Category: Driving

Old Friends – 18 February 2026

Posted on by Zogman

Today we drove over to Condorrat to meet a couple of old friends.

I have exchanged Christmas Cards with Elizabeth for a long, long time, but this year I forgot, and I think she forgot too. It’s a growing old thing. Anyway, when this year’s card arrived she suggested in it that it would be good if Scamp and I could come and visit her and her daughter, Fiona. I was delighted, and offered them a few ‘clear’ days and Elizabeth chose today. As time went on, I wasn’t sure if I should cancel, because Scamp is just recovering from a heavy cold and I’m just starting one. However, we went, and had a great time. Remembering names from the past, both pupils and teachers. Not all were good and not all were bad, but we only made a point of remembering the former! We spent a good couple of hours there and agreed that we should do it again some time.

As we were leaving, Fiona presented us with two jars, one full of Apple Jelly and another full of Thick Orange Marmalade. I haven’t opened either of them yet, but I’m sure they will taste as lovely as they look. That is where the PoD came from today. It started off as a dull day, weatherise, but later, just as we were leaving, the sun shone for an hour or so. Another sign that Spring is on the way.

Other than that, there was little to say about today. But dinner was one of Scamp’s specialities, Chicken Milanese. Chicken battered flat with a rolling pin, dipped in egg yolk and fried in a frying pan. We had chips with ours and the whole thing just worked.

We watched Masterchef the Professionals tonight. It’s amazing how a couple of simple changes can make a considerable difference to a show. None of that ridiculous shouting that used to go on. Long may it continue, but it’s early days yet.

I had a phone consultation with the doc today and it appears that my Ferritin levels are a bit high, but nothing to worry about. I’ve to get another blood test in six months.

PoD is done and it’s getting near my new bedtime, so I’m going to take some Benylin and go to bed.

Maybe going dancing tomorrow. Depends on how we feel.

Dancin’ – 14 February 2026

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Today Scamp cleared the snow and frost from the car and I drove us to Brookfield for a dance class.

It was a cold start, but it was good to be driving under a clear blue sky and we made good time to the village hall. I think the clear sky was a blessing because the snow and low temperatures maybe kept some people from getting out too early. Much easier to just turn over and go back to sleep. But we’re both from hardier stock and weren’t bothered with sub-zero temperatures. We were going dancing.

First dance was House of Bamboo. I used to hate it, but now I just treat it as a bit of fun to get us get us out of our winter clothes. Next was the new waltz that Jane had concocted a couple of weeks ago. There was one turn I couldn’t get the hang of, but after asking Jane if she would dance me through it, she saw what I was doing wrong and that made all the difference. Much more secure with it now. Meanwhile Scamp was dancing with Stewart and picking up more tips on the same dance.

Next was Quickstep which we are working through, but both of us agree that we need more practise at home to keep it fresh in our heads. Fishtails are improving.

Final dance was Rona’s Rumba. Rona was a dancer in our class who passed away two years ago, around about now. She and her husband were great friends with Stewart and Jane.

Our Rumba, like the quickstep and the waltz, needs a fair bit of work to get comfortable with it.

As well as the ballroom dances, there were a lot of sequence dances that the teacher use to give us a break from the difficult stuff. Today they were used liberally!

Drove home via the Clyde Tunnel today because there was a lot of congestion on the M8. The Clyde Tunnel cuts off a fair chunk of driving and is useful for days like today.

I went over to St Mo’s later in the afternoon in my new boots that needed breaking in. They are not really new, they’re about six months old, I just kept forgetting (on purpose, maybe) to put them on, until last week when I found a leak in the left side of the old boots. Maybe their time has come.

Dinner tonight was a disappointing Golden Bowl. Tough Chicken Chop Suey for Scamp and equally tough Chicken Chow Mein for me. Maybe it’s time to give them a rest and look for somewhere else.

We watched the Skeleton Sliders from the Winter Olympics. Scary stuff!

PoD was  couple of dried up flowers from last year. Very fragile looking.

No plans for tomorrow. Snow predicted.

Snow on Fannyside – 13 February 2026

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First time this year I’ve seen even this tiny amount of snow.

