Category: Dancing

Cycling in the sun – 8 February 2016

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combo bHeavy rain when we woke, but then the rain cleared up, the sky lightened and blue sky appeared. It was too good an opportunity to miss, so I got the bike rack on the car and drove the bike to Auchinstarry.

When I got there, I noticed right away that there was a strong westerly wind. A head wind for me. Oh well, better to have a head wind going and a tail wind coming back rather than the other way round. It was a cold wind though! Made heavy weather of the outward run and got some interesting photos at Dumbreck, including the shots of the swans. I just missed getting shots of their take off, but it was a joy to see in the scattered afternoon sun. Cycled as far as Shirva Farm but the going was tough with the headwind and the fact that they were “upgrading” the canal tow path. Upgrading apparently means digging it up and leaving it like that. The path was a quagmire. I turned and came back along the canal, then crossed at the path through the plantation and back to the car. I was really pleased that I’d taken Scamp’s advice and brought a flask with coffee. It was a more pleasant run back, not fighting the headwind, but the coffee was welcome.  I even washed my bike when I came home.  The first wash it’s had in a long time.  I hope it still works.

Salsa at night and then Bachata for the second hour. It’s getting better. I’m beginning to relax into it. Much less frantic than Salsa, but not as enjoyable. Too regimented for my random brain. Rain forecast for tomorrow.

 

White Rabbits (x3) – 1 February 2016

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe traditional greeting for the first day of the month.  It’s meant to bring you good luck or something.  Let’s hope it breaks the seemingly endless chain of storms that are sweeping Scotland.  Today it was Storm Henry’s turn to wreak devastation.  Henry is quite a noisy and blustery storm, he’s still rumbling around outside as I write this and will be there tomorrow to catch the unwary so we are told.  Some businesses in Glasgow let their workers go home early because of him.  They probably had their hours cut though.  Charity stops at the office.

Didn’t see any rabbits today, white, brown or striped red and yellow.  I did see three deer though.  The were feeding in a public park near the path to Condorrat, right next to a swing park.  They saw me, but pretended they didn’t and seemed quite unconcerned.  I could almost hear them saying “Oh, it’s just another old codger taking photos.  Ignore him and he’ll go away after he’s got his shots.”  So I did get the shots and they did ignore me and I went away.

“Gems” had invaded the house by the time I got back so I took the car out for a run and tried for some photos down by the Luggie, but there was nothing stirring and it was getting really dull so I headed home with an empty SD card.

Went to the Bachata class again tonight and although it was the fat bloke, he was much, much better than last week’s wannabe.  “Junior Instructor my sharny arse” as DCI Steel would say in the latest Stuart MacBride book.  Books are a real pain.  Did you know the pages don’t light up?  You have to physically turn the pages too.  The pages don’t turn when you touch the right hand side of them.  How old-school is that?  If you want  to look up a word you have to use a special app called a Dictionary you can’t just ‘long press’ the word.  Worse still, the Dictionary app is a book too.  I think there’s a conspiracy here by the book makers who are trying to get you to but even more books.  It won’t work though.  There will always be a place for a Kindle.

Face Painting – 31 January 2016

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combo bThe last day in January and I was off to a sketching workshop at Cass Art. It was Ok, but no better than that. Most of the workshop was based on portraiture and I was interested in that as it’s one type of art I’m not confident about. His (and he is Jake Spicer) pitch was very gentle and believable and his tasks easily completed in the time given. I drew Fred and he drew me. Both were likenesses. However, I felt the whole workshop was quite two dimensional with very little depth. I also had a look at his book which was quite expensive for what it was with lots of space in it to practice your techniques. I’d like to see how big the book would be without that wasted space. To quote Dragon’s Den, “I’m not going to invest”, but Quote of the Day came from the woman who was drawing and being drawn by an older man “That doesn’t look like me at all …” Sorry missus, but it does bear a resemblance to you. “… and mine looks exactly like you!” Only if he lived in Picasso-land.

