Category: Driving

Another sunny day – 17 March 2025

Posted on by Zogman

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!

A fairly lazy morning – 10 March 2025

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A lazy morning for me at least, but Scamp was determined to get the washing done and hung up on the line outside to make the most of the gusty wind that was blowing in from the east.

My morning task was to clean up all the twenty five photos we’d selected for next week’s slide show. I did that, then checked it with Scamp before sening a copy of the photos to Jackie for her comments. Both ladies seemed satisfied with the images.

After lunch we drove over to Falkirk to meet Andrew, the money man. As usual, he was a lot more upbeat than any of the TV reporters and had the graphs and figures to back him up.

From there we drove to Klondyke Garden Centre, still hoping to get a pair of shoes for next week, but found nothing suitable. Lots of flat shoes and even some with Velcro straps, but none with the required heels. We actually had a decent lunch at Klondyke.

On the way home we stopped at the funeral office for Scamp to drop off some clothes for June to wear next week. Shona had been as good as her word and had chosen some things she thought her mum would like.

Back home I gave Scamp some space while I went for a walk in St Mo’s. That’s where today’s PoD came from. I think it’s a sycamore seed that has germinated down in the leaf litter. It looks as if something has chewed it already, but they are strong little plants and can look after themselves.

Dinner was a bowl of Slimmers World soup each. Quite appropriate because it was June who gave us the recipe.

No real plans for tomorrow. Nothing either of us have to do, touch wood!

Good Friends – 8 March 2025

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Crawford & Nancy came visiting today.

Just after the early hour of 10.15am! We’re not used to such early rises, but they did bring cakes!

They were doing what all good friends do, they were showing support. We sat and talked about June, Paul, Shona and Ian. We listened to the antics of their grandkids and made all the right noises. We complained about all our aches and pains and what we could do about them. It was a strange morning, but a welcome one too. Living life in the ’New Normal’. Later in the morning we got a message from Hazy. Asking after Scamp and just making contact. It really is good to have the support of family and friends. Sometimes we just take them for granted and we shouldn’t.

We are still in the Shoe Hunt, so in the afternoon we drove in to Stirling for a change of scenery and also to see if any of the shoe would fit the dainty feet of the princess. They didn’t. We went back to Waitrose where we’d parked and took a basket rather than a trolley. It seemed a logical way to get the shopping we needed without getting too much. It worked, except we still got more than we’d intended and I felt my arms were getting longer with every jar or bottle we put in the basket!

PoD was a photo of a ‘Ghost Sign’ we saw in Stirling. A ghost sign is usually an advertising sign above a shop or building that has been badly damaged by wind and weather. We saw this one over a shop in Stirling. When did you last see a three digit phone number?

We drove home and received an email from Paul with more information about the funeral. We agreed to meet him at his house. He had done a fair bit of work during the week. So far:

  • We now have a date and time to meet the Celebrant.
  • We have the codes for the streaming of the funeral.
  • There have been a lot of problems with getting the death certificate as I outlined a couple of days ago, but it should be in Paul’s hands on Monday or Tuesday.
  • Scamp and Jackie have agreed a tea for after the funeral.
  • The Docherty family are providing the flowers.
  • Music for the Entrance, Reflection and Exit from Daldowie are almost complete.
  • The photos have almost all been scanned, or assembled.

All in all, we are in a better place than we were a few days ago.

No plans for tomorrow yet.

A walk in the park – 6 March 2025

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We woke to a misty, almost foggy day.

Jackie was travelling up to Skye on the morning bus. We waved her off as she got in the taxi that would take her to Glasgow on the first leg of the journey. The second leg was a six or seven hour journey on the bus from Glasgow to Portree on Skye where Murdo would be waiting to take her on the last leg to Staffin. A few days later she was intending to do the whole thing again in reverse to return to Cumbersheugh.

With a morning and part of an afternoon to fill, I was pleasantly surprised when Scamp suggested we go over to Kilsyth for a walk in the sunshine that had appeared just as Jackie was getting in the taxi. We drove over to Colzium estate and that’s where I saw a single white crocus flower among the miniature daffodils. Just one, though, but it was shining brightly in the sun. That became PoD. We walked our usual path round what had been the driveway to the “Big House”, and then onward into the trees. This was the first time we’d walked in Colzium and there were a lot of torn up trees courtesy of the storms last month, or was it two? Anyway, a shorter than normal circuit took us to the coffee shop that, conveniently, was just opening. After coffee we walked back to the car and drove home.

Just enough time for a quick spot of lunch and then we had to get a bit better dressed for a meeting with the Co-op funeral office where we had a meeting with a funeral director. Paul, Margaret, Shona, Scamp and I were present at a rather disjointed meeting where it appeared the lady who was dealing with us had to also speak to a constant stream of other customers. Not the most professional way to treat people who are already stressed and upset. However, I was not running this show and had little to do, but on two separate occasions we had a thirty minute hiatus while someone somewhere talked to someone else.

The upshot was that a firm date for the funeral was agreed and all the papers were duly signed by Paul who was the senior member of the family today. We left after about two hours and went for a quick coffee and a discussion with tasks being allocated to willing parties.

Drove home and dropped people off as we went. Finally got home and parked. Dinner was Paella and it was a good one this time. It isn’t always so good.

