Category: Flowers

An afternoon in the Toon – 9 February 2026

Posted on by Zogman

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’ – 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!

Flowers – 3 February 2026

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Just a day to recover.

This Tuesday was another one with little to recommend it. I’d intended going out for a walk with Alex, but we agreed that wasn’t going to happen. The furthest I got was a quick set of grab shots in the garden when the rain and wind had calmed down enough to get some usable photos.

Scamp had a meet up organised with Isobel, but I chose to stay at home. Later and after lunch, Scamp and I drove to the town centre and spoke to a nice lady who offered us a week in the sun if we paid her some money. We said we’d think about it and after a long discussion at home, a decision was made.

Other than that, it was just another cold wet winter day with a few garden flowers ( Primulas) to brighten the gloom. They became the PoD.

 

Going for the messages – 28 January 2026

Posted on by Zogman

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.

A lazy day for me – 23 January 2026

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Not a lazy day for Scamp, she left for FitSteps while I was still working out what to do today.

I did eventually decide on a walk in St Mo’s. It was a cold morning, a late morning, but before noon, so that counts as morning. Alex had been showing off his hand warmers the other day and I decided to buy a pair from Amazon and a cold day would be a good test.

By the time I’d got myself sorted, Scamp had returned from FitSteps so I allowed myself an hour and a half or thereabouts to grab some photos. The hand warmers didn’t seem to be balanced properly to start with, but later in the walk I realised only one face of the heater works, the other remains relatively cool. I really should read the instructions first, but I never do. I think I was paying too much attention to the hand warmers and didn’t realise the camera lens was set wide open and therefore not at its most creative setting, anyway I did take some blurry photos of Cladonia lichen and a few shots of the hairy looking buds on a gorse bush. The gorse buds got PoD.

On my way home, I got a call from Scamp telling me that her appointment in Dundee had been brought forward. We had expected it to be between four and six weeks before her appointment. Hopefully this will bring good news.

When I got home we walked over to Brodens for lunch. Fish ’n’ Chips with a glass of wine for Scamp, Steak Pie and Chips for me washed down with a pint of Guinness. Apparently the restaurant has been taken over, but the food is just as good as it ever was. Long may it prosper in these changing times.

Back home Scamp was browsing the internet for a short holiday in the next couple of weeks. We have no hard and fast favourites as yet, but we’re hopeful that we’ll find somewhere warm to tide us over until summer.

We’re intending to go to Brookfield tomorrow if the weather is fair.

Sunday – 18 January 2026

Posted on by Zogman

Another late start, but it was the weekend, although we don’t really have weekends now.

Watched Lisa Nandy talking sense for the first time. Even Laura Kuenssberg seemed to be less contentious with her than she usually is with politicians. Even Scamp was impressed … well, a bit impressed, anyway.

After lunch I went for a walk over to St Mo’s.
Note to self: Don’t leave it so late to go for a walk. It was almost dark when I was coming home with very little in the camera. Eight frames is nothing to be proud of.

PoD turned out to be a bush of Gorse flowers. The other seven shots were a waste of time. Must get out earlier all this week!

Dinner was Sea Bass for Scamp with Potatoes, Sugar Snap Peas and some Corn off the Cob. If you swap Sea Bass for tough Rump Steak, you have my dinner.

Spoke to Jamie later and gave him and Simonne the praise they deserved for the hamper of fruit that appeared in our house on Thursday. Delicious Christmas, you two!

Hope Simonne’s first day in a new job goes well. We’re sure it will!!

Tomorrow I’m getting my crown fitted in the morning, then Scamp and I are taking part in a video appointment with a consultant from Dundee.

No going out – 6 January 2026

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I had an uncomfortable night late last night, having to get up quite a few times. It wasn’t that I couldn’t pee, just that I had to keep peeing at what seemed like hourly intervals. Later in the day the uncomfortable feeling lessened, but followed me during the day. I think I’ll phone the doc in the morning. Unfortunately I had to text Alex in the morning to say that I was calling off our planned photowalk.

The frost we’d been lumbered with for the last few days had disappeared when I eventually woke and it was replaced with rain. I think the rain is less annoying than the frost and ice. No snow, though so that is a blessing in itself.

PoD went to two bunches of cut flowers. One bunch of roses and one of carnations. There was no way I was going out today into the cold and wet today.

Not much else to report. Hoping for a more comfortable night tomorrow.

Off shopping – 29 December 2025

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Looking for somewhere new to take our trolley through.

I decided it wouldn’t be Tesco, so that left Morrison’s or Waitrose.
Again, I chose, and it was Morrisons. Now which Morrisons?

There were two options:
1. The Fort (it would be busy)
2. Morrisons in Falkirk (it’s traffic light city!)

Between us we made the choice of The Fort and headed off as soon as we could. Two spaces when we left the house and headed on to the motorway.

The Fort itself was busy, not excessively busy, but busy enough. The bonus of going to any of the Morrison’s is the breadth and availability of the produce. I think it’s better than Tesco, but for the ‘thing you forgot’ Tesco wins. Morrison’s lived up to its promise and soon we were heading home. Unfortunately I got in the wrong lane and that means a drive round and round the circular car park until you can find the way out. It took me two tries before I could find my way out of the maze. Then it was just an easy drive home.

