Category: Driving

An early rise for me – 29 June 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Just after 7.15am I was up and dressed and driving. Nowhere interesting though.

In fact I was going to get some fruit for Scamp’s breakfast. I tried M&S, but they didn’t open until 9am. Instead I carried on to Tesco in the town centre as they have the earliest opening times, 6am I’m told. It’s a long time since I’ve been up that early. My basket today held strawberries and raspberries, plus a carton of blueberries to add to my porridge. Drove home as Scamp was waking up and wondering where I’d been.

With breakfast consumed by both of us, we needed a plan for the day. Scamp wanted to get a few of our flowers planted in pots, or in some cases replanted, and a bit of tidying done to the back garden too, but not until the clouds had cleared from the skies and the inevitable puzzles were completed.

Also, I remembered to photograph a vase of Peony flowers. Alex and Carol had sent them last week when Scamp was feeling a bit low. She had been gently teasing the petals all week to encourage them to open. Today they did. I sent Alex and Carol the photo.

Now we could get started. We mixed up some compost, adding Perlite and pebbles to aid drainage and soon the first plant, Achillea was ready for watering. Next was a white Astilbe, one of my favourites. My mum used to call Spirea. Now that I see it, it doesn’t really look like Spirea, but someone had told her it Spirea many years ago and the name had stuck.

After lunch, Scamp started strengthening the fence between us and our new neighbours and I forked over a shallow bed beneath the back wall. I don’t think anything will grow very well there. Too many roots criss crossing the bed. However, maybe we’ll manage to something planted there.

By then it was time to tidy up and to rearrange the pots to make best use of the space and just change the scenery a bit.

PoD was the photo of those peony roses.

Dinner was a salad for starter, a tuna steak each and potatoes and tomatoes. Dessert was more of Jamie’s rhubarb with custard. You can’t get anything more traditional than rhubarb and custard!

Watched an interesting Austrian GP. Lots of thrills and spills and a surprise exit for one driver.

We have no real plans for tomorrow, but a new pair of trainers is still on the shopping list.

Out for a spin – 28 June 2025

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Today we had decided that we’d go out somewhere because the sun was shining.

It was windy and that made it a bit cool, but we we had promised ourselves that we’d go out somewhere today. That ‘Somewhere’ turned out to be Culross. I know there aren’t a great many shops there that sell trainers (there are none), but in a way that was part of the fun today.  We’d go to Culross, which is Hazy’s most hated, least liked place in the whole wide world and just look for some interesting things to photograph.

It was an interesting climb up the cobbled Tanhouse Brae and on to  Kirk Street.  The architecture in Culross hasn’t changed much in the last 400 odd years with pantile roofs and low lintels on the doors. I imagine there are a lot of hoops to jump through before you can get a sniff of a chance to own one of these houses.  Once you own one outright, I imagine that it doesn’t really belong to you, because of many and varied rules you have to abide to.  However, it’s good to see the houses owned and used by folk.

We continued our climb and nearing the top, or what we’d designated today’s top, Scamp spotted a modern looking house offering tea, coffee and cake in a private garden. I kind of got the feeling that we were going in there later.

Our journey today ended at Culross Abbey, an impressive piece of architecture both inside and outside. Beautiful lighting from the stained glass windows and those high, high wooden roofs.

As I suspected, we made a detour on the way back down to Culross village in to Tea Leaf. A tea and coffee shop with cakes and scones for sale.  We had one coffee, one tea and two scones to share, served with cream and home made jam. Scamp was in her element, wandering around the garden, finding ‘things’, lots of things.  On the way out of this fantastic garden she talked for a while to the owner, a florist who gave her names of plants we’d never seen before, but which are now on the shopping list, Jerusalem Sage being a one of them. The owner explained that she splits most of her plants later in the year and sells some off.  Scamp needed  no encouragement to add her email address to the list of those wanting to purchase some of those plants.

With that, we headed down the street to real life and drove home.  We stopped at Torwood to buy a couple of pots for two plants that needed potting up … and yet another interesting plant that I liked.  My fault this time.

Dinner tonight was from Golden Bowl and although the pork in the Chow Mein was a bit tough, the rest of the meat was fine.

PoD was a view from halfway down the cobbled path to the car park, looking over Culross (sorry Hazy) to Grangemouth in the distance.

No plans for tomorrow.  Maybe more gardening.

 

 

Overnight rain – 26 June 2025

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Not that it mattered to us because we’d be inside for most of the day.

