Category: A Walk

Freezing – 19 November 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Yesterday was wet. Today it was freezing with temperatures around -1ºc in the morning.

However, we were safely tucked up in bed by then. When I did eventually get up to make the breakfast for us, the temperature had risen to -0.4ºc. Positively tropical. Not tropical for us to get out of bed, though. When I took a proper look out the back bedroom, there was a covering of snow on the Meikle Bin and also a scraping of snow on the Campsie Fells too, but the sky was blue with just a few clouds.

We didn’t venture far in the morning, although I did take out a pair of secateurs and gave the Alec’s Red rose a gentle trim, just to remove the old flower buds. That will probably be the last cut for this year.

I went for a walk in the afternoon, well wrapped up, of course. Alex is still holding on to my Sony A7iii and the 25-105mm lens, so just for a laugh I took the A7c and a very old 28-70mm kit lens I got with the Sony A7ii a long number of years ago. I must have a look through the records to see just how old it would be. At the time I thought it was the bees knees, but now I see all its faults beginning to show. It’s not the best lens in the world, but it is better than nothing at all. PoD was a photo of a dozen Canada Geese walking from their feeding ground in St Mo’s park to the relative safety of St Mo’s pond where fewer predators threaten them. I’m guessing they were overwintering from their summer habitat in Alaska to our milder winters in the uk.

By the time I was walking home, my ears was getting chilled, but by adjusting my trusty St Andrews ‘Buff’ I kept them from getting frostbite.

While I was out, Scamp was making a rhubarb pie with some of the rhubarb Jamie’s had brought up with then the last time they were up in Scotland for a wedding. The rhubarb was really quite sharp and although it had some stem ginger in its mix, I felt it could have done with some more sugar. Pastry was up to Scamp’s usual excellence. Home made fish ’n’ chips for dinner, followed by rhubarb pie with home grown rhubarb. Excellent.

We watched another episode of Shetland and the plot thickens even more. Can’t wait for the next instalment.

Hoping to get to Glenburn tomorrow for a Tea Dance. However, it depends on the weather. Ice and snow forecast. Temperature just now at 11.15pm is – 0.9ºc.

A day on my own – 17 November 2025

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Scamp and Shona were booked on the train to Inverness today, but …

We were both up and dressed nice and early. I had warmed up the car and defrosted it, while Scamp was having a swift breakfast, then we drove off to pick up Shona at Paul’s house. That’s when things went wrong. Despite three phone calls and knocking on the door, there was no sign of Shona. We waited for a good four or five minutes, and Scamp was getting worried that we might miss the first train, the one that would take her to Stirling where she only had 5 minutes to catch the connection to Inverness.

I dropped Scamp at the station with enough time to spare to walk over the bridge to the far side to catch the Alloa train that would drop her at Stirling. Just to satisfy my nagging worry that Shona might be waiting at her own house, rather than Paul’s, I drove past her own house, but there was no sign of Shona. Knowing that we’d both done everything we could, I drove home and had my breakfast. No need to rush now. Scamp had sent a text to say she was now on the Inverness train. I thought I’d take my time and read a bit more of my latest book ’The Fathers’.

The plan for the rest of today was to put some air into the Blue car’s tyres. Then if time allowed, to take some clutter to the skips. The tyres had been gradually losing pressure for the last few months and needed it fixed. I remember when air was free at a petrol station as long as you were buying fuel, but not now. Thinking back on it, that was at least 20 years ago now! Anyway, I paid my quid and filled the tyres. I hadn’t realised just how low those tyre were. The car went skipping along now.

I checked the box with the stuff for the skip, but wasn’t certain I was looking at the correct box. Better to be safe than sorry, so I left it for another day. Instead I drove to Tesco for bread and a pizza which would be my dinner tonight.

Lunch time was coming up soon and that was going to be a ‘piece ’n’ banana’. Healthy and nutritious and, best of all, easy to make. Another nose dive into the book and it was time to go for a walk. Somewhere close to home, because light was fading again. The days are certainly getting shorter.

