Category: A Walk

I think that was summer! – 19 March 2025

Posted on by Zogman

A beautiful morning with sun streaming in the window.

It did just entice me to get up, but one look out the window confirmed my suspicion that there was ice on the birdbath. Too cold for an early morning walk. I keep thinking I should get up early and go for a walk, an take some photos, but I never really get round to it.

After breakfast I drove Scamp and Jackie over to The Fort and set them loose on that big avenue of retail therapy. I drove home. I thought I might drive up to Fannyside to get some landscapes, but instead, I dug out Scamp’s kneeling device and tried to make myself comfortable, stuck between the bins, but couldn’t settle. So it was back to the old trusted fold down canvas seat.

Strangely, tucked between the bins, I was almost invisible to folk passing by. I sat there for almost an hour with my new book “Paperboy”, written in broad Glaswegian. After that I made myself a cup of coffee and returned to the bins … and the book.

Eventually I had to stretch my legs and go for a walk into St Mo’s. Only managed one decent photo, but I liked it. A Coltsfoot Daisy. That was my dad’s favourite wild flower.

When Scamp and Jackie returned, I volunteered to walk over to Golden Bowl for tonight’s dinner Chicken Chow Mein for two and Chicken Chop Suey with fried rice for Scamp.

Tomorrow there may not be a blog post. We’ll see how things work out.

 

Exchange & Mart – 18 March 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Bought a lens on Friday. Sold it back on Tuesday.

It was a very poor quality lens that I could have updated using an app I’ve had for years, but it wasn’t worth the money or the time it would have taken me to do the upgrade. I wish now that I’d have kept the original that I sold at a loss a few years ago. However, I do have an equally good lens with less artefacts for a little bit more. Winners and losers, that’s what life is about.

We drove in to Glasgow to do the exchange. Scamp suggested parking at Cowcaddens carpark. From there, she could go for a coffee and a cake in Waterstones while I went to do the handover. The exchange only took a few minutes and then I was back on Sauchiehall Street and heading for a Flat White and a cake while Scamp was almost finished.

Drove home, but I didn’t feel all that great. Feeling dizzy and aching all over. It felt that I had picked up Scamp’s cold. A vitamin-c tablet and a couple of paracetamol sorted things. Then Scamp’s suggestion (demand) that I have a wee snooze in the afternoon seemed to hit the mark.

She woke me a few hours later with a cup of tea and I realised I’d caught myself snoring on the bed, after I’d been criticising other people for doing the same thing. Of course, I was ill and the other person was only snoring. There is a difference!

I took my second lot of pills and Vit-C and went for a quick walk round St Mo’s and got at least one good shot of the late afternoon sun shining through the trees and that made PoD. By the time I got home Jackie was almost in Glasgow and I was ’encouraged’ to allow her to take the bus back to Cumbersheugh.

Scamp made her delicious Prawn & Pea Risotto for dinner tonight and as usual it was perfect. As she says, it’s one of the few dishes I’ll eat with loads of lemon in it.

Tomorrow the ladies might be going for a walk around The Fort, but it won’t be an early rise, I’m sure.

 

Another sunny day – 17 March 2025

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Scamp suggested we go out for lunch somewhere today. I agreed.

We drove out past Stirling to The Smiddy, not the seedy wee pub in Cumbersheugh, but the cafe / deli / restaurant near Doune. We go there quite often and the food is always good, especially the ‘specials’. I had a Venison Burger with all the trimmings and delicious chips. Scamp had Posh Fish Pie. Both were lovely and tasted just as good as they looked.

We drove home via the conjoined Dobbies and Lakeland. Their adjoining shutter door was having a bad day which separated the two stores. Scamp almost got a pair of black shoes to fit her in Moshulu, but came home with a scrubbing brush from Lakeland instead. I also took a detour past B&Q to look at power drills. My old Black & Decker with its NiCad batteries just won’t hold the power these days, but then they are ancient now. I had a look, but need to have a word with Crawford to see what he recommends I should buy.

Finally back home, I took the A7iii out for a walk and tried the Samyang lens and wasn’t impressed with the results. I think it may go back. Too much colour fringing and vignettes. Maybe I can fix it with an upgrade, but I doubt it. I did get a close-up of some of the thorns of a hawthorn bush and that became PoD.

That was about it for today. Hoping for more good weather tomorrow, but Scamp wants to “do some tidying up”. That doesn’t sound much like fun!

