Category: Flowers

Goodbye 28 Drawings Later – 28 February 2017

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Scamp was out for lunch today so I took the chance (and the clippers) and gave myself an end-of-February crew cut.  It feels so much better than the mop I had yesterday.  Made quite a good fist of it too, even if I say so myself.  Lunch was the stewed chicken Scamp made on Sunday, then out to get some photos and a final sketch for 28 Drawings later … which wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be.  I knew the photos would be easy because the sun was shining.  Ha!  Then things started to go wrong.

I’d chosen the wee house beside Fannyside Loch as my sketching subject, but when I got to the turn-off, Road Closed.  Not to worry, I knew another way round.  After fifteen minutes on a single track road I got the the turning that would take me back to the house.  Road Closed.  Access Only.  Well, that would have been fine, but access was denied too as a road roller was on one side of the road and a lorry with a load of asphalt was on the other.  Not to worry, I’d choose my alternative subject and rather than turn round, I chose to carry on and go through Slamannan.  Slamannan, if you don’t know it is an old 12th century village on the outskirts of Falkirk.  Some of its original inhabitants still live there, I’m sure.  They look at you as you drive past with that “You don’t come fae here.” look.  Both brain cells frantically banging together, but the synapse isn’t firing today, so it’s back to drooling and chewing the cud.  I wasn’t going anywhere fast, so I took the scenic route through Falkirk, mainly because there wasn’t any other road, but the scenery was interesting with great views over the Forth to Fife.  I came back through Bonnybridge and along the canal to my second subject choice of the day, Underwood Lockhouse.  Actually, the burned out remains of Underwood Lockhouse.  It dates from the early 19th century and was originally the two storey lock keepers cottage with adjoining stables.  A few years ago it was turned into a pub and restaurant until it was burned down in 2013.  Despite what people think, it is not a listed building.  It was also blocked off today.  Some moron had decided to drop a portacabin on the entrance to the carpark.  According to the painted sign on the side, the portacabin used to be the changing room for Allandale Boys Club.  I wonder if the boys carried it there themselves.  Anyway, it wasn’t going to stop me, so I parked beside it, just off the road and got my sketch done, uninterrupted.

Got home and the sun was still shining, so headed for St Mo’s to get some photos, but first chose to photograph the first blooming daffodil in the garden.  Found Mr Grey intently stalking some small fish on the far side of the pond and got a few shots of him.  Nearly got a shot of a couple of deer, but they were too wary and ran away.  I reckoned I had enough material to use for today so left them to it.

Sea bream and potatoes for dinner with Mango Mojito Pancakes for pudding.  Obviously designed by someone who had never tasted a Mojito before.  I don’t think we’ll be going there again.

Happy Anniversary – 17 February 2017

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Today we got the bus in to Glasgow.  The X28 no less, the real express bus that doesn’t touch the hovels of Moodiesburn or the ice cream dungeons of Muirhead.  No, it just goes straight down the M80 into Glasgow, after picking us up in Condorrat of course.  We were going to celebrate out 44th anniversary.

After a coffee in Nero watching the tiaras and bouffant hair pieces sauntering past, we walked up Sausage Roll Street because I thought I’d seen a drawing book in the book shop there, but I was mistaken, it was in Waterstones at The Fort.  The girl in Waterstones checked for me.  Meanwhile, Scamp was in M&S getting a bargain – a new swimsuit.

Me disappointed, Scamp delighted, we walked down to Argyle Street to get some more of the bowtie print, bowtie material, some dark grey thread and a pair of dressmaking scissors.  Now don’t get excited Hazy, the ballgown is still a little way off yet.

Lunch was in Sarti’s and it was delicious.  Mine was shin of beef done in Italian beer.  According to the waiter, the secret is to marinade it for 48 hours and slow cook for 2.  Scamp had seabass cooked in orange and honey.  She said it was ok, but the spinach mash and the lentils was the star.