When we got home there were still two spaces in our car park, but by the time I’d unloaded the car those spaces had been taken. Driving is crazy at this time of year. My cousin had an answer to it. He said you should treat everyone on the road as a drunk. That’s a really good idea. I’ve used it often, especially at this time of year.

Lunch was a ‘well fired roll’ (the means black!) filled with a banana. Then Scamp sat me down and between us we chose an ‘under counter’ freezer to replace the very old one in the hall. It arrives on Friday and cost a lot less than the equivalent model in Currys. Sorted.

I went out in the afternoon to grab some photos. The best of a bad lot was a dried up Willow Herb which, with a bit of care and attention became PoD.

It was pasta for dinner, it being Monday. Scamp wasn’t really impressed with it, but I liked the different sauces and spices that went in to it.

We watched our trilogy of quiz programs later and Scamp beat me hands down getting most of the answers correct. I must work harder at these quizzes.

Tomorrow we may take the bus somewhere interesting.

A late start – 14 December 2025

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After yesterday’s late home, a late start today wasn’t all that unusual.

We watched a recording of Laura Kuenssberg ripping another politician apart. These politicos don’t ever tell you anything, they just recite the same party line day after day, week after week and year after year. Occasionally someone will accidentally let slip something worthwhile, but even then you wonder if it IS accidental or if it’s just another teaser.

Afternoon was spent writing up yesterday’s blog, and with it posted, we could turn our thoughts to tonight’s dinner. It ended up being Rosie’s Vegan Curry from Sophie Wright’s recipe book, “Home at 7 Dinner at 8”. It’s been a go-to book with us for ages. Probably out of print now, but still worth searching out, second hand.
We needed a few things from the listings in the book, so I took the Sony A7c for a walk down to the shops, via the long path through the trees. There wasn’t much decent light, but I did get a photo of two little daisies flowering beside the path. With a bit of jiggery pokery, that became the PoD. By the time I got back to the house at about 3pm it felt like we’d skipped evening and gone straight to midnight.

The one hour slot promised by Ms Wright wasn’t quite accurate, or maybe because it was my first time cooking this one pot wonder I was being too careful. However, it was approved by Scamp and although there was a little bit more chilli than we’d expected, it was accepted, mainly because I’d made flat breads to go with it, I suspect.

We watched yesterday’s and today’s Strictly and Scamp correctly guessed the loser tonight.

Later we spoke to Jamie and heard about Simonne’s possible new job opportunity and the simplicity of packing a suitcase for a few days in a warm place. Not a holiday, but a task that needed completed sooner rather than later.

I’m hoping to get this posted earlier than normal. Hoping for an earlier rise tomorrow.

Out in the country – 11 December 2025

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Today we drove out to The Smiddy near Blair Drummond. Expensive, but good food.

It was a surprise trip for Isobel, just to get her out of the house after a week of dull, cold, windy days. We all need a wee break now and again. It was a fairly easy drive, out towards Stirling, turn left and just keep going until you reach the smiddy. For any non-Scots, a Smiddy is a blacksmith’s workshop. There is no smiddy there anymore, but the restaurant has a rustic feel to it.

Isobel had soup, Scamp had Mac ’n’ Cheese and I had a Minute Steak Baguette. All of it seemed to go down well and nobody complained. Before I could stop her, Isobel was up at the till paying for the lunch. It was supposed to be a treat for HER, not for us! Anyway, the ladies went for a wander round the shop, I bought myself four fat sausages and went for a walk to get some landscape shots. Except, when I took the camera out of the bag, the card door was open and my face fell. There was no SD card in the camera and I didn’t have one in my bag or in the car. Oh well, I’d just have to find another wonderful shot somewhere else.

After we drove back and dropped Isobel at her house, I went for a walk in our garden and found a Christmas Rose flowering brightly under the Buddleia bush. That was one in the bag. On the way back we had stopped off at M&S in Cumbersheugh to get some things for later. One of them was a packet of Gingerbread Mug Hangers. They looked so good I couldn’t resist doing a tabletop shot of one of them. His name is Duncan, because he’s really good for Dunkin’ in your tea or coffee! He became PoD.

We watched another episode of Portrait Artist and although I couldn’t say the best artist won, I would say it was really well done.

I went up in the loft, later in the afternoon and with help from Scamp we managed to bring down the Christmas Tree, three boxes of decorations, two bags of different decorations and the Snowman table cover. Scamp did almost all of the tree decorations as usual while Joni Mitchell sang the entire ‘Blue’ album without a mistake. The Snowman table cover has been allowed to warm up and unroll and is now on the table. Numerous battery powered lights have been checked and new batteries fitted, although we’ll need more over the weekend. Of course the Fairy is in her place at the top of the tree and Fairy Nuff is in her place on the tree. The letter has been read and all seems to be well in the world.

We have no definite plans for tomorrow, but we’re looking for a new Dyson Cordless Vacuum and prices seem to be quite good at the moment.