Category: Dancing

The day when nothing happened – 3 April 2017

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Basically, that about sums it up. Nothing happened, but then …

Painted for an hour this morning while Scamp went to her final physio appointment.  I’d already done the groundwork and used masking fluid to protect the mountains (it’s an imaginary snow covered landscape).  I made the mistake of using some tubes of Cotman colour, that is student quality, for the sky area.  What should have been clear and transparent, turned out dull and cloudy.  What more could I do but turn it into a cloudy sky, it was meant to be a sunset!  After I took off the masking fluid, I added the rocks that show through the snow and the water below the mountains.  It looks quite good.  Try to remember all the above and I’ll attempt to post a picture of the watercolour tomorrow.

Took back my library books. Got another one out on the subject of watercolours and there’s a complete section on painting snow.  I’d forgotten how useful a library can be.

Came home and had lunch. Went in to Glasgow to look at wet weather jackets. Not heavy ones like I wear in the winter.  Just a light jacket that’s waterproof and breathable and HAS LOTS OF POCKETS!  Couldn’t find one.  The ones with lots of pockets were either too expensive or weren’t waterproof.  More investigation required.

It was too early to come home, so I took some pics down by the Luggie, and that’s what you see above.

For dinner, I made an innovative pasta Genovese with a poached egg on top.  It was good, but not great.  Needs a bit of tweaking, I think.

Went to salsa and acted as doorman there for the extent of the beginners class but quite enjoyed the advanced even if there were far too many girls and the class was quite small.  That’s what happens during school holidays.

Other than that, nothing happened.

More researching into jackets tomorrow.

Sun Day Three – 27 March 2017

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Today the sun shone from a big blue sky for the third day in a row, confirming that this is indeed summer.

Scamp had invited an old friend to the Monday Gems practise and I was nominated driver. It was a great run through to Denny. Not the most scenic area, but everywhere is scenic when the sun shines!  After I’d delivered Netta, I went for a drive down to Auchinstarry, not for a walk this time, but for a chance to sketch because I only had an hour to spare. Not the best place for a subject. The buildings were new-builds designed to look old and not really managing it. The longboats don’t interest me all that much, but are a lot better than the faux canal buildings. I finally settled on the boats after a half hearted attempt at the building. It’ll do. It’s late, but it’s completed.

Got back in time to run Netta home. Then it time to make the dinner and drive to salsa. Salsa was a bit boring, going over some old moves, but I did get a chance to help out at the intermediate class before our own.

Weather to be cloudy tomorrow which won’t bother us too much as the car is going in to have its front brakes and trackrod replaced.  More money, but at least it did get through its MOT a few weeks ago, so shouldn’t complain.

Flooers – 22 March 2017

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You know as well as I do that when a flooer or even worse a bunch of flooers is the subject, then it’s been a lean day for photography.

Today was a particularly dour and cold day from the time we got up until the time we came home from salsa tonight.  As with all such days, there were bright periods.  Sometimes in the weather and sometimes in the day.  One such was going for a swim this morning.  We had both agreed that it was a sensible place to spend some time.  In the warmth of the pool, the steam room and the jacuzzi.  Not the sauna.  Apparently the sauna was broke.  Not broken, just broke.  I don’t know what was wrong with it this time, but it looks like it needs some *essential Maintenance*.

I like the *Enclosing Asterisks* because I just found out about it recently.  It’s called “Escaping the Asterisk” (notice I didn’t do it there – you can have too much of a good thing, you know) and there is a trick to doing it.  Because I write this blog in a language called Markdown where you can include symbols in the text to perform actions for you, there has to be a get-out for when you want to show the symbol without it performing an action – are we clear on that so far?  I didn’t hear any dissenting voices, so I will continue.  Right, the symbol for italics is the asterisk.  I typed the word asterisk there enclosed by two asterisks.  The problem appears when you want to show the asterisk.  To do that, you have to place a backslash (\) before the asterisk.  Still with me?  MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) hasn’t set in yet? This tells the Markdown code to show the asterisk and not use it as as a modifier for the text.  Now the next problem is:
What if I wanted to show the backslash and the asterisk?  How would I do that?  Answers on a postcard please.

Anyway, to get back to the day.  We drove home and had some lovely chicken soup for lunch, then Scamp went out to source a pair of jeans while I messed around with a bit of painting.  I was just getting ready to go out myself when she returned without the jeans.  I drove down to the garage and booked the car in for brake and steering repair next week.  Tried to get some photos, of the snow covered Campsie Fells, but there was nowhere I was happy with the view, so I came home and photographed some flooers.  For dinner I made chicken and mushroom risotto and accidentally used too much butter.  Not healthy, just lovely.

