Category: clouds

At The Fort – 26 November 2024

Posted on by Zogman

We drove to The Fort today. Our main aim can’t be divulged yet, but it was partly successful.

Scamp messaged Hazy in the morning to see how here mouth was. The reply was that she “slept ok. Her face was a bit swollen, but not too sore.” We were both glad to hear that.

We drove home via Tesco to get some veg for dinner and a carton of milk. Such an exciting day. Then it was home for lunch. First I was reminded that we need the boiler serviced, so I phoned the local heating engineers and got an appointment for the middle of December. Another thing  to tick off the ToDo list.

After lunch Scamp was intending to phone Jackie, so I put my boots on and went over to St Mo’s on a cold but sunny day to get some photos with the 16-35mm lens on the A7iii. One of them became PoD. I liked the colour of the light and the low viewpoint that had me crawling along the boardwalk. I thought the council plan to cut channels into the reedbeds and the marshy areas was going to be a disaster, but after a couple of years they have become a haven for ducks and the occasional swan. Also they are sheltered from the wind and create great reflections. For once I say “well done” to the council.

By the time I got back, the telephone conversation had finished and it was time to chop up the veg to make Butternut Squash Soup which would be the main course of tonight’s dinner. Scamp made custard that went so well with the apple tart of a couple of days ago.

We watched the final of The Great British Bakeoff. I got the winner totally wrong, but I think Scamp backed the right horse.

A quick practise of the new Quickstep that we’re hoping to unveil on Thursday at a tea dance. Still a few rough edges to remove, but effectively it’s there.

We may go shopping tomorrow and hopefully there will be enough for a quorum at the British Legion for the last waltz of the year!

Bert’s gone – 25 November 2024

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Bert was still bumbling around this morning, but by afternoon we’d seen the last of him. Off to colder climes.

Just the usual Monday morning. Solved Wordle, but only by the skin of my teeth and then found the Pangram. Not so successful with Angry Birds. Scamp also waltzed through Wordle and the Pangram, then Gummy Drop. My what children we are behind our adult masks.

I parcelled up a USB stick for Jackie and Jaki, then scribbled a note to each and it was a scribble. My handwriting really is so bad that I can’t read it myself at times. Printing I can do no problem, but joined up writing just evades me. By then, Bert was was calming down, gathering his bits and pieces a lumbering off to annoy some Norwegian folk instead of us. That begs the question; Where do these weather systems go after they’ve annoyed us for a couple of days? Is there a home somewhere for forgotten winds? Maybe there is somewhere where they can be wound up again and sent off to annoy more folk in other countries. Anyway, it was lunch time. Sad wee cold meat sandwich for me and a banana on toast for Scamp. Not exactly haute cuisine, but it filled a wee space.

Suitably refreshed, I drove up to Tesco to post the parcels and to get some odds and ends for dinner tonight. Just as I was leaving I bumped into Fred who had a couple of books for me. I’d been carrying some books for him in the boot of the car for a couple of weeks, but, of course, I’d emptied the boot last week. I’ll put the bag of books back in the car tomorrow in the hopes I bump into Fred again soon.

PoD was a grab shot. As I was driving home I could see an interesting sunset forming over Broadwood Loch and just managed to get a few photos of it on my phone.

Just as I got into the house I got a message from Hazy to say that the dentists had removed her bothersome tooth, but they are not allowed to give her the old tooth. How are children these days going to put their extracted teeth under the pillow if the NHS are determined to rob them of those teeth they’ve had for years. I suspect a plan by the dentists to put all those stolen teeth under their own pillows and claim all the shiny pennies for themselves. It was a clever plan, but I’m on the case now!

A calm has descended over Cumbersheugh, now that Bert has gone. I hope he finds somewhere nice to land in Norway.

Tomorrow we may be going shopping. Possibly looking for wool in The Fort.

 

That was a hot one – 14 August 2024

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We’d intended getting the train to Edinburgh today, but waking late put the skids under that plan.

Instead of Edinburgh, we went shopping in Tesco. I’d a pile of books to give to Fred, because I often meet him in Tesco, but today, when I was prepared, Fred wasn’t there. Still, we did get a few things we needed and I got a Ginsters, half of which would provide my lunch.