The temperature outside as I’m writing about is -1.3ºc, or so our trustworthy Oregon Scientific thermometer tells us. I imagine it will drop even further overnight.

I’d things to do today and after I’d posted a card to Val and then dumped the old Dyson which has now been replaced with a new Shark. After that I took myself over to Fannyside to get some photos. A lot more snow over there, probably because of its elevation and the constant cold wind that cuts right through you no matter what you are wearing, but the sun was shining and the sky was blue. I just had to get out and get some photos.

PoD went to some tyre tracks in the snow, the warm sun was melting the snow by the time I got there. Luckily I found a road, sheltered by a stand of Scots Pines that had held onto their snow,

Other than that it was just a normal Friday.

Tomorrow we may be going dancing if the weather plays nice.

Walking in the rain – 11 February 2026

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Scamp was entertaining Shona today and I was meeting Alex.

Scamp gave me a lift to the station and I had only a few minutes to wait before our train came which was handy because the rain was tipping down. In Glasgow the weather was just the same and I walked up Buchanan Street then parked myself in the bus station. For once I’d forgotten my headphones, but I didn’t have to wait too long for Alex to appear. I explained to him that I was on a timer. I had to be back in Cumbersheugh by 3.15pm at the latest to get my bloods taken.

As usual we walked down to the nearest Nero and had a coffee. I told Alex about yesterday’s disaster and he suggested some remedies I hadn’t thought of, but none of them were really practical and I think he knew that, he was just trying to help. I showed him the A7iii and explained what was wrong, but when he pressed the shutter button the lens worked. No screech from the internals, it just took the photo. Now, remember we were in a fairly noisy cafe and it could just have been that noise that was covering up the sound of the screech, but the more I tried to make it screech, the quieter it became. Neither of us could understand it. Maybe my brother is a magician, but don’t tell him I know that!

We wandered into Princes Square, partly to be out of the rain and partly to see what was new on their displays. There wasn’t much, so we decided to have an early lunch. Round to Paesano and I volunteered to pay. More discussions about cameras and the reason for the recent failure, but still without a sensible answer. Paesano was really quiet. Usually around midday it’s just a wall of noise with everybody shouting to be heard and making the noise even louder. Today it was half empty. Maybe it was a holiday week for the school kids. Holidays in teeming rain. Yes, that sounds like Scotland.

Outside we walked into the GoMA (Gallery of Modern Art). Only one or two new displays, nothing interesting again. It was nearly time up when we came out and we both walked up to the station. I had about fifteen minutes to spare before my train was due and Alex was going for another walk in the incessant rain. We said our goodbyes, he went for a walk and I got on the express train then phoned Scamp to tell her I was on my way home.

I dropped Scamp at the house and drove to the medical centre. After cruising round and round the lines of cars, I finally got parked, got my blood taken and went home.

Dinner tonight was tomato soup, home made, of course. Watched a bit of the Winter Olympics from somewhere in Italy where the UK went from being second to being seventh in a matter of minutes. I don’t think they like us much, these Olympians!

That was my stunning day. I got home and the camera had started making its scratchy noise again. I have a Sony 16-35mm f4 lens which I was going to sell just before Christmas, but it started the squeaky noises and I put it on the back burner. Today it’s been working brilliantly. Not a cheep out of it. I just can’t make head nor tail of these big lenses these days.

PoD was a cheeky we grab photo of a lady admiring some photos in the GoMA.

Tomorrow we’re intending going to John & Marion’s for lunch tomorrow. Haven’t been to Hamilton for ages.

 

 

An afternoon in the Toon – 9 February 2026

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This afternoon we drove in to Glasgow, looking for a table cover.

Every time I drive in to Glasgow these days there is another road pattern to negotiate. Today was no exception. Where there had been two narrow lanes to reach Buchanan Galleries, today it was one single lane going downhill. How you get back up that hill is anybody’s guess.

I did get parked in the Buchanan Galleries and chose a suitable table cover to give our Christmas table cover a wee rest. I’m typing on the ‘Snowman’ table cover that’s been on the round living room table since mid December 2025. Hopefully we’ll replace it with the new one tomorrow.