Salsa was busy … with followers.  Only three leaders to start with so Scamp became a leader.  Thankfully more men arrived throughout the night and we ended up almost even. Setenta Tresario Dos and Malecon got us tied up in knots tonight.  Good fun as usual.

Busy day tomorrow with improving weather predicted.

Windy Willie – 20 March 2017

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Windy Willie was Scamp’s explanation for strong winds when the weans were wee.  No need then for Storm Agatha or Storm Benjamin.  No, when the house was shaking in the gusts, Windy Willie was out there, that was enough explanation.  Windy Willie was out today.

Scamp was singing again with Gems today.  This time in Stepps.  I had intended to go sketching in Glasgow to get back to more architectural subjects, but when I got there, the horizontal rain and hail put me off, so instead I drove to the Fort to get some cheap pens and not so cheap painting stuff.  I say *painting stuff* because Inktense sticks are difficult to categorise.  They are part pastel sticks and part aquarelle.  Aquarelles are usually in the form of pencils and these are just sticks of pigment in a binder and are like pastels, except when you add water to them they turn into watercolour.  Worth a few quid to try them out and see what kind of mess I can make with them.

I drove back past the old Gartloch Hospital, a scary looking ex asylum on the outskirts of Easterhouse.  I kind of want to photograph it, but it comes into the same category as graveyards for me.  I often feel uneasy about photographing graveyards and most times don’t get the camera out.  It’s almost as if I have to ask permission to take photos there.  I can’t really explain it.  Some day I’ll make time to go to Gartloch and get some images.  Whether or not I’ll keep them I can’t say.  I might just format the card after they’re taken.  I will say this though, it will be a bright sunny day I go there.

Only two photos worth showing today.  One of contrasting textures between the grey sky and the grey aluminium of  the M&S building at the Fort and another of an old knife with a couple of beads of jam on it (not blood!) sitting on the draining board at the sink at home.  I just liked them both.  PoD was  the knife.

Before salsa tonight, I was enlisted to help with beginners Bachata which Cameron was teaching, and teaching quite well.  He still needs to relax, but his voice control is much better and he also needs to realise that he doesn’t need to show off so much.  It all looks like a lack of self-confidence to me, but I’d never tell him that.  Enjoyed it.  Salsa was fast and furious.  New move tonight was Tresario Doble, I think.  Interesting and counter intuitive at times.  We need to practise it.  Also Cubaa Se from last week.  Good fun.

No plans for tomorrow.  Snow and ice forecast with Windy Willie around too.

Macros – 19 March 2017

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Now, before I get started on macros and stuff, I have to make one thing clear.  My skin is old, I’m comfortable in it, and most of all it is, like me, quite thick.  So the the ‘Tramp’ comment by Scamp yesterday was like water aff a juck’s back.  If you don’t understand that, then sorry, life is too short for me to teach everyone the meaning of everything I say.  I accepted that the ‘Tramp’ comment was made in jest and although it might have appeared that I took offence, that wasn’t the case. Ok.  Can we move on now?

The photos above were the best I got today.  If I’d realised that the weather would stay clear and sunny all day, I might have been encouraged to travel further afield to make more of the conditions, but the weather men and women assured us that it was going to be torrential rain all day.  Give them their due, it did rain heavily during the night, but hardly a drop fell all day and for that I give thanks.  I went for a walk along the Luggie which was a raging brown torrent after the overnight rain.  It was treacherous underfoot.  Very slippy and slimy with mud moving about under my sole pair of boots.  Unfortunately, the old boots had developed a hole in the upper, just where it met (or in this case, didn’t meet) the sole, so after six years of exceptional service they had to go in the bin.  The new ones, just over a year old now are great for waterproofing, but not so good on grip.  My bargain walking trainers are great for grip and waterproofing, but are only trainers.  They don’t give support or keep you ankles dry.  I expect they’ll be fine in  the summer when that day comes.  I liked the detail in the green blobs (moss fruiting bodies) and the desiccated rose hip.  Both were taken with the Sigma 105mm Macro.  Such a good lens.  Never lets you down, always bitingly sharp.  Slow to focus, but I can put up with that.  Doesn’t have anti-shake, but doesn’t seem to need it either.  Comes into its own when focusing closer than about 150mm from the front element.  Truly a gem.

