Category: Flowers

May the Fourth be with you – 4 May 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Just one of those days when we couldn’t wake up.

Eventually I opted to be the one who made breakfast, then after reading a new chapter in a very old Iain Banks book, Transition, a book I never read which I regret now, we rose and went to see what all the hullabaloo was, about with the Formula 1 sprint race in Miami.

It was actually quite an interesting race with crashes galore. Some of which were on the parade lap before the race even started. Admittedly, it was in the rain, but have these drivers never seen rain before?

With all the excitement finished for the morning, we watched Laura Kuenssberg rip a hole in Wes Streeting and Kemi Badenoch’s morning. Isn’t it great to see someone charge through politicians and get away with it? Don’t you sometimes think it would be good to do that too? It would brighten up any dull Sunday morning IMO.

Breakfast over, F1 GP over and politicians put in their place, I went out to plant two bags of potatoes. Can’t quite remember what they are, but they are purple skinned Arran something. If I remember, I’ll look the packet out tomorrow and tell you. I know you’ll all be dying to know!!

Dinner tonight was a tough steak for me with cauliflower and potatoes, but not Arran potatoes, and cauliflower with cheese sauce and potatoes for Scamp.

After that, I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got PoD which was some Hawthorn Flowers. Jimmy Mearns, my ex-headteacher once explained to me that the Scottish expression “Ne’er cast a cloot until May is out” had nothing to do with the month of May, but everything to do with the flowering of the May Blossom ie, Hawthorn Flowers. I’m not sure it really is the time to be casting cloots just now with the temperature local to us expected to reach 1ºc tonight. At least it’s not -1ºc.

No real plans for tomorrow, but Scamp wants to go shopping and I’m headed to the tip with a big bag of empty bottles to dispose of.

Remembering Dancin’ – 3 May 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Today for the first time in ages, probably more than a month, we drove to Brookfield for a dance class.

Quite a big class. At least half a dozen couples ready to strut their stuff … and us, almost ready. Willing too, in as much as, willing the big hand to go round the clock one and a half times and set us free … or maybe that was just me. Ok, enough with the ellipses, lets get started.

We started with Scamp’s absolute favourite, the Tina Tango danced to Shivers by Ed Sheeran. That was us hooked. From there we went into a Foxtrot, not just any foxtrot, the Gershwin Foxtrot. The one we both liked. Much better that those chopped up foxtrots Jane invents in an attempt to make things ‘easier’. This was the full strength one with the “Continuous Hover Cross”. Don’t let anyone convince you that it’s a ‘lot less bovver with a Hover’. It isn’t, at least not with this one. However, after two lessons from Jane and one set of instructions from Stewart the whole thing was becoming possible. Not every time, but at least half the time. It’s a really elegant dance and one both of us like.

Next up was a Blue Angel which we first learned with Kirsty, in fact, one of the first things we learned from Kirsty. Now it’s just a wee easy dance, then it was very complicated.

Next was a Viennese Waltz. You know the one it’s just continuous spinning, first one way, then the other with a bit of straightening out to prevent the participants throwing up or spinning into a wall. What one of the dancers a long time ago called “A Burly Roon”!

We finished with a Mayfair Quickstep danced to “500 Miles” by The Proclaimers, which was appropriate because it felt like we’d danced 500 miles today!

Drove home and risked the lengthy roadworks at the Barrs factory, but we didn’t have to wait too long to get through, then we found a parking space outside the house. How convenient.

Scamp wanted part of the old blackcurrant bush chopped down, so I took a saw to it and cut out a fair chunk of the diseased bush. Hopefully that will open the bush to the air and possible encourage new growth. Later in the afternoon I planted three potatoes in the fancy two part pot. I’m intending to plant the remainder tomorrow or maybe Monday.

PoD went to a lovely pink Aquilegia flower I photographed, growing beside the path when I was going over to Condorrat to get dinner which was a Special Fish Supper with two Pickled Onions (one each).

