Category: Driving

Coffee Time – 16 September 2024

Posted on by Zogman

Out to Falkirk to collect some coffee beans.

We took a drive over to Falkirk to the Ironworks Business centre to pick up a kilo of Blow Your Socks Off coffee beans and 250g of the slightly milder Cat’s Pyjamas, also beans. It’s an awkward place to find, but I was sure I could navigate to it without using the sat nav. Of course, I was wrong and fell at the last fence by turning right instead of left. Come to think of it, I did the same thing last time! Maybe next time, all being well …

With the important stuff done, we drove on to The Kelpies. We were lucky to get a parking space because the place was mobbed. We guessed that today was a school holiday in Falkirk or somewhere nearby. We walked over the hill and down the other side to find there were even more folk than we’d imagined.

We walked round the horses in the sunshine and said “Hello”, then walked out to listen to the water pouring out of the canal and down into the River Carron which joins the River Forth further downstream. Got a few photos, then went to have a coffee, but when we saw the queue, we decided to have an ice cream cone instead. The ice cream van was advertising ‘Oysters’. Not the shellfish, but shell shaped cup with sweet sticky icing on one half and room for a big dollop of ice cream on the other. If you put both halves together it looks vaguely like an oyster. Unfortunately they had none in stock. Maybe a lucky break as it would have cost us £10 for two oysters!! I remember a time when …

After we said goodbye to the horses, we drove along to Klondyke Garden Centre where Scamp picked up a big tray of Violas and a wee blue grass plant in the bargain section I got a Cordyline palm for half price. Most, if not, all the violas are now planted and Scamp is investigating the compost we need for the two plants.

We drove home and while Scamp worked in the garden, I dumped the photos and chose my favourite for PoD, which was a view of the Kelpies from the top of a hill near the car park. The extra elevation gave us a view of the Ochil Hills in the background.

Tomorrow we may go wandering again, but this time travelling by bus.

A Green Jacket – 15 September 2024

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Today I wanted to settle this rain jacket search for good.

We drove to GO Outdoors in Coatbridge and although I tried on a few jacket, none really felt comfortable. Eventually I gave up and we drove over to Tiso in Glasgow. Again I tried on a few jackets and eventually settled on a Montane 75D Goretex (no, I don’t know what that means either, but it sounds good) jacket that didn’t tick all my boxes, but it did tick enough to be the best one I’d seen at a price that I could afford. Eventually the search seems to be over. The old Famous Blue Raincoat need have no fears. It won’t be thrown out. After I’ve repaired the pockets and given it a good wash in Nikwax to reproof it, it will go back on the peg.

With the deed done, we went home via Lidl for some ingredients for tonight’s dinner which was Jamie & Sim’s Coconut Curry, and a bottle of Hortus Gin.

After a lazy afternoon I did put on the new green jacket and go for a walk in St Mo’s. At first I thought I’d made a mistake by buying a size larger than I initially thought I should get, but after a while it became “just the jacket I was wearing”. In other words, with nothing to compare it with, it was fine.

The weather in the morning was splashy showers and occasional spots of sunshine, but as the day progressed, the showers lessened and the sun shone more. Most of today’s photos had spiders in them, because spiders seem to build up a store of food for the winter months and that was what they were doing today.

The Coconut Curry was lovely and after dinner we watched the Azerbaijan GP which was a bit boring until the last ten laps. Then it just went crazy and it seems to still be going crazy with penalties being awarded left, right and centre. I’m not sure what the outcome was, now.

Spoke to Jamie later and heard about a new door for the house and looking for apple trees to plant. Good to hear that things are going well down south.

PoD was a spider on a web. Quite a typical subject for me.

I’m intending to seal a leak in the wash hand basin with silicone tomorrow. I may take the new jacket out for another walk.

Dancin’ ( or trying to) – 14 September 2024

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We drove over to Brookfield for the first dance class in ages.