The sketch is an edited view of the bathroom window ledge.  I’ve removed half the junk and obviously a bathroom window wouldn’t have clear glass, but artistic license is a wonderful thing.  It’s not the best sketch I’ve done for my one-a-week, but it’s done and on time (must be done by Sunday).  We were both a bit clumsy to start with, but by the end we were getting much slicker.  Must go and practise our moves for tomorrow’s class.

Deer, Deer, Deer – 15 March 2017

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Drove Scamp in to Falkirk this morning. Went to the bookshop, but didn’t see anything of note. Had lunch in Tea Jenny’s. Does everyone have to have a tattoo and/or piercings before they can work in this place? I’ve yet to see anyone male or female in this otherwise old-fashioned tea shop who doesn’t have inking or stapling of some sort in a prominent place. I began to feel quite inadequate and not properly dressed as I looked around.

Back home, the weather wasn’t too inviting looking, but I needed something for the 365, so I drove down to Auchinstarry and walked along the railway. I spotted a group of about five deer quite far away on a little rise and tried to get some shots of them, but I couldn’t get close enough and there was too little cover to hide my approach. I was so intent on the deer I didn’t notice a cock pheasant right in front of me and only grabbed one shot as it glided away into the bushes. At that, I gave up and headed home.

I’d spent half the afternoon tracking that group of deer and still hadn’t got a decent shot of them. Then, walking home three deer appeared from the undergrowth and proceeded to walk along in front of me! I got four or five shots before they decided I just might be a threat and ran off.

Salsa tonight was a bit of a let down. Jamie G should have had a beginners class and we were half intending to help out. Only three people, not couples, people turned up. I felt really sorry for him. I felt even sorrier for myself when I had to help out with an improvers class. Not a lot of fun. Our own class was good. Doing Malecon which is an old move we learned two or three years ago.

Scamp’s singing with Gems tomorrow afternoon, so I may slip the leash for a wee while!

Shoppin’ Photographin’ Swimmin’ Dancin’ – 13 March 2017

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Out in the morning to get ‘the messages’.  Met Fred by accident and discussed art and stuff in Tesco carpark, where else would you do it?

Back and had lunch.  While Gems assembled, I took the opportunity to grab my camera and get walk over to St Mo’s to see if I could get any more frog foties.  Still a lot of the wee amphibians busy making even more, but the star attraction today was the plethora of clay faces on the trees.  Much more than Friday and this time they were on traditional red clay.  Real imagination there.  I presume it’s two classes in competition.  Had to make a composite to get all the images in neatly.  As you will see, I startled a couple of ducks.  Mallards trying to find a nesting site.

Walked back and drove to Westerwood to have a swim.  No hoards today and no nosebleeds either.  Not a Manic Monday then, just folk swimming.

Dancing at STUC tonight, but for once there were too many men in the level 3 class we were helping with.  I made the decision after 20 minutes to sit out the rest of the class.  Our own class were doing Cubaa se <sic> eleven bars long (!) and a variety of rueda moves which will be easily forgotten, I hope.  Good fun.  Before class we went sourcing veg for tomorrow’s dinner.

Don’t have any plans for tomorrow, other than Jackie coming down for a couple of days.  Dinner in our house for the sisters.

Back in the old routine – 8 March 2017

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This morning we got ready and went for a swim. There were nine people in the pool. NINE!  It’s busy with five, it’s a health and safety risk with nine. Thankfully there was nobody in the steam room and it was steaming hot too. From there I went to the sauna and by that time the pool emptied a bit so I managed a few lengths before it got mobbed again. After that I alternated between steam room and pool. Not really a bad way to spend a cold morning.

After lunch I dragged myself round St Mo’s and got a couple of decent shots of some coots and a couple of awful shots of some fungus. No deer. No Mr Grey. Don’t blame them, it was miserable and cold and so was I.

Driving in to Salsa tonight was a dawdle with next to no traffic 18mins to the airport from the CITRAC at Moodiesburn.  This is partly due to us leaving later and partly due to there being no football on.  Still, 18mins is almost a record.  Tonight was an amalgamation of two advanced classes and there were only 3 men for half of the time until Roy arrived and made it 4.  Scamp and Irene had to dance as leaders.  In an advanced class, that’s difficult.  I take my hat off to them (if I wore a hat, that is).  The new folk seemed to get on well enough with everyone else and by the end of the night we were fine.  That’s how it works in salsa.  Everyone gets on with it and enjoys themselves.  Not at all like ballroom where you have to remain po faced all the time.

To keep my poor wee coot company, I added some Trinni photos for you.  Hope you enjoy them.