After lunch Scamp was pruning bits off the big rowan tree at the back of the garden. She was complaining that the branches were hanging down over the pedestrian path. Then she mentioned that a bush that separates our next door neighbour from us was also becoming a bit of a nuisance and should be trimmed. I said I’d do that one and used a block of Imperial Leather soap to lubricate my old trusty panel saw and had the offending trunks and branches cut down in no time. Then we stripped the branches from the big trunks and heavier branches and piled them into one of our expanding nylon bins before chopping up the trunks and heavy branches. I volunteered to take them over to the council skips and empty the bin there. This must be pruning time, because the enormous skips were full of tree branches.

One of the reasons I volunteered was to give me a chance to get some landscape photos up at Fannyside Moor, and that’s where I headed once the chopped up tree and bush branches had been disposed of. It really was a lovely day. Blue skies and fluffy clouds with just enough of a gentle breeze to keep me cool. I did get a few landscapes and also some macro shots too, although I didn’t have a true macro lens with me.

After I came home I wasn’t feeling too good. Too much sun without a hat to provide some shade and probably not enough water as well. Scamp is always telling me I don’t drink enough water and she’s probably right. A rest outside, reading WITH a hat on let the worst of it disappear.

Scamp was making a fish curry for dinner using a Spice Tailor mix or one of its offshoots and while it wasn’t all that spicy, it had good flavour and the fish was delicious in it.

Last night we watched the first Mastermind of the new season and tonight we watched the first University Challenge. Both great standbys and so much better than Eastenders or River City. One is depressing and the other is just a packet of fairytales.

PoD turned out to be thistles entangled in barbed wire with a nice sky.

Tomorrow I’m intending taking the car in to Glasgow for its MOT, meeting Alex and hopefully bringing the car back home tomorrow night. That’s the outline plan anyway.

 

Heading North – 30 August 2023

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Both of us heading north, just not together

Scamp was going to Pitlochry with the rest of the witches on the bus and I was driving to Perth to get coffee, tea, lunch and Coltsfoot Rock. The only place I know I can get the rock is in a wee herbalist shop in Perth.

It was a fairly pleasant run up until I reached the roadworks. The works have been advertised for sometime, but were describes as being at Broxden. I assumed they were at Broxden roundabout. Not so, they were for a long stretch of the road before the roundabout and in actual fact, the roundabout was clear of any an all works. It was a 30mph speed limit on the single carriage way through the roadworks and the person in front, whoever they were was holding exactly to the speed limit. I’m guessing they were running on cruise control. It didn’t bother me because I wasn’t in a rush.

Parked at the multi-storey where we park when we’re going to the dance weekends and took too heavy bags of books to the Oxfam shop. Next stop was the coffee shop for beans and tea, then over to Nero for lunch which was a roll ’n’ sausage and a cup of decent coffee. Final task was to get the Coltsfoot rock and thankfully the shop had plenty. With that done, I managed to sneak in to the 1 hour parking category and happily paid my £1.49! At the coffee shop I’d made enquiries of the best way to drive to Kinnoull Hill which I thought I might just conquer in the afternoon.

I found the road up the hill using the directions one of the girls in the shop had given me and parked in a convenient parking place. It was a steep climb and I then realised that my troubled cycling the other day hadn’t been an isolated incident. This hill just got steeper and steeper and soon I had to stop to take a breath. That gave me a chance to check how far I’d walked and how much further I had to go. The answer was depressing. Surely I must be further on than that? But no. The OS map on my phone confirmed what Mr Google said and I’d a long way to climb yet. I thought I could remember driving along what turned out to be a private road with Scamp and both of us walking through some woods to the viewpoint. This was nothing like that path. Eventually I gave up and walked back in the direction of the car. I did find some brambles though. Nice big black fruit that’s now taking up 100g worth of space in the freezer. Back at the car I followed my nose and found my way back through Perth town onto the notorious A9 and after driving through two torrential showers, arrived back home. Conquer Kinnoull Hill in an afternoon? Who was I kidding!

I stopped in Condorrat for 500g of mince and 500g of stew. I vacuum packed the stew and half of the mince to put in the freezer. The remaining mince I turned into a bolognese sauce an ate half of it with spaghetti for dinner.

Not long after that I got the call to say that Scamp and Co were leaving Stirling and I drove up through the rain to pick them up.

It seemed that there wasn’t much to see in Pitlochry, however they had a posh lunch and enjoyed the walk around the town, window shopping. My lunch was basic, but was what I was looking for and I’d ticked off all my boxes apart from climbing Kinnoull Hill. Ill leave that for another day when I’m fitter, or more likely when I find that road we drove up the last time!