The first dance in the unheated Brookfield Hall was a sequence dance, the Melody Foxtrot. Two tracks to start with and an extra one for Peter and Gillian because they were late. Would they do an extra track for us or for Leslie & Gordon? Maybe not, but Peter and Gillian are friends of the teachers. Petty? Me? Oh yes, but if your face don’t fit here you don’t get privileges.

First dance was the Butterfly Jive. I’ve never really sorted this one out in my head. Too many things coming at you too quickly. Scamp seems ok with it, it’s just me who’s too slow.

The tempo slowed down for the next dance which was the Four Seasons Waltz which I thought I was dancing correctly, but Scamp kept telling me I was wrong. For once, I was sure I was right because muscle memory was telling me to do one thing and Scamp was telling me something else. Eventually, after calling the adjudicator, Jane, I was proven right. It’s nice to be right … sometimes. We’d danced this waltz on Thursday and most of it was encoded in my head, I just couldn’t play it back with confidence, but Scamp could. I can usually rely on her to keep me right.

The third ‘real’ dance was a Quickstep which may have a name, but I can’t remember it. It’s quite quick, but again, muscle memory came to my rescue and the entire first section just flowed perfectly. The next section we hadn’t practised, but struggled through. It might need some homework to get the footwork fitting in perfectly, but it was much better than I anticipated.

The torture finished with a Sally Anne Cha-Cha which is just a bit of noisy fun with hand claps and shouts of “OI!”. Then we left for a quick trip into Glasgow, or so I thought.

I was heading to WEX to drop off a lens I was selling. It should have been easy, but the sat nav had found a new way that didn’t allow for roadworks or diversions. After a good half hour of going the wrong way, we eventually found the carpark and dropped off the lens at the shop. We dropped in at Nevisport where we’d had a good chat last week with one of the sales guys. Not so today. Almost none of last week’s stock was there. It had been replaces with “SALES” stock. None of which was what I was looking for. We left to have a decent cup of coffee in Waterstones and drove home empty handed. Stopped at M&S in Cumbersheugh to get some fruit then went home.

In the fading light I got today’s PoD which was a James Grieve apple on our apple tree, viewed through a LensBaby distortion lens.

Dinner was a very spicy chicken curry with an ice lolly each to cool us down. Not a bad day as far as weather was concerned, but tomorrow looks better. We’ll see.

Dancin’ – 12 September 2024

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This was the first tea dance in ages, at least, it felt like ages!

A very small group today, spread thinly around the hall. About ten couples in total which is most unusual for a tea dance. But we danced. That was what we came for and we were going to get our money’s worth. We were sitting with Leslie and Gordon who don’t usually get to the tea dances because of Grandparent Duties. But other that them, it was ’Weel Kent Faces’ at the rest of the tables. The usual suspects, you could say.

The dance started with a waltz as usual and to my surprise I could remember most of the steps. We danced to two tracks with occasional ‘brain fade’, but nobody seemed to notice. Then it was in to the usual routine with the Ballroom Jive, then sequence dances. The afternoon really did seem to fly in and we took part in most of the dances.

As usual we left just a little bit early to avoid the school rush an this time we seemed to get it just right. A few spots of rain on the windscreen occasionally on the drive home, but otherwise a bright day as long as you were in the car. Outside it was cold, a measure of what is to come tonight, apparently. Temperatures around 1ºc predicted widely. It’s definitely autumn now.

PoD was a Tiarella flower from the garden with a distorted background courtesy of the LensBaby again.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending going to FitSteps. Afterwards we might visit Isobel who isn’t feeling well just now.

Wandering round Glasgow – 11 September 2024

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I drove in to Glasgow today to meet my brother.

We had planned to visit the Transport Museum, or the Riverside Museum as it’s known these days, but it was a beautiful day and it did seem a shame when we could be wandering round the streets taking photos. Anyway, I never was a fan of the Riverside Museum. The old Transport Museum had character which the new one lacked and why stack loads of cars in a vast space where petrolheads can’t get near them to look inside and remember driving that classic car? Totally pointless. The outside of the new museum is much more interesting than the inside, and the only reason I’d go there.