First F1 GP of the year – 16 March 2025

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We just had to watch it.

We’d recorded it, and I had avoided looking too carefully at the BBC news on my phone this morning just in case I saw the result before I watched the race. I had to wait Scamp had finished watching Laura Kuenssberg tearing into some politicians. Usually it’s interesting, but really, this isn’t politics, it’s much more important. This is Formula One. The first race of the season!
Yes, I know I’ll suffer for that … later!

Anyway I ate my lunch while the politics thing was on, then I had a couple of hours of entertainment as cars went skidding this way and that. Even the big names were sliding across the Melbourne grass, and that was before the rain came! For once there was fun, frolics and broken cars in F1. Thankfully there were no serious injuries.

With that done, I wrote out a shopping list under Scamp’s dictation and went shopping. I found out where the Paracetamol and the Ibuprofen were kept, they were in a different Tesco. The main Tesco seems to get all the goodies while our skimpy one gets the leftovers. I’ve suspected it for ages, but I prove it to myself today.

Back home with ticks in all my shopping boxes, I prepared my Breast of Lamb for the oven, then with a host of herbs adorning it, I bunged it in the oven at about Gas Mark three and a bit for a couple of hours and went for a walk in St Mo’s. There wasn’t much to see until I was heading home and the sun came out from behind the clouds. That gave me two possible PoDs. The winner was a landscape looking across the pond to two individuals who appeared to be looking for the frogs that had been there last week.

Back home the lamb was halfway through its allotted time, so I gave it a shake and a turn, then it went back into the oven to finish off.

It actually turned out fine. Perhaps a bit overcooked, but it tasted fine. Scamp had a lovely big thick fillet of salmon which also looked good.

Spoke to Jamie and heard that Simonne is labouring under the same symptoms as Scamp. Sore throat, runny nose and an awful cough. I think Scamp felt better after that.

We have no real plans for tomorrow. It depends on how Scamp is feeling. Both of us have been sitting here having a sniffing competition!

Here, there and everywhere – 15 March 2025

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A day for cramming loads of things in.

Started out this morning watching the first qualifying for this year’s F1 GP in Australia.

Next, I was heading for Glasgow to pick up my new lens. Thought I should look for some Paracetamol capsules and Ibuprofen for Scamp instead. Some raspberries for her wouldn’t go amiss too. I don’t know what’s wrong this year, but paracetamol, and ibuprofen are quite hard to come by. Maybe there is a ‘bug’ going the rounds and everyone is stocking up on them, but raspberries? Why are they so difficult to come by? All of a sudden there are no raspberries nor strawberries to be found. Just to contradict myself, there were a few trays of strawberries today. Lots of those strange, naked looking white strawberries too. I just drove back home with the meds and my fruit for Scamp.

After a frugal lunch of bread and cheese, we both set off looking for a suitable vase to hold the bouquets flowers we’d accrued over the last few days. Locally first, then further afield to Falkirk until Scamp found the vase she was looking for. I must admit the vases of flowers in the living room give the room a totally different look.

We drove home after that and I decided I’d just enough time to take the train in to Glasgow to pick up my new lens. Scamp didn’t want to come, she was happier to rest up for a while.

Long story short, I drove to Croy station, got the train to Glasgow and walked from Queen Street station up Bath Street to WEX and picked up the Samyang 18mm f2.8 lens. Then it was back down Sauchiehall Street to the city centre, stopping on the way to photograph the demise of the 02 ABC building. Glasgow was buzzing today. Groups of folk, mainly young folk sitting outside enjoying a pint or two in the late afternoon sun while the more mature Glaswegians were heading for home on the bus or the train. It did feel like spring!

Just managed to get on the Alloa train and retrieved my car from the carpark then drove home.

The lens seemed to be fine. No scratches nor scrapes on it, so I took it to St Mo’s to take some photos of the setting sun from the top of the BMX track. Checked them at home and they looked fine. I’m hoping to do a more detailed check tomorrow if the weather permits.

PoD was the partial demolition of the O2 ABC building in Sauchiehall Street with the ill fated Art School in the background.

More lens testing if the weather behaves tomorrow, and the possibility of the first F1 GP of 2025 later.

Another sunny morning – 14 March 2025

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A sunny morning that deserved a walk or something active, but instead we stayed home and just enjoyed the sunshine.