Walked back up to Sausage Roll again to buy Upwords.  It’s a game I’ve been playing on the iPhone.  It’s a bit like Scrabble but different.  There, that explains it totally.  Anyway, I went in to WH Smith to get a magazine to read on the slow bus home and, there was the book I was looking for!  Bought it.  That will save me a trip to The Fort tomorrow.  I bought the magazine too.

Went to get the bus back home, like I said, the slow bus.  That is when we re-met the hair pieces and hair extensions and little tiaras on legs.  Spray tanned legs on little Irish dancers.  Ten year olds, made up to look like midget twenty year olds.  All of them chaperoned by seriously overbearing and totally focused mummies.  Apparently today was the semi-finals of the dancing competition.  I think we’ll be going anywhere but Glasgow tomorrow to avoid these distorted little girls.  Childhoods stolen.

Slow bus home.  Today’s PoD was of a sunflower fixed into a crack in the new pavement being laid in Union Street.  Also, today’s sketch shows that I did learn something from the new book.  Curvilinear Perspective is a strange beast.

Status Quo – 16 February 2017

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Not the group with the repetitive lyrics, but just getting back to normal.

Off to the hospital this morning to find out the results of the biopsy on Scamp’s mole.  As expected, it was indeed malignant, but was caught early enough to prevent a more serious situation.  Still some more work to be done, but the long term view is very good.

To celebrate, we had lunch at the Garrion Bridges antique centre with all the other antiques!  Cheap and Cheerful, that’s why the place was very busy.

Drove home and I went out to get some photos and hopefully a sketch.  I went down the Luggie Water and found some snowdrops and that became my PoD.  There was little else there of interest.  I drove to Tesco and tried to sketch Cumbernauld College, but it looked like a disaster, both the sketch and the building and I gave up on it, so it was later in the night I got the sketch completed.  A bottle of Joker!

Feeling a bit more ‘normal’ whatever that means now.

  • Jet Lag gone.
  • Cases unpacked
  • Stressball burst

Hopefully bussing in to Glasgow tomorrow to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

A Jump, Skip and a Hop – 10 February 2017

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 10 Feb Today we said goodbye to Tobago and caught the plane to Trinidad.  Madeleine and Scamp weren’t very impressed with the pilot’s driving skills and I have to say it was a bit of a bumpy ride at times.  What I did wonder about was the fact that before it landed in Tobago, it hadn’t appeared on Flight 24 on my phone and there was no airline insignia on the fuselage.  A pirate of the skies perhaps?  Anyway it got us to Piarco airport on Trinidad and from there Madeleine drove us home, stopping on the way to pick up some Roti which are Indian flatbread wraps holding the main course which for three of us was chicken and for Scamp was veg.  Possibly my best favourite of these lunch wraps so far.

When we were at the airport on Tobago, Madeleine showed us the bright yellow fruit she’d picked from the hedgerow along with its delicate wee yellow flower.  I think it was a Carailie Vine, but I may be misspelling that.  I’ll check tomorrow.  It tasted good.  Just another of the fruits available on these islands.  Even better, this one is free as it grows wild in the hedgerows.

Ori was pleased to see us and after being fed, fussed over and having a run round the garden at top speed a couple of times, lay exhausted in the livingroom.  Such a relaxed dog.

While Madeleine was watering the garden earlier on, Jaime picked a Guava from one of the trees in the garden and we all had a piece.  Beautiful green colour with soft pink flesh inside.  They really do have an amazing selection of fruits here.  Unfortunately, one he was trying to harvest looks like it’s been invaded by ants.  It’s a Sour Sop.  It is a big dark green fruit covered in spikes and is supposed to have a sweet white flesh, but I doubt if we will taste it because the ants have been there first.