With the table cover purchased, we went our separate ways. Scamp went to do some shopping in Glasgow and after dropping off the table cover I went to the Nile Barber to get my hair cut. We met up back in Buchanan Galleries and drove home.

I’d grabbed a couple of photos when I was walking back from the barber. One photo of some pink primulas became PoD. I was tempted to remove the photobomber who walked past the flowers just as I clicked, but then I realised he was part of the image and kept it in.

We went to Kirsty’s dance class in the early evening and found instead of six of us preparing for the Quickstep, there were five children of varying ages and two adults who seemed to have turned up out of the blue. I pitied Kirsty who had to teach six adults who were looking forward to the quickstep class and at the same time teach seven children and adults who looked as if they hadn’t danced in years. Hopefully everything will work out fine next week. I hope so.

We have no plans for tomorrow.

Dancin’ – 7 February 2026

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Out early as usual on a Saturday.

We drove over to Brookfield, a fairly easy drive to light traffic but clouds and occasional rain. What we’ve come to expect these wintry days.

The class started with a quickstep, but not one we already knew. Almost everyone else seemed to be happy with it and although we did bring this fact to the attention of the teachers, we didn’t get much instruction. Luckily I had Scamp to tell me what the teachers were doing and after I’d added in a few steps from Thursday’s Tea Dance, it began to come together, but teachers are there to teach, not to get partners to make up for their shortcomings. I don’t think Stewart believed we’d not done this dance before. For the first time in ages I wasn’t impressed with his teaching.

What I will say in his defence is that he did intersperse some units with a couple of sequence dances, mostly ones we knew. Given that we’d had a tough start to the day, I did actually enjoy most of the class I think Scamp did too.

We drove home with about a million others, all heading in the same direction as us at about 15 mph and in the rain again. It was a stop/start drive, but after half an hour or so the traffic picked up speed and thinned out. No rhyme nor reason to it. I’m sure you’ve all seen this feature of driving in the past. Nobody seems to be able to explain why the roads get snarled up and then just return to normal with nothing to explain it. I wish I could be in a helicopter to watch the changing traffic patterns from above. It would be an interesting thing to investigate.

I chose the M74/M73 again and everything went smoothly back to the house. Lunch was toast and beans. A simple menu that just hit the spot.

Later in the afternoon I went for a walk through St Mo’s and got a few photos, a very few. My favourite and PoD was two magpies discussing world problems in a tree. Magpies, the Darth Vaders of the Avian world.

We’d hoped to have a Chinese dinner, but Golden Bowl in Condorrat was closed until the 13th of the month, so it was Fish ’n’ Chips instead. Lovely fish, but too much chips. We watched the Olympic Snowboarding and Luge while we consumed our dinner, wondering why people put themselves through these dangerous looking games. Good fun to watch, but I can’t see it catching on in Cumbersheugh.

As far as tomorrow goes, we have no plans. Not ever Snowboarding.

Dancin’ – 5 February 2026

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We drove to Glenburn to go dancing.

Drove through the rain and wind and traffic and were making fairly good time until we neared Glenburn where we had to get through three different sets of temporary traffic lights. One set of the ‘temporary’ lights will be there for months. That’s not my idea of temporary.

When we got there, Scamp was the star attraction with all the ladies and both teachers asking questions about what had happened on Monday in Dundee. I had laughingly suggested to her that she should have typed up a description of the day and run off a few copies to hand out to anyone who wanted to read them. Scamp said ‘NO’!

We did get through a fair few dances in our couple of hours. Most of them were sequence dances, but some were ballroom. We left it quite late to get back to Cumbersheugh, and took the M74/M73 route which is longer by the mile, but without as many holdups as the shorter M8/M80 way. I think in the end there’s not much difference between them.

It was raining when we arrived home and I chose an indoor shop for PoD. It’s a shot of a few Cerinthe seedlings sitting on a window ledge.

Hoping for a better day tomorrow. Always hoping!

Tidying up – 29 January 2026

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Today’s task was to take some stuff to the council tip.