After we got home and I had had my lunch, I went for a walk to St Mo’s in the rain to investigate just how high I could push the ISO and still get an image. The answer appeared to be 12000 ISO. I fed the swans and the coots, then went for a walk through the woods to find some deer, but they were sheltering somewhere else from the rain. Came home and got ready to go to salsa.

Enjoyed the dancing at the Garage and came home to a dinner of soup and crab ravioli. Lovely.

Rained almost all day and it’s going to snow tomorrow according to the weather folk, and more high winds of course.

Those who can, do … 26 January 2016

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combo bAnd those who can’t, teach.  And those who can’t teach?  Well, we met one tonight.  He thinks he’s a great dancer and now he thinks he’s a great teacher.  Oh dear, wrong on two counts.  We’d enjoyed our own salsa class and then I’d given in and said I’d go to a Bachata class afterwards.  Bit mistake.  The fat bloke wasn’t there tonight, instead we had to put up with the other Fat Bloke who appears to have been dancing for a year now and “thinks he’s god’s gift.”  Not my words, but those of one Scamp’s friends and someone who’s opinion I hold in the highest regard, as well as being a great dancer.  Anyway, I survived the hour although my tongue was really sore at the end from me biting it.  If FB2 is taking the class, I’ll be giving it a miss.  It looks as if AdS is on a downward slope.

That was this evening.  The day wasn’t much to write home about.  I went for a walk in the afternoon to avoid Scamp’s Gems group practise and it rained and the light was terrible as is the norm in January.

Previous to that I was to be found rolling around in the boot of Scamp’s car trying with part success to repair a broken boot lock.  Hopefully I’ll get a switch tomorrow and perform the open heart surgery on it to get it locking (and more importantly unlocking) to order again.

Overall, not the best Monday ever, but it will be better tomorrow – heavy rain forecast.

“Ur ye dancin’?” – 3 January 2016

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combo bScamp had an upset night with sickness and diarrhoea. We’re not sure exactly what caused it, but the new Indian restaurant is a prime suspect. Strangely, I wasn’t affected at all and we shared the food, as we always do. It’s a strange one indeed and will need further investigation, maybe even a return visit with a packet of Diocalm with us. Once she was up, Scamp was as right as rain again, but sensibly didn’t want to travel far from the house, so I took myself off for a solo walk along to Dumbreck Marshes to see what the new year had brought in the way of photo opportunities. Not a lot was the answer and with the ISO up in four figures at least, grain was going to be a problem again. Oh, I wish we had one day of sunshine, just one.

Scamp declared herself fit enough to go dancin’ and we set off for The Garage around 4.30. Place was nicely busy. Not too crowded and not looking abandoned either. I’d expected it to be a bit emptier than it was with all the events and venues that Shannon was punting recently on FB. Had an enjoyable couple of hours of energetic salsa and realised how much exercise we’d been missing in the last two weeks. It’s amazing how you get lazy with the short days. Hoping to get out in daylight tomorrow – bank holiday, so no salsa class, but may go to the gym for a swim at least. I’m expecting all the New Year Resolutions will be crowding out the gym for the first two weeks in January. After that, things will get back to normal.

The days are getting longer aren’t they?

Cold and Frosty – 13 December 2015

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combo bOut just after 10.00 this morning to make the most of the bright light, blue sky and ground frost.  Just a quick trip to St Mo’s to see if there were any deer around (there were) and if there were any photo opportunities to be had (there were).

I had hoped that Mr Grey would be out near the shore fishing for food, but as I was walking across the road, he was flying above me in the opposite direction.  I did get a shot of two one-footed coots on the icy pond.  I guess it doesn’t hurt so much if you only stand on one foot, because only one foot freezes at a time.  I walked down through the deciduous woods without a sign of any deer, then when I was almost at the small pond, two of them ran across my path about 100metres away.  I walked on a bit and startled another group of five or six younger animals who sped away fast.  I didn’t attempt to photograph them, it was just good to see them run.

Walked on over the hill at the road and got a few more shots of frozen leaves and dried thistles.  The stuff most photogs like me take.  My kind of photos, Scamp calls them.  I liked the light on the pine trees beside the path from the boardwalk and got some good directional light on them.  After that, it was back home for tea and toast.