No real plans for tomorrow. The wee car is feeling a bit thirsty, so I might put some petrol in its tank.

Out in the country – 12 July 2023

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Scamp went out this morning to meet Annette.

Her parting shot as she left the house was “I’ve got my key”, but she hadn’t. She phoned to say she’d left her key in the house. I said not to worry because I’d be at home for a while because I was entering into what felt like a long text conversation with someone in America trying to solve the saga of Google’s need for SPF which stands for Sender Policy Framework, but you probably knew that already, didn’t you. As it happened, my connection got reset and I didn’t really have the time or energy to restart it. Instead I phoned Scamp to say I’d drive up to the restaurant and hand her the key. I was going that way anyway because I’d had my fill with computer techy stuff for the day. I’d already struggled with the rather overbearing IONOS for half an hour and got nowhere at the end of it. The previous domain manager,1&1, was so much easier to work with.

It was another lovely morning, but as I was leaving to drop off Scamp’s key, there was a definite dampness in the air. By the time I got to the restaurant it was raining and by the time I has driving away it was pelting down. I was heading for Fannyside Moor. My quiet place. It was still raining when I got to the parking space beside the Scots Pines but I didn’t mind sitting in the car for a while until the rain blew away. It didn’t take long and the sun was coming out drying out the road. I walked along the road for a stretch looking for a chrysalis I’d seen the last time I’d been there, but it was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps the moth or butterfly inside had performed its transformation and flown away. I hoped it had.
The breeze was driving the clouds around the sky. That’s why this area is so interesting, the colours and shadows on the land change constantly and there are very few buildings to get in the way. I saw a tiny little ladybird, probably about 4mm diameter, but wrong lens, too slow to spot it and didn’t get the shot. I watched the swallows or swifts (I’m not a bird spotter, so I can’t tell the difference) flying low over the ground. Traditionally a sign that bad weather is on the cards. I headed home before I got caught in another downpour.

Scamp had just returned when I got home and we compared our day. Then I decided I’d pot up some strawberries from an old broken hanging basket that wasn’t hanging anymore. I managed to get four of them planted in the top of the terracotta strawberry planter. The last one is now in the raised bed which I think is full.

PoD was a landscape shot looking south over Fannyside Moor.

No plans for tomorrow.

Some said how alarming – 23 April 2023

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… and some said how funny. An alarm call at 3pm. Just testing, they said.

There wasn’t much to say about today. It was a usual Sunday. We walked down to the shops and got the makings of lunch, milk and a bag of donuts. Donuts because it was Sunday if you need a reason.

After lunch I was doodling on the computer trying out a new toy Adobe had added to Lightroom and not told anyone. It was very clever. I’m sure you’re not at all interested, so I won’t waste your time. However, at 2.59 precisely according to my computer the most awful racket started. Of course, it was our early warning that the world is going to end or the SNP have spent half a million pounds on a waste paper basket, or something equally unlikely. The testing of the system. Thank goodness it only lasted for ten seconds. Total waste of money and time.

Later I went out looking for a pedestal to box in the pipes behind the wash hand basin in the downstairs toilet. I thought I might get one in B&Q, but couldn’t see any. I asked the assistant at the bathroom section and she searched the B&Q website, but there were none available online. I could have got one in Screwfix, but they close at 4pm on a Sunday and what time was it on my phone when I looked? That’s right, 4pm! I might try them tomorrow.

I left the search until tomorrow and headed out for some peace and quiet up at Fannyside. Beautiful light on the road across the moor and I managed to grab a few photos of the new line of windmills on a ridge one by Airdrie. PoD went to favourite view of mine between two stands of Scots Pines, looking over to the Campsies in the distance with a beautiful cloudscape overhead. It’s nice to just see it rather than fake it.

Dinner tonight was Jersey Royal potatoes and Broccoli with a Tuna steak for Scamp and Lamb burgers for me. Pudding was Meringue with Whipped Cream, Raspberries and Blueberries. Looked good and tasted even better.

Spoke to Jamie later and it seems that they have had a gardening week just like us. Nothing to report on both ends of the conversation, which is good.

Watched another two episodes of Magpie Murders. Confusing and enthralling at the same time. Thank you Alex for that.

I don’t think we have any plans for tomorrow at this time.

 

Homeward Bound – 23 February 2023

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Took some photos of “Our Tree”, the big palm tree outside our balcony after breakfast.