I had quite a lot of unwanted odds and ends, things I knew I wouldn’t need again. Scamp had a similar collection and I managed to fill the boot of the blue car with them all and drove up to the council tip. There were cardboard boxes, an old Black & Decker drill that wouldn’t hold a charge in either of its batteries and an old briefcase I didn’t see myself using ever again. Then there were the bags. Black bags, white bags and multicoloured bags all holding articles that had outlived their usefulness. They all went for a drive and then went into those big skips. As I was driving out of the council tip, I was wondering how much we’d spent on all that unwanted scrap over the years and then decided I didn’t want to know!

 

To Be Continued!

Going for the messages – 28 January 2026

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It was a lovely bright morning and it seemed a shame to waste it sitting in the house.

So, after some discussion, we decided to drive to Stirling to get some messages in Waitrose and have a walk through the town. In the end, and with a very full car boot we decided to have a coffee in Waitrose rather than walk down to Nero. The coffee wasn’t the best, but Scamp was happy with her latte and an iced bun staved off the hunger pangs for a while.

Instead of driving straight home, we turned off the motorway and parked near Haggs. From there we had a walk along the Forth and Clyde canal. The weather held up and with a few fluffy clouds in the sky and an almost perfectly flat calm on the canal we walked along the canal, heading east. Beautiful reflections on the still water gave me plenty of opportunity for photos. Even when we passed one of the locks, the water stayed still and allowed more photo opportunities.

Not far past the canal lock we turned and walked back to the car. We saw a couple of swans following the twists and turns of the canal, presumably looking for a good place to land. Unfortunately I just missed them! Maybe next time.

Back home and after we’d emptied the car, Scamp went out to plant two new pot plants, pink at the front and purple in the back. Both Primulas. Not happy with that, she did a bit of pruning and also stayed out in the sunshine just tidying up the back garden.

Dinner was a shared pizza from Waitrose. Then after I’d downloaded today’s photos and posted a couple, we watched another Landscape Artist of the Year. I don’t know where they find these ‘artists’, but today’s lot were some of the worst we’ve seen. Hopefully they will improve soon.

A week or so, Scamp asked Hazel to ask Neil if his mum knew where she, Scamp, could get Panch Phoron, a Bengali five spice mix. Today a parcel dropped through our letterbox and inside was a packet of Punch Pooran which is the same mix with a slightly different name. Attached was a message from Neil’s mum saying “Happy Cooking”. Isn’t it great when a plan comes together!

PoD went to a view looking east along the Forth and Clyde canal.

No great plans for tomorrow. Scamp says she might do some ironing. I may take a load of odds and ends to the council skips.

Scrubbing the floor – 26 January 2026

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We weren’t down on our knees doing the scrubbing. We’ve got a machine to do that for us now!

In the morning we built up the Vax carpet cleaner. It’s a bit of a beast! With a lot of reading of the instructions we managed to get it built up. Then we added some water and a glug or two of the magic carpet cleaning stuff, plugged it in and started it going. It’ quite noisy and it was soaking the carpet, until we realised we could push it forward quite quickly, but had to withdraw it fairly slowly so the muck in the carpet was sucked into the chamber. In the end we were both impressed with the efficiency of this new technology. So far we only have a small bottle, but I imagine we’ll get a larger bottle before the end of the week. We were impressed by the amount of muck that was sucked into the dirty water container!!

After that we walked down to the shops to get something for lunch and also something for dinner. It was cold and a bit windy, but the weather fairies are warning us that it’s going to get even windier before the end of the week.

I took myself out for a walk in St Mo’s later and got a few photos, but even fairly early in the afternoon, the light was fading quickly. For a change I took the small A6500 with me. I usually use a nylon cord to suspend my cameras when I’m walking. I almost made the mistake of letting the A6500 dangle, but realised just in time that there was no cord on the camera today and caught it before it fell. Eejit!

Once round the pond was enough for me today. If there had been more light and it it hadn’t been quite so cold I’d have gone for a second round, but once was enough today.

We drove over to Kirsty’s class at The Link and completed the third part of the three part Tango routine. It was a bit repetitive in places and the constant turns were causing some of the ladies, Scamp included to become dizzy, so I don’t think the full routine will be danced very often.

PoD was a three holly leaves making a break for freedom from a nearby wooden fence.

I think we may be going shopping tomorrow, but as usual at this time of year, it all depends on the weather