Category: Driving

Here, there and everywhere – 19 September 2024

Posted on by Zogman

That’s how it felt. We seemed to be here, there and everywhere.

I was driving Scamp to the train station this dull morning to catch the train to Glasgow. Then I was going shopping for the ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner with Crawford & Nancy and June & Ian (I don’t know why Crawford comes before Nancy, but June comes before Ian!). Once the shopping was done I came home and had my lunch. I had most of the items on my list.

After lunch I lay down on the toilet floor and squirted more silicone up into the offending joint and almost choked on the vinegar smell from the silicone. For the second time in a week I remembered to put on the disposable gloves before I started using the sealant gun. If you don’t, it’s a messy job getting rid of the sticky silicone. Hopefully the joint will be sealed now, at least temporarily, although it will need a plumber to repair it properly.

By then, Scamp was probably on her way to meet Mags for lunch in Cumbersheugh town centre, having got an express bus from Glasgow. At last, the clouds were clearing and the sun was shining.
I was on my way to meet Fred for a coffee in Tesco. We spent an hour or so, Fred and I, setting the world to rights. Something we haven’t done for ages. Then he unloaded a few books on to me. The only thing about Fred is that he tells you almost the whole story of the book as he’s handing it to you! You don’t really need to read the book then! With the book exchange complete, we parted ways, he going to get his meds and I was going home. Tesco coffee is awful! Worse than Costa!

After catching up with Scamp, and hearing about her day, I went over to St Mo’s to see if there were any flying beasties worth photographing. Almost right away I found a Black Darter, but it was well named. It darted this way and that and wouldn’t settle. I let it have its way and waited until it trusted me, then I got a few photos of it sitting on a horsetail plant. That was PoD sorted.

Dinner tonight was Fish Fingers, Egg and Spaghetti. Then it was time for me to start the prep for tomorrow’s dinner party, Chicken Tagine. I’d made it fairly recently, but this time I had all the ingredients. It took a good hour and a half to get all the prep done and the cooking completed. It looks exactly like the last one, but just not as sweet. I think it will do the trick. I’m just doing the main with Scamp making the starter and dessert. My work is done for now.

Tomorrow more prep and more cooking probably.

Down the Green – 18 September 2024

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This morning dawned the same as all the other days this week, bright and sunny.

Scamp though we go somewhere to make the most of this Indian Summer and I had to agree. Her first suggestion was a walk down Glasgow Green. I fancied going to Strathaven. Scamp seemed to agree, but it was obvious her heart was set on the Green, so although we headed in the general direction of Strathaven, I relented and after some twists and turns through Gorbals, we arrived at the Green and we must have been meant to go there, because we got one of the remaining two parking places.

We walked down the park and out through the McLennan arch and on along Parnie Street to the cafe at the Tron for a coffee. The Americano was bitter, but the sun was shining in through the window so I didn’t mind. Then Scamp came up with the brilliant idea of walking along Argyle Street to M&S to get sandwiches to take to the park and have a sort of picnic. Excellent idea! I chose Chicken, Sweet Potato and Black Bean salad with a smoothie and Scamp had Italian Pasta & Spinach Salad with side of mixed fruit. We piled it all carefully into a new fold-up bag Scamp had bought at the market in Jersey and walked back to the Green.

It’s a busy place, Glasgow Green at lunchtime, so we had to walk a fair distance to find an empty bench to sit at. It’s hard to believe that a week ago we were down to single figure temperatures while today we were basking in wall to wall sunshine. After lunch we went for a walk over the suspension bridge, then walked back to the car.

I’d already taken what I considered to be the PoD. It was a couple sitting on a bench among the trees. It looked ok on the computer, but improved greatly when I turned it into monochrome and the deal was sealed. PoD.

Back home, Scamp was busy in the garden again potting up a wee blue leafed plant we’d saved from the ‘junk pile’ at Klondyke, and when that was done, just general garden maintenance. I went for a walk in St Mo’s to see if there was anything else worthy of a place in Flickr. There was, but the couple on the bench was still the winner of PoD.

Tonight was a busy night in the dance class. Four couples plus two men who were gooseberries, taking turns to dance with the teacher. There wasn’t a lot of space on that tiny postage stamp of a dance floor to dance the Foxtrot in, but we managed it after taking the dance apart and working out what it would look like in Stewart & Jane’s class. It might have been fairly simple, but it was the floor craft, the dancing around folk that made it difficult tonight.

Tomorrow, Scamp is intending to go on an expedition into Glasgow and I’m going shopping in the morning with the possibility of a coffee with Fred in the afternoon.

The Messages – 17 September 2024

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Today we went for the messages, but just for a bit of fun, we went to Morrison’s in The Fort.

Before that, Scamp was out early checking on her roses and cut three flowers which are now sitting in front of me in a vase on the coffee table. With the light in the morning coming in the front window they were easily a possible PoD.

It’s surprising the difference in prices between Morrison’s and Tesco. It’s also surprising the different range of food and drink in the two. If we had the time, we could buy half our shopping in one store and half in another, but we’d probably spend more on petrol driving between them. We got a really cheerful checkout girl who managed to wangle a free bottle bag for us because we’d bought six bottles of various alcoholic beverages. Try getting that in Tesco!

We drove home and after a quick lunch, Scamp started cutting the grass in the back garden. I volunteered to cut the front grass, but forgot that I’d then have to clean the mower. A fly move by Scamp there. Before I got inveigled into doing any more gardening I went for a walk in St Mo’s.

About halfway round the circuit, I had a wee problem with the zoom lens. It had managed to put itself into manual mode ( it should have been in ‘autofocus’ mode). I couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong this time. There were no benches to sit on while I puzzled it out, and the big boulders beside the path aren’t the most comfortable seats, but I did resort to them for a while, but could find no solution. The standard lens was working fine and so was the camera, so the problem was with the zoom lens. When I got home and checked the settings, I found the solution to the problem. This next paragraph is for my benefit.

If the camera goes into Manual mode, move the zoom switch to No 3 position and hold the button down for 1 second. That should fix it. The No 3 position is programmed to switch between manual and auto and it requires a press of 1 second to switch between them. Now remember that for next time ya daftie!!!

There, that’s me telling myself off!

Back home Scamp was making dinner. Fried potatoes and fish. The fish had come from Morrison’s today and was lovely. Scamp had opened a bottle of wine so we had a glass each to go with our dinner. A glass of wine on a Tuesday? The sun must have gone to our heads.

PoD did turn out to be the three flowers. The pink one is Gertrude Jekyll the rose bud is the winter colour for Lady of Shalott and the warm yellow one is a fully out Lady of Shalott. They were too good to miss.

Tomorrow is to be as warm as today in the west, so we probably won’t be heading east, but we might go out for a spin.

 

 

Coffee Time – 16 September 2024

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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.