through. That way I could get the best sharp bits from both images. It’s posh name is focus stacking. Others call it cheating. I call it photography.

Fannyside – 27 June 2015

Posted on June 27, 2015June 27, 2015 by Zogman

This was always going to be a busy day. We had friends coming to dinner and there was a lot to do. First thing was to make some bread. That was the easy bit. Just chuck the ingredients into the bowl of the mixer and let it get on with it. After 10 mins of mixing, divide the dough in half. Half goes in the freezer and half gets set aside for proving (allowing it to do the initial rising). Next, get the pannacotta on the go. I’ve done it a hundred times, but this time I nearly let it boil over. Just too cocky. After that, I could relax for a while, so took the bottles to the bottle bank – they make such a lovely sound when you smash them! Then it was time to get the photo done for today, and I decided to go to Fannyside moor to see if the bog cotton was in bloom. For once I was too early, as it was just beginning to flower, so I got some photos of moss seed heads instead. I also attempted a shot of a lonely tree, but the camera and the weather conspired against me and what I got was a shot of some dry grass stems with the tree just out of focus and distorted by the heat haze. A heat haze in Scotland, I hear you exclaim. Yes, it’s true, but perhaps today was summer. It’ll be sleet tomorrow, just you wait and see. P6270350- blog--178--178.jpg

Once the photography was over, it was time to head back home to slave over a hot stove, this time it was the main course. It’s a hard life this.

Coffee and Pizza – 26 June 2015

Posted on June 26, 2015June 26, 2015 by Zogman

Today was slow to start. That’s what happens when you go to a birthday party, have a ‘gang bang’ (explanation will be forthcoming later people!) and drive home just before midnight. Am I getting too old for this nonsense? Anyway, we went in to Glasgow to get some decent coffee beans from Thomson’s. Couldn’t decide what to do after that, so we went out a bit further to far flung Newton Mearns where everyone talks funny and did some shopping (or messages as a plummy Englishman called it last week) then came home and had a late lunch at Milano’s. I got the wanderlust later and walked over to St Mo’s. It was a lovely early evening walk. Met Mr Grey and took some photos. It was dry, but the grass was holding a lot of rain from yesterday and this morning, so my trousers were soaked. Also, unfortunately were my feet as my long serving boots are letting in quite severely. I think I’ll have to bite the bullet and get a new pair. No deer today, but I did glimpse a dragonfly, not a damsel, but a dragonfly. That augers well for a good hatch over the next few days. My head is severely confused this week. I keep on thinking it’s Saturday today – it is now, but that’s because it’s just past midnight – but all day it’s felt like Saturday. Jetlag? No, just Numptylag!

Auld claes and purrich – 25 June 2015

Posted on June 26, 2015June 26, 2015 by Zogman

It’s that sad day after a great holiday when you have to come back down to normal life again. No longer to have breakfast on the upper deck. No longer to slather yourself in sun tan lotion and bake for half an hour at a time. No longer can you walk away and leave the dirty dishes for someone else to tidy up. There’s good things about it too, not least, your own bed at night. That’s worth a lot of the inconvenience. Not having to listen to the “Bing! Bong! This is your captain speaking from the bridge” and 9.00 every morning, that’s a relief too. Just a lazy day today with the added brightener of a birthday party tonight in Barca in Glasgow. So the holiday isn’t entirely over yet, oh no. Also, I got a minifig as a Father’s Day present from Hazy and a clever clogs card from JIC. Nice things to come home too.

However, as my dad would often say, it’s back to auld claes and purrich. In other words, it’s back to normal – or as near normal as we get. Oh yes, and it’s still raining!