Tomorrow we’re hoping for a more restful day.

A meeting of minds – 5 March 2025

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We met the interested parties in Tesco for coffee today.

We were discussing the plans for June’s funeral. Margaret phoned Scamp to ask where we were, because they were waiting in Costa. Then Scamp reminded her that she had told us it was to be at Tesco. That maybe ‘put her gas at a peep’ as my mum would have said. Scamp, Jackie and I had been prepared for a fight, but as a result, it never happened.

The group was Ian, Jackie, Margaret, Paul, Scamp, Shona and myself (listed alphabetically for fairness!). Everyone offered suggestions to the group with Paul and Shona as adjudicators.

The upshot of the meeting was that:

  • We had some photos of June to use in a short display
  • Paul wants to do a short ad hoc speech about his mum
  • Jackie would probably write a talk and if she wasn’t comfortable with it, I’d be ready to take over.

We left it at that and have a meeting planned with the funeral directors tomorrow.

We drove over to The Kelpies because Jackie had never seen them in real life. It turned out to be an awful day as far as the weather was concerned. Heavy rain showers driven along on a gusty east wind. However we did get a walk around the mighty beasts and I think that brightened Scamp’s day. The size of the sculptures impressed Jackie. We finished with another cuppa and a scone paid for by Jackie.

Later, at home I was delegated to go to the chip shop for fish suppers. A successful day with some of the pressure removed. Jackie goes back home tomorrow and is intending to return in a couple of days.

PoD was a slightly different view of a Kelpie,

Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow.

Some kind of normal – 4 March 2025

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Today we had shopping to do. A chance to turn the day into something approaching normal.

Afterwards we drove up to Torwood for lunch and a look at what the garden centre had to offer. Scamp got some seed compost and a very dark coloured hellebore. After I’d dropped her off at home, I took the Blue car for a spring clean at the car-wash! It looked so much better after that.

I went for a walk in St Mo’s and found that the frogs were back. Almost all of them were busy making more frogs. Yesterday there were none, but seemingly the message had got out that it was time to procreate. There were vast rafts of frogspawn. I’m sure this will bring crowds of primary school children eager to capture some of the frogspawn to put in jars in their classrooms. Probably there will be a law against capturing frogs eggs, but children know nothing of the legality of such ambushing.

Today’s PoD was inevitably “Frogs”!

We drove in to Glasgow in the middle of rush hour to pick up Jackie who had travelled south from Skye to add weight to the Scottish contingent. We were very glad to have her. It gave Scamp an opportunity to explain in detail the last few days. It also gave the sisters a chance to bond. I hate that ‘bond’ word, but it’s the only one that fits

Tomorrow we are invited to have coffee in Tesco with one of the English side of the family who may try to put her case for what happens next. I’d have thought a better, and less public place could have been chosen, but maybe, just maybe, it was the choice of Paul and Shona.

It feels like Spring (White Rabbits x3) – 1 March 2025

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Well, it didn’t feel like Spring when we were driving through a drizzle all the way to Brookfield for today’s dance class.

Thankfully when we came out again, the rain had gone and the sun was attempting to shine.

In between, we had a Midnight Jive to heat us up, because the Brookfield Politburo apparently thought 3ºc was warm enough for anyone!

Sufficiently warmed up, we were into the annoying October Waltz, even though it wasn’t October. I find it the worst waltz I’ve had the misfortune to attempt. It just seems so … “Clunky” is the only word I can use. It just doesn’t seem to flow and I was happier once it had gone back into its box, until the next time one of the teachers says “Oh, we haven’t done the October Waltz for a while.” There’s a reason for that I’d say.

Next was Tango and we struggled with that for a while, but it did get better after we got help from Jane. I think I could manage that one, given some effort on my part. Scamp helped by pulling me in the right direction and whispering the instructions in my ear.

We did Mambo Marina to finish with, but two fairly new dancers were left standing in the corner of the room looking bewildered while the teachers danced with a couple of ladies who knew the dance. That doesn’t seem like a dance class to me. Just a little bit of help would have put them on the right track. We had attempted to help the pair just over a week ago when they came to a Tea Dance we go to, but the teachers really need to TEACH. That’s what they are getting nearly twenty quid for every week!

After that we were allowed to go home. To go home with half a dozen eggs from one of the dance class who seem to be bringing eggs ever week or so. It’s very nice of them, the eggs come from a neighbour of theirs, and being free range, they do taste good.

Drove home through the normal tangle of cars and I chose the slow lane today. I really should have done the M74/M73 route which is longer, but faster overall.

I took a couple of lenses with the A7iii over to St Mo’s in the afternoon, once the sun was shining brightly and got a couple of photos. PoD went to a cloudscape with the setting sun just visible. I came home via Golden Bowl with Chicken Chop Suey and Fried Rice for Scamp and a Special Chow Mein for me. Nice to be walking home in the last of the day’s sun.

I almost forgot to mention, we thought the house was being torn apart in the morning or maybe broken into, but it was just the NLC house clearing mob tearing out everything they could find from the house next door. It seemed that Angela, who lived there after Betty (if you pair remember her) had done a ’moonlight’ without telling anyone. Strange woman. Now we wonder who we’ll get in her place.

Tomorrow we may go for a walk if the weather plays nice.