Didn’t do much else other than make some bread and cook the venison I got yesterday for my dinner.

At night it was the Salsa Christmas Ball.  I think we both had a ball, despite the floor being sticky with something unmentionable and there being very little room to dance when it seemed that everyone was on the floor at the same time.  Because neither of us had work in the morning, we could stay as long as we liked.  We liked midnight as a time to stay until.  By then I’d danced with seven girls which must be a record for me.  Still to see the Photo Booth photos, but I’m sure they will be hilarious.  Great time with great people.

Fairy Nuff – 7 December 2015

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis is not the fairy at the top of the Christmas tree, that status goes to the old fairy with the silver card wings, the paper underskirt and the gauze dress. She must be over 40 by now, but doesn’t look it, well not to me at least. No, this grumpy wee bear has been gracing our tree every year for about ten years or more and goes under the name of Fairy Nuff. It’s become a bit of a Christmas tradition to give her a chance to be POD, after all, she doesn’t get out much the rest of the year.

Spent an hour or so working on my 2016 calendar. Always an onerous, but also very enjoyable task. Then scrapped my acrylic painting but used the heavy body acrylics to do what they were intended to do, produce heavy impasto. I think it’s a waterfall. Maybe that’s just because there is so much water around just now, it’s certainly an abstract and was definitely a great deal of fun to paint.

Went to the Leisure Centre this afternoon for a swim followed by a shot in the steam room and the sauna. It’s was one of those days we’d talked about when we joined away back in May. A dull day with rain on the wind and nowhere to go. Ideal for a swim and a seat in the warm looking out the world and the mad golfers who were out banging golf balls around a sodden piece of grass. That’s not a game, that’s a form of torture. Not for me.

Nothing much else to say about today other than it was Sacr’s last night as salsa teacher and it was just as enjoyable as the other two. That said, it will be good to get Jamie Gal back next week for the last class of the year.

Angels, Markets and Parties – 3 October 2015

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comboWe went to Angel to meet JIC and Sim. All organised and planned by Hazy and ND’A (thanks again folks). After a bum steer with a dodgy looking Indian/Mexican dive and finding a tank in the process(!), finally settled on Jamie’s Italian restaurant and had an enjoyable lunch (Italian sausage and pappardelle for me). Then went for a walk around a small market we’d visited before with Hazy. Some strange things for sale there. Numerous stalls selling spoons and fish-knives(‘?’ again) and other things that will not be mentioned for fear of nightmares – just don’t ask! Some beautiful opportunities for photos in the low afternoon light, especially with the 9mm and 20mm lenses. After that JIC and Sim went for their train and we did the same. Scamp was in a bit of a rush to get back to Hazy’s, to make sure we’d be ready for the party. I’d rather have had a wander around Kings Cross, or even better Vauxhall. I really want to have a go at photographing those riverside buildings. They are quite a favourite of mine, but obviously not as good as the one on Ingram Street in Glasgow. We agreed to disagree on timings and I left Vauxhall for another day. I need more practise anyway, to do them justice. Got some more photos of grapes in Hazy and ND’A’s garden. Then it was time for the party.

In the usual D’A style, this was a party not to be missed. Food, drink, dancing, speeches, laughs. These people really know how to enjoy themselves. It took my breath away the first time I met them and seemed too good to be true. It’s not. It’s just the way they are, and they are an object lesson for the rest of us. I admire them in so many ways. Anyway, we all had a great time and although Hazy didn’t stay long, I’m sure she too had a good time. When it was time for the last dance I was so disappointed, I hadn’t noticed the time passing. After we helped clearing up the hall, ND’A drove us home and we had to get ourselves organised for the journey back up the road.

A short trip, but a lot crammed in.

As I said, “… I need more practise anyway, to do them justice.”