PoD came from that walk. The pond was frozen, really frozen, not like yesterday when there was a thin sheet of ice on the water. This ice was hard. I tapped it with my fingernail and it sounded hard. Time for one of my ‘Dangerous Dan’ ideas. Set the camera to the aperture and shutter speed you want and gently place it on the ice, holding on to the wrist strap, just in case! Gently press the shutter and get ready to swipe it off the ice at the first sign of a crack. Just as I was pressing the shutter button I saw the ice start to shift. It wasn’t as solid as I’d thought. Whipped the camera away, unharmed. It would have been a great shot, but maybe another day. The final photo was take from a slightly higher viewpoint and it looked almost as good as the photo that never was.

After my pizza dinner I got a message from Scamp to say she was on the Inverness train heading to Stirling. The next message a couple of hours later told me she was on the Glasgow train. I drove down to the station and parked just as the train came in.

That was a long day for Scamp and Jackie, but not for me. I just relaxed through the day. Shame about Shona missing the trip, but there will be other days.

Absolutely no plans for tomorrow.

Another bright, but cold day – 16 November 2025

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The temperature when we woke this morning was 0.4ºc. At least it was still positive!

We both struggled with Wordle, but survived to tell the tale. Other puzzles were not as successful. It must have been the cold temperature that was doing it.

We didn’t actually do much and we certainly didn’t go far. The temperature did rise a bit in the afternoon, but not enough to entice us out, there was even some ice in the bird bath in the back garden. First time this season.

In the afternoon I managed a walk around St Mo’s to get some photos. The cloudscape was very nice, but by 4pm the sun was heading towards the horizon and the colours were changing. My favourite photo was another of the reflection shots I’ve become attached to. This time it was taken with the Sony 10-18mm lens. It’s really an APS-C lens, but it works magnificently on the full frame camera. It became PoD and was a shot looking across the flooded pond to a beautiful skyscape.

One circuit of St Mo’s pond was sufficient for me today, not because it was cold, although it still was, but because I was cooking a stubby short rib for my dinner. Scamp was having salmon. Her’s was cooked in about ten minutes while mine took three hours. Both were deemed lovely, but my short rib was a bit tough. It might have been left in the freezer just too long. I must go back to Muirhead to get another one, soon, and not keep it so long in the freezer this time.

We spoke to Jamie and heard about his plans for the next couple of months. It must be great to be going to warm places while we shiver, even if it’s not for the happiest or reasons. We also heard that he has a leak in roof somewhere. It’s in a place that wasn’t updated in his previous work. Thankfully he says it doesn’t look too serious.

Scamp and Shona are booked for on a one-day trip up north tomorrow. I hope the weather is kind to them. I might be taking some stuff to the skips.

Today was to be a lazy day – 15 November 2025

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We accomplished that task.

We’d half agreed that today would be a relaxing day after the comings and goings of yesterday. I thought we might go out for a while in the afternoon, but it just sort of drifted away. It was good to look out at the blue sky and the fluffy clouds, but the cold temperature didn’t encourage us to go out and experience it, so we stayed home and watched from the safety of the house. No point in going out into the cold and ending up with frostbite. Granted there was very little chance of catching frostbite, but was it worth the risk?

In the end we stayed at home. The cases had to be put up into the loft until it was time to take them down for our proposed visit to Calpe next year. Yesterday, Scamp had done a fair bit of tidying up and today was my turn. Shoes had to be put away and old trainers had to be disposed of. Two large boxes were taking up space in the small bedroom and they needed to be taken to the council dump. I shelved that idea until I knew exactly how many boxes were going. Anything to put off the decision. It looks as if I will need to do some work on the boxes in the coming days, but not today. Instead, I went for a walk in St Mo’s.

Two days of constant rain had flooded the pond up to but not quite over the path, but careful stepping was needed to avoid wet feet.  It’s been a long time since the pond has flooded.

It was indeed cold, only about 7ºc with a gentle breeze. I walked round the park and got a few photos. One that I liked was a low view through the reed and rushes and it became PoD. I walked down past the back of St Mo’s school to see if the flag irises that grow there were producing seeds, but I’m sure now that none will be fruiting this year. Maybe they are biennials and only produce seeds every second year. Either that or the strong winds we had earlier in the year damaged the plants. Whatever the cause, there were no seed pods to be seen. I walked back to the house and realised just how cold it was outside. You sometimes don’t realise until you are in a warm place.

Watched Strictly in the evening and weren’t all that impressed with the efforts of the dancers. Too many tears from the professionals and the competitors.

Tomorrow if the weather warms up in time, we may go for a walk somewhere interesting.