It looks like coffee for Scamp tomorrow morning and coffee for me with Fred in the afternoon.  Quite the caffeine-heads day out!

Heady Heights – 6 March 2017

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Today, while Scamp was enjoying the prodding, lazeringand manipulation that is physiotherapy, I was putting the finishing touches to a painting.  With that done, I started into the dishes that were left over from last night’s dinner.  I imagine all painters have this dichotomy in their lives.  After that, I faked yesterday’s blog – sorry.  Sometimes even pensioners don’t have enough time to complete their commitments.

After lunch and while Gems were congregating, I headed off to scale the heights of Cumbersheugh Town Centre, to seek out the mysteries of the Library.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I darkened its doors, but today I rolled away the stone blocking access and entered this eyrie on top of Cumbrsheugh’s monstrous TC.  It was much airier than I remember it and much friendlier.  I was looking for a book by Ann Blockley and, there it was on the shelf!  I’d thought of buying it, but decided that it would be much more sensible to rent it from the library instead.  Then it was back to the deadends and blocked passages of the TC.  I was just thinking that it would be an excellent place to film a zombie apocalypse horror.  You wouldn’t even need to employ any actors as the zombies who inhabit this building would be perfect for the roles.

With the book firmly in my hot little hand, I got back to the car safely without any problems from the zombies.  I thought I might get some big sky shots up near Fannyside Loch – a name that seems to create gales of laughter from anyone you talk to.  It was indeed a good sky and one of my shots of it are above.  The air must be really clean on this open moorland, because there are many patches of clean, fresh looking moss and lichen, both indicators of air quality and they make up the other shots from today.

We made great time getting in to Glasgow for Salsa classes tonight, with CITRAC reporting 19mins to the airport.  Typically on a Wednesday, it’s 29 or even 39minutes for the same journey.  Tonight the moves to torture us were El Nino and Cubaanse (a lengthy 11 bar monster).  Still good fun.

Perth tomorrow, hopefully – tea and coffee capital of Scotland.

Spring? – 5 March 2017

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There’s a smell in the air around the end of August, beginning of September.  It’s the unmistakable smell of autumn.  Possibly an amalgam of the smell of fallen leaves, beginning to decay and that sharp tang of the first frosts.  I notice it every year.  What I’ve never analysed is the smell of spring.  I recognised it yesterday.  It’s a warm, happy smell.  It may be the fragrance of the new growth and of the first flowers, daffodils and crocuses for the main part, but it is definitely there.  The promise that winter is on the way out.  It’ll be snowing tomorrow, just to prove me wrong.

It was a bright sunny day after a rainy damp start.  When we got up, I started the slow cooking of the lamb shank I was having for dinner, while Scamp went for the messages.  When she got back, we started making the pudding which was to be Pineapple Snow.  I say WE were making the pudding, but I was just stirring the sauce while Scamp did the clever stuff.  We had decided to go to Will’s styling class at the Garage before the Sunday Social, so that defined the shape of the day.  However, as the afternoon wore on and we I got involved in the making of the pudding, it became obvious that we weren’t going to make that early class.  That left with the opportunity to walk through St Mo’s and hopefully get some springlike photos.  I took ‘Big Dog’ (the Nikon) with ‘Wee Dog’ (the Oly 5) in my pocket.  Best of both worlds.  No sign of any deer or of Mr Grey.  There were a couple of cormorants in the pond, probably visitors from Broadwood Loch where there are a strong contingent now.  What I did get were some photos of Sphagnum Moss fruiting bodies or the flowers to be precise sitting on some very bright green moss.

When I got back, we drove into Glasgow, watching a gigantic pall of smoke all the way in.  It turned out to be a fairly extensive fire at a scrapyard in Govan.  While I was glancing at it and not knowing at that stage what was causing it, I was thinking that by the colour of the smoke, it was some dirty and probably heavy duty stuff that was burning.  If that was so and all that muck was being lifted by the heat into the atmosphere, where would it eventually condense out and what damage would it do when it landed?  When we found out the cause of the smoke, I began to think about the toxic chemicals in that smoke drifting across the sky.  Makes you wonder what effects it has on wildlife when it eventually comes back down to earth.

After we parked and were walking down Sausage Roll Street, the light on The Beresford was beautiful and I grabbed a couple of iPhone shots.  Salsa was good, and at times relentless.  I was quite pleased when Scamp called a halt.

The slow cooked lamb shank was delicious, but the star of the show was definitely the Pineapple Snow.  Quite the most stunning dessert, mainly due to my expert stirring.  If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s stirring!