Scamp had woken with a stinker of a cold. I had had some business in the village but was given a list of medicines we needed in the house, but Benylin Original was high on the list for Scamp. I managed to source the Benylin easily, but Paracetamol and Ibuprofen were more problematic. However I had found a couple of the meds and that meant I wasn’t going home empty handed.

Back home, I found the final photos I needed to finalise the Order of Service booklet and sent them off through the ether to the Funeral director. She got back to me fairly quickly, confirming that everything had been received. That meant my work was done. The photos for the screening were with the funeral people, as were the Order of Service photos.

Meanwhile Scamp cleared the bed and was ready to rotate the mattress. A monthly process where we either rotate the mattress of we flip fit over. It weighs half a ton, so the word ‘flip’ is rather flippant for turning over such a heavy load!

We decided we deserved a day out for lunch, and after some discussion, settled on The Riverhouse in Stirling. We drove to find that the carpark was completely full, not even a space to squeeze a little BMX bike far less a car. We couldn’t think where else we’d find a decent restaurant on a Friday afternoon, so we drove home.

I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got a nice bit of ‘Bokeh’ (out of focus highlights) with the sun setting behind some Gorse flowers. That easily made PoD.

I made a mess of the pizza I’d bought on the way home, forgetting to put it on a tray in the oven which led to the centre of the pizza falling through onto the empty tray beneath. Some days I just can’t do anything right!

The Benylin and the paracetamol plus the ibuprofen seemed to work on Scamp’s cough and her cold, I’m glad to say.

I’m hoping to pick up my new lens tomorrow. Scamp’s looking for a new vase for her flowers. Maybe we can achieve both. That would be nice!

Another beautiful morning – 13 March 2025

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A beautiful morning when you were in the sun, but not so good when you were outside. Thankfully I wasn’t.

Scamp was out early to go the the hairdresser in Condorrat, while I struggled with Wordle which is now installed in the iPhone.

After she returned, she headed off again, this time to meet Isobel for coffee. Stayed home just in case I was needed for anything (which I wasn’t) and watched the world go by. I bought an 18mm wide angle lens that would work on both the big camera and the wee one too. Second hand, of course. I also found time to make my lunch.

Scamp returned from her blether with Isobel and we made ready to visit the Celebrant. A fairly young man who made himself at ease in Paul’s house. He asked us all a multitude of questions. Some obvious ones, like getting names right and family connections. Some less obvious, like what was June’s favourite colour! It took us some time to work out what he was doing, but we realised he was just trying to get a feel for June. He explained that he also liked to wear a tie the same colour as his subject would wear. I liked that.

After an hour of questioning that felt more like a comfortable chat, he had most of the information he needed and had filled many pages in his well worn book and took his leave and we knew we were in safe hands.

We drove home via Tesco to get some ingredients for tonight’s dinner and some bulbs for Scamp to plant.

I went for a walk over to St Mo’s and today’s PoD was lichen covered hawthorn branch with two bright red berries on it.

We watched a depressing episode of The Apprentice but we couldn’t generate much interest in it. Too repetitive.

Tomorrow we may go out for lunch. It depends on the weather.

Out on the town – 12 March 2025

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Just Alex and I, out for a photo walk.

We met at the Buchanan Bus Station as normal and went for a coffee in Nero. We must have sat talking about last week for over an hour. Certainly long enough for Alex’s coffee to get cold, but he didn’t want another one. Once I’d unburdened myself and answered his questions, we walked down a sunny Buchanan Street and zig-zagged down to Argyle Street where Alex wanted to get a new set of strings for his guitar.

On the way I got a photo of two old (ish) ladies, one-finger typing into their phones. I know I should be careful with the ‘Old’ word, I’m in the male category of that age group now too! Anyway, when I got home I was pleased to see the photos had turned out well and one of them became PoD. Photographing strangers is a photo technique I’ve learned from Alex. It can be a really interesting way to use a camera … as long as you don’t get caught.

Getting back to the Photo Walk, we walked back along Argyle Street and crossed over to head for Paesano, the only pizza shop Alex would go to. Pizzas were lovely as usual and another hour had passed in catching up chat. I suggested we have a day away in Dundee some time and get some photos of the V&A. Alex agreed that it might be good in the warmer weather, when the days were longer. I’m not sure he’s completely sold on the idea.