IMG_3756_3756Today’s sketch is of a wee sea urchin shell that Scamp found yesterday on the beach at Pigeon Point.  It’s a bit rough, but at least it’s done and on time.  Maybe I’ll find something more interesting to draw tomorrow.  It won’t be the little beastie that Madeleine showed me today, asking what I thought it was.  I took a photo and it looked for all the world like a caddis fly larva, but it was much, much smaller.  I searched on Google for it giving as much info as I could and it turned out to be a Household Casebearer and it turns into a moth after pupating.  Nasty looking little thing.  Now gone along with it compatriots under a spray of bug killer.  Oh, yes, one more thing.  Out of the corner of my eye tonight I thought I saw a bright green light flying around the room, turning on and off.  Couldn’t quite catch it though, then I did and it was a Firefly!  First time I’ve seen one.  It looked like a wee moth with an LED on its bum!  And with that thought, I’ll say goodnight.

A Stay at Home Day – 01 February 2017

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1 Feb

Today we all agreed would be a stay at home day.  A day of relaxation for us all.

After breakfast, Scamp settled down to some serious reading and I wandered round the garden looking for inspiration.  Apart from Ori the dog, I couldn’t find any.  I settled for some flowers later – oh no, not flowers.  Normally that would be my response, but here, flowers are a much more interesting option.

IMG_3671I had decided to take on the challenge of one sketch every day in February and today was the first day.  The subject was Madeleine’s bird feeders and nesting boxes.  It took a little time because the subjects had very few straight lines, but the result works for me.  Micron 0.3 pen on Moleskine sketchbook.

After the sketching session Scamp and I walked down to the supermarket just to check out the goods on sale there and to make sure that they still stocked chickens feet.

Just a nice lazy day in the sun.

Oh what a beautiful morning – 23 January 2017

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Not such a beautiful day.

Went out early on Scamp’s recommendation to get some photos in the remains of the overnight frost and in the watery sunshine.  Glad I did go out when I did, because the temperature rose sufficiently to melt the frost and the clouds rolled in to hide the sun, making it just another milky sky day.

Lost for something to do while Gems were practising, and after processing the photos, I got yesterday’s cloth and started on the beta version of the bowtie.  It took me until the early evening to get it finished, but it’s done now and although it’s not perfect, it is pretty much like what I wanted.  Made a mistake with sewing together the two halves of the first side and had to cut off the mistake should have stitch ripped out the sewing.  The upshot of cutting off the mistake was the tie was about 20/25mm too short.  It’s a strangling bowtie.  However, as I said, it’s the beta version and much better than the alpha version made from an old pillow slip.  This one I can wear (as long as I don’t have to breathe).  Onward and upward as they say.

Scamp didn’t want to risk Salsa class tonight on account of her recently removed stitches, so I stayed home too.  Sort of regretted it later, but it did allow me to finish the sewing.

That’s about it for the day’s adventures.  I think I’ll need to get a dog.  I keep getting strange looks from the dog-walkers over at the pond.  They can’t understand why I’m walking around with a big black bag and no dog.  Maybe they think I’ve got a wee dog, just a tiny wee one and I keep it in my bag.  Maybe they think I’m a dog thief.  Nobody seems to walk there without a dog.  A girl today told me her dog’s “pure scerred” of men (scerred rhymes with heard).  It might have been scared, but it was doing its fair share of growling at me.  It was a mongrel, but there was a decent bit of Ridgeback in its genealogy and I was getting “pure scerred”of it too before it loped off to give a collie a good sniffing.  At least she didn’t ask me if I had my tiny wee dog in my bag.  I was only joking about getting a dog, by the way.  We’ve enough to contend with, with the two fluffy, yappy things on one side of us and the howling wolf look-a-likes on the other side.  Strangely I just realised today that since the howlers started, the yappy things haven’t yapped.  Maybe there’s a hierarchy of vocal communication among dogs.  I must ask the girl with the “pure scerred” Ridgeback cross.

My PoD was the little silver beads which were in reality thawed frost on cowparsley heads.  It’s amazing what the macro lens shows you.

Oh yes, and the other thing I did today was finally put the Christmas decorations in the loft to rest until December.  A bit late, but not nearly the latest its been.

Tomorrow looks like it will be a lot like today.  I’ll be bag packing and clearing up from the bowtie construction, so I doubt if I’ll notice.