 

Driving and Phones – 14 November 2025

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Friday’s used to be relaxing days. Not today.

Out just about 11am to meet my brother, Alex for a walk in Chatelherault park and a cup of coffee. We sat for an hour discussing the merits and demerits of two Sony cameras, an A7iii and an A7ii. Both were up for consideration by Alex as a replacement for his A6600 camera. Both the A7 series cameras were ‘Full Frame’ which means they produce better quality images than the A6 series. Alex was considering a giant leap in technology. I already had two A series cameras and am really happy with the quality they produce. Finally he agreed to borrow my A7iii for a week or so to decide if it was for him or not. I’ll leave him to decide for himself if the upgrade is worth the money.

To give us a better ‘hands-on’ with the camera we went for a walk across the “Duke’s Bridge’ which was built by the Duke of Hamilton many years ago. It used to be a private road, but now it is open to the public. Once we were over the bridge we visited the Cadzow Oaks, ancient oak trees, some of which are over 600 years old and still producing leaves and fruit.
While we were there a couple passed us riding one white horse and one brown horse. Just to show off, I think, they galloped along the path once we were behind them. Beautiful horses. We both wondered what the view must be like from that height.

Alex had only about two hours free, having to pick up his grandson from nursery, but we made good use of his time.

I drove him home and said our goodbyes. It wasn’t until I was nearly home I heard a strange ticking in the car. I had the radio on, and it wasn’t coming from that, but when it started again, I knew there was something wrong. I stopped at the shops near our house and found Alex’s phone wedged between the two seats!

When I got home, Scamp started investigating and found a message from Alex’s wife saying had I found Alex’s phone in the car? A few hasty emails later I confirmed that I had it and would bring it over.

Our relaxing day with a walk through the woods had become a bit of a nightmare, but Alex and his phone were reunited and all was well in the end.

Dinner tonight was home made Paella.

PoD was a reflection from the Duke’s Bridge of the trees at Chatelherault.

No plans for tomorrow. I hope Alex’s blood pressure is back to normal by now!

Walking in the woods – 9 November 2025

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The day started with heavy rain showers, then the sun shone.

I didn’t believe the weather forecast, but after lunch the sun shone.
I didn’t think it would last, but it did. That’s me. Always the glass half empty.

I laced up my boots and went for a walk, deep into the woods. I hadn’t been in the deep woods for ages, but with the leaves falling continuously these days, there was more light than normal through the trees. I walked for a while, longer than I’d anticipated and by the time I was thinking it would be a good idea to head for home, the good light was gone. Then I found today’s PoD. I’ve no idea what variety of fungi this one belongs to, but I liked the shape and colour so I snapped a few shots of it. If I get a chance in the next few days I’ll go back in and try for some better shots.

I also found a dead drone in the middle of the woods. I meant to photograph its details. Such a simple thing to do with a phone. If I get back to photograph the fungi, hopefully I’ll find the drone at the same time.

Other than that, it was a fairly usual Sunday. Late to rise and wasted most of the day. I really need to get up and out earlier. People post such wonderful photos taken out walking the dog in the morning, or just after sunset. Mayne I should get a dog! (Only kidding, Scamp!)

Spoke to Jamie in the evening and heard about his and Simonne’s week. It seemed like their week had been much like ours, with nothing much to report.

I bought a new pair of boots a month or so ago and haven’t worn them yet.  Yesterday’s walk gave me reason to question if one of my old  boots is leaking. Today’s walk confirmed it. It looks like I’m going to need to get the new boots out of their box and break them in gently.

So far, we have an unbooked day tomorrow. We may go out somewhere.

Going the rounds – 7 November 2025

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Friday used to mean FitSteps for Scamp, but falling numbers meant that Kirsty was leaving it until after Christmas.

With more time to fill, we struggled with the puzzle page in the NYT before we drove over to that cold hole they call Costa in the town centre to meet Isobel. She looked cold and a bit drawn when we met her. No wonder. It’s a great high empty looking cafe that gets a gale blowing through it every time somebody opens the door. It really has very little to recommend it, half a shot of coffee in a big jug isn’t really a Latte, although the Cortado is drinkable.