So, instead we walked down Buchanan Street to take some photos and so that Alex could wander round a guitar shop, looking for a new amp for his guitar. I had an ulterior motive too. I was still looking for that jacket. The waterproof one I’ve been searching for all week. I’m beginning to think it doesn’t exist, but I’ll continue looking Dug wi’ a Burst Ba’ again. I didn’t find it today, but we’d both scratched our individual itches and come away with nothing, but we’d both looked and seen.

I suggested we adjourn to Paesano to see if a pizza each would give us time to think. After lunch we went for a walk round St Enoch’s square to take some photos. For once we both went separate ways and met up again after taking a few shots of different subjects. Then it was a walk down the Clyde Walkway to admire the graffiti, and there was an entire wall that had been covered with artwork since the last time we’d been down there.

Next we took some photos of St Andrews Cathedral and its reflections on the glass walled building next door. By that time the temperature was dropping and I was aware that it was getting towards late afternoon and I was going to dance class later.

We walked back up Buchanan Street before splitting up with Alex heading for the bus and me going for my car. Some good shots today and some good nonsense talked by both of us.

I got back in time to get ready for Kirsty’s dance class. Today it was a reprise of the Rumba she’d turned into a Cha-Cha. I admit, I was lost to begin with, but after a quick run through by Kirsty and Scamp, it began to fall into place again.

PoD went to a photo of the ‘Balloon Man’. He stands in Buchanan Street in Glasgow twisting balloons into the most intricate shapes to the delight of hundreds of children every week. I was lucky, the light was just right today.

Tomorrow Scamp would like to take me to a Tea Dance in Paisley. How could I say no?

 

Preparations – 27 August 2024

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One of those days when I couldn’t settle.

I knew we’d have to finish packing today, because we were going to be driving to the airport to park the car and then have a few hours sleep before we got the plane tomorrow morning. Had I packed this? Had I packed that? Did I really need all the stuff I’d packed? Would my rucksack fit into EasyJet’s shrinking metal boxes?

Scamp called a halt and suggested a lunch at Brodens in Condorrat. Great idea, even if I couldn’t have my traditional pint of Guinness because I was driving in the evening. Mac ’n’ Cheese for Scamp and Fish ’n’ Chips for me.

Bumped into George from the corner who had been forced to slum it in Brodens as a fire at his usual Weavers pub had been bad enough to force it to close, then vandals had found a way in and created more carnage. We stood and spoke for a while and then Scamp and I made our way down the road.

The hours slowly ticked away until it was time to pack up the car and drive to the airport. Parked, then took the cases to the drop-off place in the terminal building then we had a free drink in the bar of the airport hotel, free because Scamp had signed up to a club account which gave extra benefits as well as a cheap one night stay. PoD was the view over to Paisley from the room.

Hopefully sleep will come faster than the day did.

A busy day – 20 August 2024

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Much of my work had been done yesterday. Today was Scamp’s day.

I took the easy way out and drove to Glasgow. I’d a shirt to exchange at Slaters which was easily accomplished and that left me enough time to get my hair cut and my beard trimmed . Much easier getting somebody who knows what he’s doing to do the work than trying to work with cutters and scissors while staring intently in the mirror. I also managed to find time to source some white chocolate for the topping of the cake Scamp was baking. Easy, especially if you’ve planned your route in advance.

Not so easy was getting to Glasgow in the first place and getting home again as the council had decided the roundabout at the bottom of the road needed a sprucing up, complete with 4-way traffic lights. There had been no notice this was happening, so it was a nice surprise!! Ratbags!

When I got home, after another 15 minute delay, stuck in the queue, I realised I’d forgotten to get olives. Rather than face the queue again, I walked down to the shops and got the olives, then got soaked walking home.