Dragged our suitcases down to reception, got our ‘All Inclusive’ bands cut off and waited for our taxi which arrived early.

Quiet drive back to the airport. Different driver, no talk of Cuba or Salsa clubs. We were going home. Silence sometimes is golden!

PoD was a photo taken from the aircraft window of Mount Teide poking its nose through the clouds.

Collected our luggage at the other end and drove home. What more can you say about the end of a holiday.

A dull day – 14 February 2023

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Not a lot to say about today other than I got my hair cut at last.

I had intended to cut my hair myself with help from Scamp for the bits I can’t reach or see, but things got in the way and instead I earmarked today for the great shearing.

Scamp was staying in to meet up with Annette, so I drove to the station and left the car there and got the train in. So much easier and less stressful than driving in to Glasgow when the schools are on February holiday. Unfortunately, the train was full of Grans and Granpas with loads of weans, trying to keep them amused for the three extra days they’re on holiday – the weans that is, not the grandparents. They’re on duty every day, it seems. Glad we’re not in that subset of humanity. Also, and even more unfortunately, I’d left my earbuds at home. Noisy weans and no ear defenders is no fun for anyone.

For once there was a queue for the barbers, but I didn’t need to wait long before the Big Grumpy Guy invited me to take a seat. He’s cut my hair the last twice I’ve been in The Nile Barber’s. The last twice he’s been fine, the first time he just grumped all the time. His style is a bit rough and ready, but he’s quick and very little chat, which suits me.

With that done I walked up to JL to get some stuff for Scamp and while I was there I had a spot of lunch in the cafe. Lovely chunk of sourdough bread stuffed with tomatoes, peppers, roast broccoli and pickled cucumber. Strange mixture but it tasted fine. That and a cup of coffee that tasted of coffee, which is a bonus.

Took a walk down Buchanan Street and was heading for HMV to see if they had cheap cordless earbuds or an adapter for the S22+ and got sidetracked walked back along towards Waterstones before I remembered I didn’t have a voucher for another ‘real’ book. Decided to cut my losses and come home.

As the train slowed into Croy I could see I could see the layer effect of mist on the Campsie Fells, but by the time I got to my favourite place to photograph it the mist was receding but the sky had added a new dimension to the scene. You lose some, you win some. Actually that’s a lie. The mist was receding, but the sky was featureless, so I pasted in one of my own and that looked more like the view I’d seen from the train.

Came home to Mac ’n’ Cheese ’n’ Bacon. Delicious, especially with a blob of Fruity Brown Sauce! Thank you Scamp.

Today’s prompt was The Green Card. We don’t have Green Cards in the UK, at least not yet. So I thought I’d try an alternative solution, as I usually do.  Three playing cards, all aces (it’s an unwritten compositional rule that you should always have an odd number of objects. It just works) then I invented the Green Card, the Ace of Shamrocks. A lucky card. The Ace of Shamrocks trumps all. Why not? I wasn’t going to attempt to sketch Gérard Depardieu or Andie MacDowell and as I’ve never watched the film, I couldn’t select a scene from it. This is more fun. I like inventing things.

Tomorrow we’re both going to be busy all day with lots of little things to remember.

Go East Young Man – 19 January 2023

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Today my brother and I were heading over to Fife for some photo opportunities.

Picked up my brother at Greenfaulds Station and off we went to Kincardine. We wandered through the town down to the path along the Forth Estuary. The blue skies that we’d expected to greet us had gone somewhere else while we were driving and a cold wind was blowing from the east. West winds usually bring rain, but East winds are generally cold. This one was living up to that legend. We started walking towards the bridge and into that east wind. The light wasn’t great and I was beginning to think this was a bad move today, but we took some photos and made the best of things. We turned and walked back the way we’d come. It wasn’t so cold with the wind at our backs and the skies were clearing.

We walked on until we reached the remains of the old power station, now just a concrete wasteland. We had been watching a high hill, white with snow, away to the west. I reckoned if we walked on until we reached the Clacks Bridge we might get a clear shot of it, but that was a long walk on a cold day, so we agreed to turn back and drive to Culross for a cup of coffee and something to eat. As we were walking we found a bottle of lime and lemon cordial sitting on steps, down beside the water. Around it were the remains of a lunch and some chopsticks! Someone had beat a hasty retreat because the bottle was still intact and the liquid inside was frozen, so probably not today. A mystery. We took some photos and walked to the car.