No plans for tomorrow, but temperatures are set to fall. There is even a chance of snow in the north. Brrr!

A little bit cooler – 2 May 2025

Posted on by Zogman

At last!

Scamp was out to Fit Steps in the morning and that gave me an hour free, so I just stayed in bed and read for a while. It was one of those days that seemed undecided whether to rain or to just stay cloudy. It stayed cloudy for a while, before giving us some sunshine to brighten our spirits.

When Scamp came home we drove over to Larky to collect my new two pairs of glasses. One pair for distance and one pair for reading. I thought it was a bit of an overkill when the assistant told me and asked her to check with Euan. She did and he confirmed it, so two pairs it was. I still wasn’t convinced until I tried on the distance pair and Wow, they showed what I should have been seeing for at least two years. The reading pair were less of a surprise, but having both means that I can now happily dispose of my cheap ‘readers’. I drove home wearing the distance glasses and then I found just how dirty the front screen was!

I had a snooze after lunch because I’m still not sleeping well at night. If it continues I’ll make an appointment with the doc or the nurse. It’s quite unlike me.

While I was out for the count, Scamp was working away in the garden, planting stuff and moving other stuff around. When I woke, I hardly recognised the back garden. More plants and less green space. Plus, my Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon meadia) were in bloom and I managed to get a photo of them, while keeping the background out of focus. The plant has produced about half a dozen flowers with quite a collection still to bloom. Last year I think I had one flower. Of course, the Shooting Stars got PoD.

Dinner tonight was Paella, or a version of paella. Everything was going smoothly until I was almost ready to serve, then I realised I’d forgotten to add the chicken stock cube. Ten frantic minutes later the problem was solved. Scamp said it tasted fine, so disaster averted!

Tomorrow we may be going to dance class.

The first of May – 1 May 2025

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We really should have been up early and washing our faces in the dew, but we’re probably beautiful enough and it would only make everyone else jealous!

Instead of an early morning face wash, Scamp drove over to the dentist for her six month checkup. I read more of Tainted Cup, a very twisted tale with the most complicatedly named cast I’ve ever seen. I wonder if Mr Bennett made up the names of all the places or if they have some meaning.

After a wash and brush up, it was time to go over to Glendale for the Tea Dance. Sitting with David and Carol and hearing about their adventures with their grandson from Kingston on Thames. In exchange we told them stories about the roads on Skye and the beautiful weather we’d had for almost a full week.

Dances were the usual mix of latin, sequence and ballroom and although we both struggled to get it right sometimes, for the most part we managed to cover the floor quite well.

Lengthy roadworks near the Barrs factory in Cumbersheugh meant a detour to Tesco on the way home to get dinner which was Bacon, Cabbage and Potatoes with Scamp swapping Black Pudding for Bacon. We’ll need to remember that if we’re going to Brookfield on Saturday.

I went for a walk round St Mo’s in the afternoon and got a photo of a wild flower that I couldn’t name, although I knew it. Finally I resorted to looking it up and it was a Plantain, but not the Plantain they have in Trinidad, the one they have in Scotland. Allegedly it is very effective at dealing with insect bites and stings. It is also much better than dock leaves to ease the discomfort of being stung by a stinging nettle too, but don’t quote on either of these remedies.

The Scottish Plantain made PoD, there being no competition for it here today. Note the bonus spider in the photo!

It was a fair bit cooler in the afternoon, compared to the last few days. The weather fairies were at pains to confirm that for the next day or two, the weather will stay cooler.  We’re just hoping for rain.

Scamp is hoping to get to FitSteps tomorrow and then I might go and collect my new glasses.

Another hot day – 30 April 2025

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I didn’t think it could be hotter than yesterday, but it proved me wrong.

I phoned Alex in the morning and apologised because I couldn’t make time for a photo-walk. Just one of those awkward weeks when neither of us were available at the same time.

It really was another day for not doing very much. Scamp was off at midday for coffee with Annette. I stayed home and read for a while in the garden. I’m nearing the end of Tainted Cup, Hazy.