We sat exchanging stories of what had been happening in Isobel’s side of the town and what we’d got up to on our Autumn holiday. Shona arrived just as Isobel was leaving. I got the drinks in for them and then left to go to Tesco. Bought a few things and made the mistake of forgetting to use my Tesco card which meant I paid full price for my goods. I won’t make that mistake again.

When I got back and put the goods away, I grabbed my camera and left a note for Scamp to say that I was away to get some photos in St Mo’s before it got too dark. I wasn’t kidding either. It felt like the light was failing at 1.45pm. I know the time, because that’s when I saw what looked like a bear on its hind legs in the woods at St Mo’s. Of course it was just a tree stump, but …

I headed for home after that, not because I was afraid of bears, but because I was getting cold. Dull and Cold, that about summed up today. I arrived back at the house just as Scamp was unlocking the door, having travelled home on the bus.

The bear shot is there to see on Flickr if you’re interested, but PoD went to a bright yellow leaf sitting on a pile of old trampled leaves. I liked it.

Tomorrow we may be going to dance class. Hope it’s a bit brighter day.

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.

Flying through the air in a metal tube – 7 October 2025

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I can’t remember where I read that comment, but it springs into my head every time I’m in a plane.

Everything went like clockwork. The plane was on time we were seated staring out at a dark, wet and grim looking Glasgow Airport but soon we were beginning to taxi and then we were flying. The longest flight we’d been on in quite a few years. Still, the worries were there. Did I lock the back door? Were all the back windows closed? Oh what the hell, we were going to a few new countries and a lot of places we’d not been to in a long while. Just a case of lying back and enjoying it.

Sooner than I thought, I felt the plane begin to decelerate as it started its approach into Palma airport. Everything was going to be fine.

After the traditional first Holiday Beer at about 10:30am we went on a wander around the ship, our ship. Lots of places looked familiar and some didn’t . It was a slightly smaller ship than our previous Tui Discovery 2, but that would turn out to be an advantage. I needn’t have worried about the temperature. This was ‘shorts and tea shirts’ weather.

We went for a walk around the shore area and I caught sight of an aircraft carrier. The first I’d seen in a long number of years. I asked a Police man if it was an old ship, but he said “No. It’s real. It’s for the War”. That sort of took me back down to earth. You forget that although there are hundreds, if not thousands of folk arriving or leaving these cruise ships, there is a real and definite undertone of threat there too. We made an unspoken decision to put I to the back of our heads and not speak about it again this cruise.

On the way back from our walk, we found a ‘Cherry Picker’ being used to wash the windows of the top deck of the ship. I wondered if the bloke at the top had his “Working At Height” licence.  It must be a wonderful view from there.

The day was a bit of a blur. We did go for a walk outside the ship and also around the inside. We had lunch in one of the restaurants and had a few drinks too. There was the usual ‘Sail Away’ party on deck after the final late arriving folk were checked in and we spent a fair amount of time watching the goings on.

Eventually we agreed we’d had enough and went to bed. We’d been up since about 6am and it was now about midnight. Time for a bit is shut-eye … after one more glass of wine perhaps.

Tomorrow is a sea day with the chance of a dance class.

Getting Closer – 6 October 2025

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I always get edgy as we get nearer to the day we fly. This was no exception.

Were my cameras packed properly? Was the batteries charged? Was my checklist ok? Did I have enough warm clothes, because, despite what Scamp never tired of telling me, it wasn’t going to be all that warm where we were going.

Eventually I bit the bullet and went for a walk in St Mo’s. Taking photos is what I do to calm down and it worked. Not a lot of photos, but enough to take my mind off the possibilities of things that might go wrong and concentrate on taking some photos of the autumn leaves. Do they have autumn in Palma?

But first, another chance to worry. Would the taxi arrive on time. It did. I was soooo glad that I’d agreed with Scamp that we wouldn’t take our car, because the poor taxi driver had to manage the lane changes that were needed to get us through the roadworks that will be with us until May 2026, or so we’re told. We got to the airport just a little later than he’d predicted, paid him and walked over to dump our cases in the check-in hall. With the cases gone, my stress levels started to decrease. A glass of beer with a glass of expensive wine for Scamp and I was beginning to believe we could do this. Heavens, it sound like we’re a pair of bank robbers instead of just a couple of oldies going on holiday.

I knew we wouldn’t sleep much but we set our watches and phones anyway, and we did begin to drift away ………..

Tomorrow would come in its own sweet time.