After a change of clothes I was given the job of finding, and clearing, the table in the living room where it lay hidden under a pile of magazines, cables, SSDs, a computer and assorted rubbish (all mine). Then finding a place to put said rubbish where I’d find it again when needed.

After that I helped out in the kitchen with the fiddly bits of dressing the Portobello mushrooms for the starter and re-heating the main course I’d made yesterday while Scamp made the pudding. All achieved just in time to welcome John & Marion.

Dinner was:
Starter: Portobello Mushrooms with Cheese, Spinach and Parma Ham
Main: Chicken Tagine
Dessert: Baked Apricot Brioche.

It was a good night. Lots to discuss. The new grandchild for J&M, Erin. John’s new car, (although he says it’s Marion’s), a Renault Clio and a hybrid to boot! Holidays were discussed and days away too. Much later than any of us intended we let them go and we started the clearing up.

Another glass of wine for Scamp and a small whisky for me and it was time for bed.

PoD was a view looking down Buchanan Street from the opposite side of the subway entrance.

Plans for tomorrow will start with whoever is making breakfast, switching on the dish washer. I’m intending meeting Alex for a photowalk in Glasgow.

Out in the morning and in the afternoon and then again later – 19 August 2024

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Out in the morning to get my blood results. The good news is that I am no longer described as Diabetic. The bad news is that it was only by one point on the scale. I hoped it would be a better result, but I’ll take it and keep eating a healthier diet without sugar. Still, another possible step forward is there removal of Bendroflumethiazide from my daily diet of pills. It’s not a long term removal yet, I’ve another meeting with the Sister next week to check if that reduction is working for me.

Back home I had time for a sandwich. A piece ’n’ tinned salmon to be precise before I was off again to another health centre, this one in Muirhead to get an injection to prevent a virus called Respiratory Syncytial Virus, (RSV to its friends) from getting its hooks into me. Half an hour out of my day seemed a worthwhile offering for a better winter.

Since I was in the wilds of Muirhead, I drove home by the long road with a chance of some photos looking over to the Campsies. Not much to see today, though. Just half a dozen horses in a field on one side of the road and a farmer’s field of just-cut hay or silage on the other. I chose the second option, because I’m not that keen on horses and at least the landscape doesn’t walk away when you’re trying to photograph it.

We had been for ‘messages’ in between Nurse 1 and Nurse 2 and had stopped for petrol on the way home, but the petrol pump didn’t recognise my card, so I had to use my backup one, the one I made myself from an old bus pass and a bit of wire. That’s ok in an emergency, but I really needed to get the proper card fixed.

So when I got home from Nurse 2, I had a shopping list dictated to me and off I went again up to Tesco and the Bank. I tried the faulty card in their machine and it spat it out too, so the nice lady in the bank gave it the once over before telling me I needed a new one. Probably it will get to me some time this year. Until then I can just use the old bus pass with the bit of wire.

I got the ‘messages’ in Tesco and tonight I chopped them up, boiled them with some other stuff we had lying around and made something that didn’t taste too bad and hopefully will make a dinner for our visitors tomorrow.

The PoD was the photo of the landscape. A bit cobbled together, but not so much that you’d notice. Not my best work.

Various plans for tomorrow. Which one we choose is, as usual weather dependent.

Oh yes. I’ve been told to say that I was only joking about making a card from an old bus pass and a bit of wire. It was a pass from school I used!

No Dancin’ today – 17 August 2024

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Usually on a Saturday we drive to Brookfield for dance class, but today after some discussion, Scamp decided she didn’t want to go today because her course of treatment for her cystitis isn’t complete yet. I agreed with her decision.

It turned out to be a dull day. Not a lot of sunshine, in fact hardly any, but no real rain showers either. Just a dull, Scottish Saturday. The furthest we went was a drive to ‘The Shops’ to get some messages and something for tomorrow’s dinner. We usually walk there, but were going to be carrying back two message bags of stuff and I made the decision not to do that, but drive instead. After all, that’s what we bought the car for!