An Old Friend Returns – 28 December 2016

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Today we drove in to Glasgow, but not for shopping.  We went down Glasgow Green for a walk.  A walk down The Green is usually a Sunday pursuit, but today was dry and open, so we chose to do our Sunday walk on a Wednesday – just for a change.

There were a few folk out walking off the Xmas excesses.  Some folk had even taken to the water to do some serious rowing.  There were even some like me who were out taking photos.  It was a fine day for it with low sun and some clouds to make the sky that bit more interesting.  A most enjoyable walk, but the best was yet to come.

We always use to complete our walk with a coffee and a roll ’n’ sausage (for me) and a peppermint tea and toast (Scamp) in the Wintergarden of the People’s Palace.  Until, that is, the day when a glass panel fell from the roof of the Wintergarden some time in July.  Since then the Wintergarden has been closed.  Today it was open again and it was quite full of families too.  Even better, they had fresh rolls, fresh bread and fresh sausages.  The coffee was real.  Not like yesterday’s brown water, this was coffee.  Brilliant!

After my Sunday lunch I usually go for a walk round the plants because these are plants you only get to see in a large, enormous glasshouse like this.  Today was no exception.  It looks like the gardens section of Glasgow Council has taken the opportunity to remodel the gardens while it was closed and the difference is quite dramatic.  It take it all back Glasgow Council.  You’ve done a great job here.

We needed some milk when we got back, so rather than drive to Tesco, Scamp decided to walk to the local M&S to get some and I came along for the walk.  On the way back, I carried on with my walk round St Mo’s while Scamp went home.  I managed to get my first decent shots of a couple of deer in a long while.  I could see the animals grazing quite contentedly upwind from me through the cover of some pine trees and I was able to get the camera set, focused and ready before I quietly broke cover and got the first few shots.  Then they sensed something and their heads came up.  I stayed stock still for a few minutes still taking a few more shots before they went back to grazing.  My next step broke a twig and that was all the warning they needed.  They were off, running and jumping.  I hammered off about 10 shots in motor-wind mode before they were lost in the bushes.  That was it for photography today.  Happy, I went home.

Tomorrow is booked solid for Scamp, so I’m free to do as I please.  I may get my hair cut, ‘cos it’s a ‘Pure Afro’ as we say in this house!

A wild night – 26 December 2016

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Howling wind and rain battering against the window all night it seemed.  Wildly high temperature too.  Almost too hot to sleep.  There really is something wrong with the weather this year.  I’m not a firm believer in Climate Change, but I’m willing to admit that this just is not the weather we are used to having in Scotland in December.  Whether it’s El Niño or the Jet Stream or melting polar ice caps, I don’t know.  I taught Woodwork and Graphics, not Geography, but I know when something isn’t working properly.  Maybe Theresa May will fix it.  There’s as much chance of that as there is of her arguing a profitable exit from the EU, but that’s enough of politics.

The wild winds and heavy rain persisted through the morning, but by afternoon the dry spells were outlasting the wet ones and the temperature was returning to the seasonal normal, so I got my boots on and headed for St Mo’s to get some photos … and some exercise.  Much needed exercise.  I had to shelter for a while under a tree form some heavy rain, but I didn’t mind that because I could see that it was only a shower and there was blue sky behind it.

Other than the swans and some ducks, I saw no other wildlife, and very few of the human variety.  I could hear a motorbike engine coming from the old BMX track, so I presume some wean got a mini scrambler bike for Xmas.

Most of todays photos were taken with the old 105mm macro lens on the Nikon.  I forgot to grab my Oly M5 and stick it in my pocket which meant no real landscape shots, but I did like the B&W shot of the runner, just visible bottom right of the frame.  Much better on Flickr.  Speaking of pocket, I DID put one of my Chrissy Prezzies in my pocket.  Scamp got me a pair of Thinsulate gloves and I’d forgotten just how windproof they are.  Great things to stick in your pocket.

Just like I intended, Scamp suggested pasta for dinner, so it was tomato and bacon pasta.  Nicely low cal.  I did have some of the killer pudding from yesterday, but only a couple of spoonfuls and even they were mainly the biscuit and sherry mix with some fruit.