When we’d been talking in Nero, Alex had mentioned he fancied a walk up Sauchiehall Street, just to see how the renovations were going. However, we’d gone down Buchanan Street instead. He said it was probably muscle memory, because we ofter walk down that hill to go to St Enoch’s. Whatever the reason, we went for that walk up Sauchiehall Street then. I wanted to look for a book I’d seen advertised on the ‘net, but wasn’t due to hit the shelves until tomorrow. While Alex went for a wander round the books, I found the book I was looking for “Paperboy”. Out a day early. I used the book token Scamp had given me back in January to buy it. Thank you Scamp.

Another coffee and a long blether later we were ready to hit the road back to the bus station when Alex noticed that the time was fast approaching 5pm.

We said our goodbyes and went to our buses. I just got on mine and almost got to my seat when the bus reversed out of the stance. Perfect timing.

That was a good day. PoD was the shot of the two ladies struggling with the technological challenge of mobile phones.

Tomorrow we are meeting the Celebrant to finalise the remaining details for next week. Hopefully the meeting will go well.

 

A walk in the park – 11 March 2025

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The furthest we went today was a walk to the shops.

Another bright sunny day to start with, then the sun disappeared for a while and it looked like it would rain. However, the rain didn’t arrive and the sun shone again. All the time the cold north wind was chilling us. That was the end of the weather forecast.

We did go for a walk to the shops looking for something for dinner. Actually, we’d already agreed on fish risotto for dinner it was just the need for some spinach, blueberries and creme fraiche that brought us out of the house and down to the shops.

Halfway home, as is usual now, I went for a walk round the pond while Scamp took the messages home. Not a lot to report on the wildfowl though. A few Tufted Ducks and the usual hoards of Mallards. There had been a few Canada Geese last week, but they had just been passing the time on their way north again. Even the frogs and toads had left. I found some Coltsfoot Daisies, but none of the images were worth keeping. In the morning I photographed a vase of cut flowers backlit with the sunlight streaming in the window. That nearly got PoD, but was pipped at the post by a photo of a Horse Chestnut bud just about ready to burst free from the sticky scales that protect them from insect attack.

The Fish Risotto was a bit of a disappointment, I felt. Too much full fat milk in the mix, I think. It was still edible, but not as good as I’d have liked.

That was about it for the day, except Scamp has booked us for a run down south later in the year.  Let’s hope LNER are better resourced than they were at Christmas.

Tomorrow I’m hoping to meet Alex for the first photo walk in ages. No idea where we’ll go.

A day in the garden – 9 March 2025

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A dull, misty start to a day that was supposed to have sunshine from Morning to Night. It did eventually get itself in gear and let the sun shine in.

Scamp was busy today in the garden and I was enlisted to prune the Schoolgirl rose at the front door and also to cut back Alec’s Red the rose that has grown in almost every house we’ve lived in. Scamp is wary of pruning it for fear of going too far. To be honest, so am I. It’s a very elderly rose now and the flowers are great heavy blooms, but every spring I tend to err on the side of safety and although I know it will be better for the plant if I cut it back severely, I’m always wary. So it was today, although it did get a good haircut.

Scamp spent a lot of time, teasing out weeds from her array of plant pots, while all the time looking for fresh growth from the perennial plants. She did find a few, then she brought her garden table into the kitchen and did some potting up of a collection of some little plug plants. Tiny little things in conical tubes about the same diameter as a 10p. They seem to be making good growth. Finally I lifted my latest bargain, an orchid in a glass jar. It was looking a bit sorry for itself and I soon saw why. Although it looked very pretty, and I’d been watering it once every two weeks, the actual plant was in a tiny little plastic tub and was as dry as a bone. It’s now been watered properly and I’ve removed all the damp compost and allowed it to dry out a bit. I might remove the plant from its plastic prison and allow it spread its roots into the compost.

By the time we had both completed our tasks for the day, Scamp decided it was coffee time and I reckoned it was time to go for a walk over to St Mo’s. Thought I saw the white tail of a deer when I was over in the woods, but it disappeared too quickly for me to be sure. I did see a host of frogs, or were they toads? I’m never sure about them, and it was one of those shots that made PoD.

Spoke to Jamie and gave him a better explanation of the last week, now that the fog of confusion is lifting. Heard about his latest purchase, an Apple iPhone 16 no less. He seems to be happier with it than I am at present. I hope he gets good use from it.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to see the money man in Falkirk.