I went out for a walk in the late afternoon. Just one circuit of the pond at St Mo’s and it was actually quite pleasant at that time. The PoD was a Moss Carder Bee, a fluffy, gingery bumble bee that sometimes has brown and orange stripes. They get the ‘carder’ name from their habit of combing material together (carding) to create a covering for the cells in their nesting place containing the larvae. There you go! You learned something today … and so did I!

I didn’t come straight home, but walked over to Condorrat to get a small fish supper with two pickled onions for Scamp and a Special (bigger fish coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried) fish supper for myself. I was shocked at the price I had to pay, but it was worth it for such lovely fish.

Nothing worth watching on TV, now that the Turkish Detective is finished, so if anyone has any suggestions of what to watch on iPlayer, please let us know.

Finished my latest book ‘Down Cemetery Road’ by Mick Herron this morning 4/5 on Goodreads. Definitely recommended to all. Now I’m prowling round Amazon looking for something else on Kindle.

No real plans for tomorrow.

What a day! – 15 August 2024

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It was raining, heavily when I left the house about 10.30 this morning.

First I got a message from Alex to say he had a wee problem. He had a found a wasp’s nest in the loft and the wasps were coming in to the bedroom. He had been stung quite and was going to phone ‘the experts’. I suggested he contact Environmental Health and let them fix the problem and he agreed. He was apologising that he wouldn’t be able to meet me for a photo walk today! That would be the least of his problems.

I was taking the blue car in to Macklin Motors in Glasgow were it was booked for an MOT. I was driving down the M80 with headlights and wipers on full, the rain was so heavy. I dropped the car off at the garage just around 11am and was told it would be ready around 4pm. Not wanting to hang around for five hours, I walked back to the bus station. By the time I got there I was soaked from head to toe. Luckily I got an X37 almost right away. In the bus, I took off my, no longer waterproof, jacket which, although soaking had protected me from the worst of the rain. Purely by luck the bus took an alternative route to avoid massive roadworks in Condorrat and Mollinsburn which have been going on for almost a year, and by a quirk of fate dropped me within easy walking distance of the house.

Back home the rain had lessened and I could change into dry clothes. Scamp wasn’t far behind me and after lunch we settled down to wait for a message from the garage to say whether the blue car had passed or was needing money spent on it. That phone call never came, so around 3.30pm I took one bus to the town centre and another from there to Glasgow, saving a good half hour from the X3’s journey time.

By now the rain was gone and it was all blue skies and white clouds. So still not having heard from the garage I wandered down Buchanan Street and took a few photos of the entrance to the subway. A great subject for humans and reflections. I got a PoD which is the view looking down Buchanan Street, with the the reflections of people and buildings in and by the glass and marble entrance to the subway station.

Then I made my way up the hill to Macklin Motors, only to be told it would be nearer 5pm before the tester was finished, so I took my seat along with a couple of others in the same predicament. More than an hour and two games of Sudoku later, I got the call. The car passed but the advisory note told me they thought it needed 3 new tyres and would I like to arrange a day to have them fitted? I said I’d hold off on that for now. If it took them six hours to do a two hour MOT, how long would it take to fit three tyres?

But the joys of motoring weren’t over yet. It took me about twenty minutes to clear Glasgow and get on to the M8/M80 and the road home. How can people drive in Glasgow at rush hour? It’s absolute madness.

Finally got home and parked and found that Scamp had made Carrot & Lentil Curry with Pitta Bread. Absolutely the best food for such a stressful day! She is a gem!

I got a message from Alex tonight to say that Environmental Health are coming to visit him tomorrow. He said he’s been stung between fifteen and twenty times, but managed to kill two wasps!! He sent a picture of his swollen hand that you don’t want to see, believe me!

Tomorrow we may take the car out for a spin.