Spoke to Hazel in the morning and heard of the depredations of the foxes in the new rockery and their strange habit of dragging some of their ‘toys’ into the garden too. Apart from dynamite, I don’t think there is very much you can do to scare off foxes, and apparently the use of dynamite for control of animals is now frowned upon. It wasn’t like that in my day, I’ll tell you!

We were attending a funeral for the mother of one of my best friends in the afternoon. It was a long route from the church to the crematorium and then back to Airdrie for the meal. It’s like a wake is in Ireland. Lots of folk telling stories, drinking and exchanging memories of the deceased. I always feel out of place at events like these, but it’s a tradition and traditions have to be upheld.

Back home we found that the dog from next door had ‘done its needs’ in the back garden. I wasn’t happy about it, but I think I’ve managed to repair the hole in the fence where it got in with some bits of rope and a bag of cable ties. It should keep the rascal out of our garden until my friend, the joiner, and I can get a proper fence made.

While we were working in the garden, I turned over a compost bag and found, uninjured, a large night flying moth that may or may not be a A bit of research with Mr Google leads me to believe it may be a Large Yellow Underwing Moth. If it’s not, I’ve wasted my time typing its long name out. Quite a large moth and with a dark colouration.

I managed to coax an Astilbe plant with its fluffy white flowers into a pot while Scamp watered if for me. The garden is looking neat and tidy now which is a great bonus.

We got a message from the mountaineers showing the lovely weather in Arran. Pity we didn’t get a chance to enjoy it!

I may be getting encouraged to purchase a new pair of trainers tomorrow. More spending.

 

Shopping – 23 June 2025

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Today we were going shopping.

It was a day of hit and miss showers. Also, it was much cooler than it has been of late which was great for sleeping in. Those hot muggy days of last week were not the best for trying to get some rest.

Instead of doing the usual Tesco run we went to Waitrose in Stirling for a change. Wow, did we have a big shop today! I was beginning to think the boot wouldn’t be big enough and we’d need to buy a trailer. It’s not often we’re tempted by the variety of goods on sale there, but we were today. I’m sure I heard the wee Blue car groan when we shut the boot.

We had just unpacked when there was a knock at the door and there was a delivery man with what obviously was a box of flowers addressed to Scamp. The card inside was from Alex and Carol. We found out later it was because I’d been saying that Scamp seemed a bit down lately and Alex must have picked up on that. Such a kind thing to do. Thank you Alex and Carol.

After lunch I wanted to go out and get some photos and left Scamp reading at home. I got a few shots, most of which were of insects or wildflowers. Insects always seem to have their own agenda and either stay put for a while, or are off ‘doing things’ immediately you point a camera at them. I must have found the lazy ones today. One was a strange looking red eyed fly and the other was a little pure black insect that I’d have called a ‘Buzzer’ if I was fishing. Both flies were hiding under leaves or sitting on leaves. Either way they were sheltering form those hit and miss showers I was talking about. Of the two, I chose the Black ‘Buzzer’ as PoD.

As usual I’d been carried away with photographing insects and plants and forgot the time. Scamp was going to a dance display arranged by one of the Witches. By the time I got back she was almost ready for Jeanette Witch to pick her up.

I’d had mince for dinner yesterday and today I was converting it into Spag Bol. Not a difficult task and I soon had the feeling that the plate I was using wasn’t really going to be big enough, so I ate as much as I wanted from an excellent Spaghetti Bolognese then put the remainder, regretfully, in the bin. Dessert was the last squat peach. Just as lovely as the first one had been, two or three days ago.

Scamp staggered in just before 11pm and raved for a while about the dancing those girls and one boy could do. I’m glad she enjoyed it, but I’m not so sure I would like it.

Tomorrow I may be going to get a new pair of trainers. The ones I got from Go Outdoors are ok, just ok. I’m sure there are better ones out there.

Another hot day – 21 June 2025

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But with signs that a change is coming.

We drove over to Larky in the afternoon. We were going to see Crawford and Nancy. Crawford’s mum died last Tuesday and we just wanted to drop in to see how they were getting on. Jean was over 90, but had always been fairly active. A great gardener.

We sat and talked to C&N and the afternoon just disappeared. It had been a long time since we’d seen them and there was a fair bit of catching up to do.

We were meant to have lunch on the patio, but we had a couple of heavy showers while we were there, so it was an inside lunch.