I was hardly out of the garden all day. I hadn’t slept well last night, because it was so hot and I had hoped to grab a little shuteye in bed with the windows open, but that just didn’t happen. Anyway, it was very comfortable sitting in the garden watching the world go by.

When Scamp came home she decided to walk down to the shops to get dinner which turned out to be a stir fry, a rather spicy one. We both agreed it had too much ginger.

Watched the first “Glow Up” of the year. The usual format with some humans and some wanna be’s. A bit disappointing.

PoD was taken in the garden, of course. It was a purple aquilegia. Quite a delicate looking one.

I think we may be dancing tomorrow if it cools down a bit.

Driving to Fort William – 21 April 2025

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On Thursday, Scamp suggested a few days in Skye might clear up my problems with photography. Did I want to drive or take the bus? I jumped at the chance to drive to Skye – in two stages. First day would be from Cumbersheugh to Fort William. Second day would be Fort William to Staffin.

  • Weather was drizzling rain for most of the way.
  • Stopped at The Green Welly for a comfort break.
  • Saw a train of old carriages pulled by equally old double header diesel engines.
  • That stop also gave us a chance to get the give the sat nav the coordinates for the B&B
  • Sat nav got the wrong road, but Scamp remembered where we should be going.
  • The B&B was the same, but the owners had changed.
  • Went to The Lochy for dinner. Fish ’n’ Chips and Scampi ’n’ Chips.

Hoping to head for Staffin tomorrow morning.

Coffee in Starbucks? NOOoooo!!! – 16 April 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Actually it wasn’t that bad!

I was driving over to Hamilton today to meet Billy Kent. He was married to my distant cousin, Margaret. Margaret’s mum and my mum were cousins, so that probably would have made us second-cousins. Margaret died about two years ago.

I got a Christmas card from Billy last year saying that we should meet up some time. He put his phone number on the card and for once I put it into my contacts. In February we had a phone discussion and decided we’d meet halfway at Starbucks in Hamilton. Unfortunately every day he suggested didn’t suit me and all my suggestions didn’t suit him. It was beginning to look as if we weren’t going to have this meeting. However, last week we did find commonality and that day was today.

Scamp and I had visited Billy and Margaret’s house for dinner many moons ago and I they had visited ours. I really think it was Covid that broke the bond between us and it was difficult to rebuild it. Then Margaret died. So, in a way, this was the rebuild beginning. Although I wasn’t sure if it was the same person I was going to meet today. Thankfully it was.

Over a couple of mugs of coffee, we just blethered like two auld guys do. Telling stories, some of them slightly exaggerated and some just stories. After an hour and a bit we were both talked out and it was time to go our separate ways. I enjoyed the experience and we said we’d do it again. I think we will.

I’d arrived a bit early and it was beginning to drizzle. By the time we were leaving, it was bucketing down. I think they were even throwing down the buckets as well as the rain.

The motorway was treacherous with standing water making driving a bit risky, but I got home ok. I stopped at M&S to pick up some things for dinner. My turn to cook and it was to be fish risotto made mainly in the oven.

Since I had some time to spare in the afternoon I re-started work on the giant 3D Lego jigsaw. The first section from last week was easy to visualise. This one, not so much. To make things more complicated, some of the parts were made as mirror images of each other before being joined together later. I’m glad there was a QR code that I could scan to see the construction in more detail. That was a great benefit. Hopefully this present section will be completed tomorrow. I should also photograph the sections as they are completed.

PoD was a picture I saw while I was building the Bonsai. It’s a Poinsettia plant that sits on the window ledge of the back bedroom. Beautiful colours that contrast so well.

I’m hoping to meet Alex tomorrow for a walk and a blether.

Out to lunch – 15 April 2025

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Taking Shona to belated birthday lunch today.

Just before midday we picked up Shona and drove the mile or so to Nonna’s at Dullatur.

The place was empty, but then it was only 11:50 and it didn’t open for lunch until 12:00.