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Perth – 16 September 2015

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comboOff to Perth today. Poor weather predicted, but aside from some misty, foggy stuff before we left, it looked good. Arrived in Perth in sunshine too. I’d broken my favourite watch’s strap on Monday and I wasn’t totally happy with the substitute watch I’d found. Last night I searched for and found my old Pulsar which has a metal bracelet, so that’s not going to break very easily. Unfortunately it needed a battery, so on my list of to-dos today was a battery for said watch. Scamp recommended Timpsons for the replacement. I eventually found Timpsons shop in Perth more by dead reckoning than by using my iPhone which couldn’t get a 3G signal in the centre of the town. All the phone companies are busy offering 4G-ready phones. Not much use when there’s not even a 3G mast nearby. Maybe it would be ok in Engaland (sic), but in Scotland it’s a no-no. Anyway, the nice man in Timpsons changed two batteries, yes TWO, one for the digital side and one for the analog apparently. I could say that he did it in double quick time, but that would be a pun too far 🙂 It’s a heavy watch, but at least I can read it without peering at it and the strap won’t come apart very easily. Sorted!

Lunch at Café Tabou was good, but the service, for once, was very poor. If this had been our first time at this restaurant, I don’t think we would have been back. The waitress made the excuse that one of the cooks was off and she hadn’t been able to get a replacement. What she really meant was the check had got missed in the kitchen. It happens. She did give us a discount on the bill which more than made up for the wait. Which reminds me, I had emailed Zizzi head office about the pulled pork pizza with the invisible pulled pork and yesterday I got a £30 voucher and an apology. Squeaky wheel … grease. Next on the list is an email to Vodafone about the service at their Glasgow shop. Maybe I’ll get a free iPhone 6s for my trouble!

Took some photos in Perth round about the bridge over the river and then stopped on the way home I took some more of the corn fields just outside Blackford. The 9mm lens makes beautiful skies.

Salsa at night, but our usual teacher still wasn’t back from his sojourn to Engerland (sic again – and I was). Teacher was dire. Luckily there were too many men and I managed to exempt myself from the proceedings and sat out the first class. Scamp called it a day after that class and we went home. Let’s hope JG is back on Monday.

Painting, Squirrels and Salsa – 14 September 2015

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comboI did get up quite early(ish). Well, before 9.00 anyway. Started an oil painting on a square canvas. I tend to shy away from square photos and paintings. I always think a square shape is quite boring. Not as dynamic as a vertical rectangle (portrait format), nor as relaxed as a horizontal one (landscape). However, I’d seen an interesting oil at the weekend and was impressed with the way it used the square format, so I set to work. I was using water-based oils which might seem a contradiction, but they work well. I like the smell of oil paint and also natural turps, but I know that not all people find it so favourable, so I experimented with the water-based oils and quite liked them. They seem to dry quicker than normal oils, and that’s a pity, because I like the fact that you can work into previous layers and change them. That’s the difference between oils of any variety and acrylic. Acrylic dries quickly, too quickly for me. What I do like acrylic for is the ability to layer washes when using the paint very dilute – as watercolour in fact. Once a wash has dried, you can layer another on top without the fear of one mixing with the other and diluting it. I digress. This one was to be in oils and it’s sort of half finished at present. I’ll take a fresh look tomorrow.

Watched a squirrel trying to steal some peanuts from the bird feeder. Managed to get a few shots of its acrobatics.

Went to the gym in the afternoon and found the pool was full of people. So it was exercise and no relaxation after. Then I went to the solicitors to pay our bill for signing off the house. Ha, the mortgage is only part of the expense in house buying. Hopefully that will be it bought now and properly signed over to us.

Salsa at night and our usual teacher was off galavanting somewhere down south, so we had a mystery teacher. One we’d never had before, although we had seen him dancin’ I mean reeeeely dancin’ at the Christmas ball and were both impressed. We were both impressed with him tonight too. Complicated move that looked oh so simple to start with. Unfortunately, he only stayed for one class. Colin took the other and oh dear, it was “Look how clever I am” and “Let’s just add another bit to this on to make it a bit better.” Then it was “Oh, you’ve almost got it, but you just need to turn a tiny wee bit more …” I don’t mind people making corrections when they are necessary, but when it’s just to allow them to preen, it doesn’t impress me. That’s an hour of my life I won’t get back.