We parked at Culross and took some photos of the old buildings in the centre of the town, then I found the cafe and we had a well deserved Big Bacon Butty each and a cup of real coffee to wash it down. Alex decided it was his turn to pay and I didn’t argue. We were watching some birds that might or might not be Waxwings happily stripping some red berries from a tree in the garden of the cafe. However, before we could get a better look, they all flew off.

When we were back on the footpath the light had improved greatly and we both set to to photograph every house in the street, or so it seemed at the time. With Culross duly recorded we walked down to the pier and while Alex photographed the town lit by beautiful golden light, I worked at 180º to him and photographed the setting sun and its refections in the Forth. The sun went behind a cloud and the golden light was gone for another day.

We drove home and I dropped Alex at the station just in time for his train home. We both agreed it was a great day. Alex summed it up by calling it a “Wee Adventure”.

Scamp had made Lentil soup for dinner and it was just what was needed on such a cold day.

PoD went to the picture of the bottle on the step beside the Forth.

Tomorrow’s weather looks much like today’s. Hopefully Scamp and I will get out for a walk.

The Heron and the Holey Man – 14 September 2022

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Today went out to lunch.

John had told us about a restaurant they’d been to. It was called The Heron and was between Strathaven and Darvel and since he said the food was good, we just had to try it out.

It was indeed in the badlands between Strathaven and Darvel, in the middle of nowhere, up a long hill on a single track road with passing places. It wasn’t a real ’Skye’ single track, just a narrow road. There were plenty of tables, although some of them were in the ‘Dog Friendly’ area. Since neither of us is dog friendly, we chose a different table in a different area. There wasn’t much variety in the menu, but that didn’t bother Scamp. She went straight for the Mac ’n’ Cheese. I was more adventurous with Steak with Chimichurri dressing in a Bagel from the specials. Not my usual lunch choice, but it looked like it was that or a sandwich. Food came fairly quickly and Scamp’s M&C looked really good served in an old style enamel Ashet dish. Mine looked good. A bagel with minute steak and some green dressing, presumably the Chimichurri. Unfortunately it was barely warm and the dressing had almost no taste. Scamp asked for peppermint tea, but unfortunately they didn’t have any, so she settled for her speciality ‘white tea’, ie hot water. They were obviously rationing the coffee too judging from the slightly brown water in my cup. It wasn’t expensive, but it wasn’t very good either. Still, it was doing a roaring trade with a constant stream of folk coming through the door. Maybe we were just unlucky, or maybe not!

We did go for a walk round the ‘shop’. It was overpriced. A 50g box of Assam tea was £5.50. My Assam from The Bean Shop in Perth costs £6.50 for 200g. Lot’s of interesting beers at reasonable prices, but the gin and vodka was just silly money. I described the place as ’Style over Substance’. I doubt if we’ll rush back.

With all that said, it had a lovely outlook over the hills and farmland and the weather couldn’t have been better.. We drove back down that narrow road and turned right to try to find Loudoun Hill which was my destination today for photos. It’s not hard to find. It’s a volcanic plug, apparently. It looks like a big lump of granite or some such mineral, dumped in a field. You just can’t miss it. I missed the turning for the car park, though. A mile or so down the road we found a place to turn and with Scamp giving directions, we found the path to the car park.

I’d brought my rucksack with both cameras in it, but forgot my walking boots. I had no intentions of climbing the hill anyway. I just wanted to make sure I got the image I had in my head for today and it was there in front of me. The Spirit of Scotland monument by artist Richard Price was erected in 2004. It stands on a pathway which runs through the Irvine Valley near Drumclog. The monument, made from steel stands over 5 metres tall. It’s one of the ugliest monuments I’ve seen, but one of the first I’d seen with the shape burned out of the steel slab. It commemorates the Battle of Loudoun Hill between Aymer de Valence and Robert the Bruce in 1307. It was a return grudge match which Bruce won, despite being vastly outnumbered. Loudoun Hill stands in the background. It might be ugly, but it gave a foreground for the scenery in the background. PoD captured.

Another short dance practise when we got home, because I don’t want another day like last Saturday. I want to be able to crack not just the Jet Lag Waltz, but also the New Foxtrot. I’m getting there, and there are a few more days to go to get it even better.

Tomorrow, Scamp is meeting June, Ian and Isobel for coffee in the morning.