When we left to come home the weather stayed dry all the way back, in fact it stayed that way for most of the day. It was still very warm and overcast with the threat of rain that never arrived.

In the early evening I went for a walk over to St Mo’s without really having any thought of what to photograph. I ended up taking some shots of six cygnets on the pond at St Mo’s with their mum and dad making sure they didn’t get into any trouble. That made PoD.

That was about it for today.

Hoping for some rain overnight for Scamp to get a chance to start some grass seed.

Soaking up the heat – 20 June 2025

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25º+ today and we’re promised more tomorrow.

How much more can this old planet take before we all just melt in the sunshine. I must say that I enjoyed most of it, but towards the middle of the day I was beginning to fade a little. Too much heat, not enough water and definitely not nearly enough alcohol!

Scamp was out in the morning to Fit Steps. I don’t know where she gets all the energy from. I stayed home and read for most of the hour she was sweating (Perspiring – Ladies don’t sweat, they perspire). When she got home and after a coffee, we went out looking for some bright shining plants to add to our garden. I say ‘our garden’ but you know Scamp does most of the work in the front and back gardens. I’d like to say that I’m the brains of the operation, but you know me too well to let me away with that! This time we went to Torwood for the plants and we were more restrained than we usually are. I picked two that I liked – don’t ask me what their names were. Scamp chose three. Five is a favourite number in the house.

We had lunch in Torwood. Usually a cosy, comfortable cafe, but today the Toasties were over toasted. Red Hot some would say. Almost got blisters on our lips – that’s how hot it was.

While Scamp was planting out two or three of the new plants, I was preparing for a walk over to St Mo’s. I’d sunscreen on and a coating of insect repellant on top, just to be sure. I also had a pair of shorts, a tee shirt, and a skipped cap. The cap was to keep the sun out of my eyes, but in retrospect, a sun hat would have been better and more sensible.

While I was out, Scamp had dragged out her seat and was reading in the garden. When I got home I realised just how dehydrated I was, but two glasses of water later I was back on an even keel. The next time I’m out in the sun, I’ll wear my sunhat DV and carry some water. We Scots are not built for the high 20ºs centigrade. Roll on the end of June when we return to cold rain.

Later in the evening we eventually dragged our seats back in to the house, ready for another hot day tomorrow if the weather fairies are to be believed.

PoD today went to a field of Eryngium Planum in Torwood, which Scamp managed to avoid bringing home. I’d definitely have had the lot in the car if I could!

We’re intending going over to Larky to see Crawford & Nanacy for tea.

Another day at the horses – 19 June 2025

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Only nine days ago Scamp and I went to see the Kelpies. Today Alex and I went visiting. Scamp was meeting Isobel for coffee.

I didn’t want to go on a photo walk in Glasgow. I’m just Glasgow’d out for now. Too many days trailing around our second city. I gave Alex some suggestions for destinations and he asked if we could go to the Kelpies. Not his fault, he didn’t know I’d been to see them just over a week ago, so I agreed. It’s not a long drive from Cumbersheugh to Helix Park where the Kelpies live and my other suggestions would have taken a lot longer, besides, there is always a new angle on these magnificent steel masterpieces.

I picked Alex up at the station an we drove over. I wanted to take a shot looking through the cleats where the boats tie up with the Kelpies in the background. Also, I’d offered Alex a loan of my 10-18mm f2.8 ultra wide angle lens as he was considering buying one. We did both manage to get some good views with Helix Park producing some lovely skies as a background. Lunch was a sandwich and a bottle of juice halfway through the day. Then we split up and found some different subjects. I walked under the canal bridge and took some photos looking back, but the pylons behind the structures rather spoilt the view.

We met up later as I was just finishing my attempt at the view through a cleat to the Kelpies behind. Alex seemed happy enough with his collection too. However, he needed to be back home earlier than normal because he was looking after the kids back home to allow their mother to go out to a concert. It was a tight run back to the station, but we made it with a few minutes to spare. Dropped him off and agreed to have a think about our next destination.

Dinner was a salad with a trout fillet each. A lovely bit of fish and the salad was so much better than I could make. Afterwards we sat and read in the garden, making the most of another beautiful warm day.

It was later in the evening I found that there was a green cast at all the shots taken with the A6500/10-18mm combination. I’d not seen this occurrence before and will have to look out for it. I doubt if there is an easy solution, other to shoot in mono.