The wind has dropped considerably tonight and it looks like a fairly decent day tomorrow.  If we manage it, we’ll be up and out early and somewhere nice for a walk.  That would be good, and would probably do us the world of good.

A more relaxing day – 27 November 2016

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img_3580-flickr-1

After the biz of yesterday, today was relaxing.  We started off by clearing up yesterday’s washing up and frittered away the remainder of the day.

We watched another boring GP that was spiced up with calculated skill in the last few minutes, but really it was as if the whole thing was manufactured to retain the viewer for the whole two hours it took to conclude and for one poor little rich boy to achieve stardom.  Well, if that’s what makes him happy …

It was a dull day with outbreaks of wintry sun, but I wasn’t past the door.  Hopefully I’ll get out and about tomorrow, because Mondays are frantic.

Cold and Frosty – 21 November 2016

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21-nov2

Yes, in the morning it was cold and frosty and it stayed that way for most of the day too.  Poor wee violas in the hanging basket at the back door.  They rarely see the sun in these winter days and today they looked wilted.  When they finally thawed out about 4pm, the sprung back to life as if it had never happened.

Today being Scamp’s ‘Gems’ group’s singing practise, I packed my bags and headed for the leisure centre where I intended to have a swim and a nice 30 mins or so in the sauna and the steam room.  That’s 30 minutes total, not 30 in each!  However, it was their turn for ‘essential maintenance’.  So far we’ve had the air-con in the changing room refurbished and the gym equipment replaced.  Last week it was the jacuzzi that was essentially being maintained and today it was the hot rooms time for an overhaul.  Next week the pool?  Who knows.  It always worries me when an establishment like this gets a complete facelift.  Usually it presages a change of ownership.  I hope I’m wrong, but I just have that feeling …

After the curtailed swim, I left and headed for Fannyside Moor, just on the outskirts of Cumbersheugh to get a PoD.  Actually I had one in the bag from earlier in the day when the bluetits found the bird feeder had been refilled, but another one or two wouldn’t go amiss.  I was armed with the old Sony F707 and the Furry Monkey.  Hoping his magic paws would do the needful with the IR filter again.  Well, he worked his magic, but there just wasn’t enough direct sunlight to give the necessary IR, so I resorted to a couple of landscapes taken with normal light instead, the best of which is above.

Salsa tonight was the usual mayhem with Jamie Gal forgetting his moves which “… worked perfectly earlier in the day in my office!” Then trying to make up a name for them, before attempting to translate the name into Spanish.  Great fun!

Kizomba?   Hmm, not a lot of fun and I sense a rant starting.
This was the last lesson of the block and I would have thought that Kay, the teacher, would have been pushing hard to keep us interested.  Instead she just tread water for almost all the class time.  Because her teaching assistant was absent, she had one of the class members run the guys through a ‘warm-up’ reprise of the last seven weeks’ moves while she did the same with the girls.  The ‘warm-up’ lasted for twenty minutes.  Twenty minutes of an hour long class.  Then she introduced a new ‘helper’ who either didn’t speak English or didn’t want to be there, because he hardly uttered a word all night.  You could tell the class weren’t too happy when she applauded us all after our first dance and nobody in the class responded.  I nearly left there and then when she attempted to introduce ‘Musicology’ as a topic.  I wasted two hours of my life with the dreadful Samira attempting to make this into a science instead of something that everyone can do naturally.  If you can’t understand the beat of the music, this time wasting exercise wasn’t going to help you IMO.
Scamp wants to go back for a second block of Kizomba, but I’m not so sure.  This is the second week we’ve been without a teacher for the guys.  I like the dance, but if there is no teacher for us, then I’m not getting value for my money and that’s not a good thing.  I’m suggesting we pay the class on a week by week basis to see what transpires and if it doesn’t improve, I’m not going to continue with it.

Temperature is rising and even as I write this at 11pm it’s warmer than it’s been all day.

Dentist tomorrow 🙁