Starters were Focaccia for Scamp and I to share while Shona had Chicken liver Paté

Mains were Scallops and Black Pudding for Scamp, Courgette Spaghetti with Zucchini Crisps. I had Penne Salsiccia

Desserts were Tiramisu for Shona and Sticky Toffee Pudding for Scamp and a pot of tea for me. Scamp criticised the Sticky Toffee Pudding and I felt there was too much cream and salt in the Penne Salsiccia. Other than that, it was fine. Service was slow, but the place was filling up by the time we left and there seemed to be only two people on the floor and possibly another two in the kitchen.

It was a lovely day. We had a window seat and a view over the golf course watching all the golfers walking and driving their golf buggies full of their golfing bats.

We dropped Shona back at her house after lunch and she was still in time to collect Ben from his carers.

Back home, Scamp was out gardening for a while and I had an afternoon snooze! Later she took me on a guided tour of the garden and I took some photos of the Stellata Magnolia which is almost in full bloom. One of the flowers made PoD.

I’m hoping to meet up with Billy Kent tomorrow at Starbucks – I might order tea, rather than a Starbucks. At least you know what’s in tea!

It rained – 14 April 2025

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Today was a bit dull to start with, but so is going for the messages, and that’s what we were doing today.

The postman was early today and the post was coming through the letter box just as we were opening it to go to Tesco. Scamp’s appointment letter for her scan was amongst the junk that always arrives on a Monday, through the letter box. After a quick read through it, we felt a lot better. At last we had a date to work towards.

Drove over to Tesco and half filled a trolley with messages. Just the usual day to day shopping, like fruit, milk, bread and stuff. Nothing fancy, just the basics.

After lunch I wrote out a couple of cards, sympathy cards for Margaret from Warrington and another card for her to pass on to her daughter whose husband had died recently after a short illness. I put on my uncomfortable and expensive waterproof jacket and walked over to Condorrat to post the cards in the rain.

I had intended to walk down to the shops to get some veg to breathe a bit of life into our usual Monday Pasta dinner, but decided half way there that I’d just go home instead. The rain was getting heavier and it wasn’t a day for wandering around getting wet.

The Monday Pasta dinner wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, in fact I was quite pleased with it. Another “What have we got in the fridge” dinner.

The PoD went to a little cluster of daisies on the football park behind St Mo’s school. All the wee flowers had closed up shop early because of the rain. I didn’t blame them. There’s another photo in Flickr of the bird feeder you sent me, Hazy. No takers from the bird yet. I think the Blackbirds in particular aren’t keen on eating above the ground, but it’s early days. An interesting idea. Thanks.

Tomorrow we’re intending taking Shona out to lunch. I’m hoping for a drier day!

 

Rain at last – 13 April 2025

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We had been promised rain today and it actually came as predicted!

There wasn’t much rain, but enough to wet the ground and give the plants in the garden a drink.

Rather a changeable day which was mainly dry but with occasional heavy showers, especially later in the evening.

After tidying the kitchen and the living room after Saturday’s dinner guests, there wasn’t really much to do except, perhaps watch the water falling from the sky for a while.

Later in the day I took the A6500 out to St Mo’s to look for some photos. Yesterday, I’d set the aperture and shutter speed to manual and had forgotten to reset them. Today, for some reason, I set the ISO to 100. That meant that a lot of todays photos taken in between the rain shower and in bright sunlight were overexposed and too light. It took me about an hour after I got home to see how I’d done all that. Once all the settings were back to normal, Lightroom dealt with the overexposure quickly. The PoD was a bunch of flowering cherries and the overexposure coupled with a wide aperture accidentally provided exactly what I wanted in the flowers. Sometimes things just work.

Spoke to Jamie in the evening and told him the 3D jigsaw he and Simonne had given me for my birthday was underway. The base is now complete and ready for the tree to grow in it.

Watched the Bahrain F1 GP and apart from a few interesting passing manoeuvres, it was the same old, same old.

Tomorrow we may have shopping to do – just the essentials.