Tomorrow Scamp is hoping to go to the FitSteps class in the morning, the last one for a few weeks and I’m maybe going to relax in the sun again.

Dancin’ – 12 June 2025

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A lazy day that started well, but ended with rain.

After a quick lunch we were off to Glenburn for a Tea Dance. Only a few of the usual dancers at the dance, but we did take to the floor and danced a couple of Waltz Nioli (badly in my case) and a load of sequence dances too. Carol (one of the dancers) was walking with a stick after damaging her Meniscus, so Scamp offered to dance with David, so he wasn’t sitting around doing nothing, which I think is his preferred place! After reading about what and where the meniscus was, I sympathise with Carol.

We were late leaving the tea dance and that meant we were caught up in the homeward bound traffic. I chose the M74/M73 route as although it’s a bit longer, it’s definitely quicker, especially if the Kingston Bridge has become a carpark as it turned out it was today.

I walked down to the shops later on a very close, clammy afternoon. On the way back I got some photos of a common Dog Rose and that became PoD.

Watched the semi-final of Glow Up. Just a bunch of posers, posing.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to go to FitSteps, although torrential rain is prodicted. We’ll have to wait and see if it comes.

It’s been a long time – 10 June 2025

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Today we had agreed to visit the Kelpies. It’s been a long time since we last went to see the big horses.

Today we woke to sunshine and blue skies. That made a nice change from the grey skies and rain we’ve been looking at for the last few weeks. Scamp was looking for more flowers for the garden too, so that gave us two places to visit.

We went to find some flowers first and our destination was Klondyke garden centre near Grangemouth. They always have a good selection of plants, possibly too many, because there is limited space in the boot of the Blue car. I can’t really complain, though, because I got a couple of flowers too. Scamp found one of the grasses she’d been looking for. Its proper name is Stipa tenuissima or Pony Tails grass. It’s to be a memorial to June. A nice idea to remember her. She says that June will be able to wave to her in the morning.

After we’d paid for the plants, we headed to Helix Park, home of the Kelpies – The Big Horses. The Kelpies were looking magnificent today, shining brightly in the sunshine. Such a pity they built the Helix Park beside a sewage works. The stink today was awful. It’s the first time I’ve noticed it, but you could hardly ignore it.

We had a coffee in the restaurant. I was supposed to get scones to go with the coffee, but I decided to share a sandwich instead. Scamp was not amused. To make it up to her, I bought us both a ’99’ ice cream cone. That seemed to do the trick.

We drove home after admiring the Kelpies and getting a few new views of them. PoD went to two ladies discussing what was going on inside the great beasts.

Scamp set to and got most of the flowers and plants into their place later in the afternoon, but I’m sure there might still be time to shuffle them around later in the week.

We have no plans for tomorrow, but we do need to take some stuff to the tip. Not very interesting, but it needs to be done.

Another damp, dismal, day – 9 June 2025

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More or less what we expected after reading the weather report and checking online. It’s a Monday. Mondays are often dull. We had to cancel the visit to the Kelpies. I don’t think they’d be coming out anyway today.

With a lot of help from Scamp, I parcelled up my unwanted, too narrow and too short, dance sneakers, then drove over to UPS and gave the box and the proof of posting to the lady there and she said everything was in order. It’s up to UPS and Amazon now to do the rest of the business.

Next was a trip to Tesco for the usual lunch requirements. I did think about going for a walk in St Mo’s, but the constant showers didn’t encourage me to go walking in the rain. Instead I read a few more pages in my latest book, Murder Mindfully. It’s described as a the darkly comic bestselling thriller. I don’t know about the best seller, but it’s certainly very dark and at times funny. About a third through it now and I’m still not sure what’s going on or where it’s going!

I took some photos of the next batch of partly dried flowers that landed on the mat a couple of days ago. Then it was time to get ready to go to Kirsty’s class. Tonight we were reprising Waltz Nioli. I’d forgotten just how much I had forgotten. This was the dance class wearing my new dance sneakers and I must say they were very comfortable. I’d been told by a lot of folk that they make you think you have nothing on your feet and now I see exactly what they mean. Lovely, light trainers.

Drove home through more rain and around 7pm we had our dinner which was Giovanni Rana Tortelloni pasta and yesterday’s refried baby potatoes. Very nice and filling too.

After dinner I took some more photos of the flowers, but it was one of the earlier ones that got PoD.

Tomorrow we may have another chance to see the big horses, if they’re not too rusty.