Category: Food

Getting things done – 2 August 2024

Posted on by Zogman

Scamp was out to FitSteps and I was hoping for a lazy morning … but.

I got strange emails from someone, possibly robot generated which said I had to sign in with my password. No indication who or what was requesting it. So I typed in my password … ‘course I didn’t. Do you really think my head buttons up the back? (That was a rhetorical question). I deleted it and it came back, again and again and again. Each time I deleted it, it returned.

I gave up and when Scamp returned, I drove up to the doc’s to book my diabetic blood test. I had already tried to phone the health centre, but I got a terrible line each time I tried to speak to Gort’s sisters who man Kenilworth. I finally got to speak to a human face to face after driving to the health centre and she gave me my little sample bottle and a note with my date to donate some blood and also a date to speak to the nurse.

When I got home we drove in to Glasgow to book the car in for MOT. I had had enough of phone conversations for one day. Got the MOT booked then we went for lunch in JL.

Later, while Scamp went looking for a new bag ANOTHER ONE, I wandered round Buchanan Street taking candid photos of folk, any folk who would stand still for long enough for me to press the shutter. Then we met up again and drove home.

The messages I’d got in the morning just wouldn’t go away and Scamp was getting similar messages from Mickysoft. I began to smell a conspiracy. Were there really Reds under the Beds?

I left it for a while and made dinner which was paella and a really good one for a change. The fact that it was washed down with a very nice red wine only improved dinner even more.

I got an WhatsApp from Alex to say that their car was booked in at Edinburgh for the flight to Jersey and then I realised that we had forgotten to book ours in at Glasgow for that same destination. Oops! While I booked the car in, Scamp booked the Holiday Inn. Rather than get up at stupid o’clock it would be so much more civilised to walk across to the check in. Thank you Alex.

Those messages that started this morning just wouldn’t go away. Then I realised they were only appearing on my phone, and not on any of my Gmail addresses. That narrowed things down. The clincher was the dates they started appearing. Those three things gave me the solution which was to simplicity itself to repair. Thankfully it worked.

That was about it for a fun-packed day which ended better than it started. PoD was a photo of a bloke sitting on a bollard gazing in bemusement at the crowds rushing past on Buchanan Street. Some editing was necessary.

Tomorrow looks like it will be wet, just as this evening was.

White Rabbits (x3) – 1 August 2024

Posted on by Zogman

The first day of August and it had been raining during the night.

We haven’t had much rain during the second half of July, so it was a relief to see raindrops on roses this morning. It meant we didn’t need to water the garden today, but the clouds were the textureless milky white that we see so often.

While I was making breakfast this morning I spotted a wee pale yellow bird in the garden picking off the aphids from some of the plants. I managed five photos of it before it flew off and it looks like it was a Willow Warbler, but I’m not sure. I think one or two of them visited the garden about this time last year. Must check.

Scamp was off in the morning to meet Isobel for coffee. I stayed home to filter out the rejected photos and once I was sure I had ONLY the rejections, delete them permanently. Next task was to save the remaining July photos to an external drive for safe keeping. Then pack up those July photos and move them to a storage folder on the computer, before building a new folder for the incoming August lot! Actually it sounds a lot but it’s fairly easily done as long as you stick to the routine.

After lunch and when Scamp returned, she got down on her kneeling stool and finished off the weeding in between the bricks that edge the front grass. I grabbed the A7 and the new Tamron lens and went for a walk round St Mo’s then extended my walk to go to M&S for Thursday Things – flowers was the request today. We had been going to have paella for dinner, but instead Scamp opted for Fish Fingers, Egg and Spaghetti. Much easier and quicker. Maybe paella tomorrow.

It was another warm, bright day after the milky white clouds had been chased away, but it doesn’t look set to last. Rain is on the way according to the weather fairies. Well, the gardens need it.

PoD was a very bright red Common Darter dragonfly taken in St Mo’s.

Scamp has FitSteps booked in for tomorrow morning and I’m trying to work out why the A7 doesn’t do the latest tricks that the A6500 can do. They are almost the same vintage and actually the A7 has significantly more bells and whistle that the A6500. I’m sure it’s a switch somewhere that’s set and shouldn’t be, but which one?

Chatelherault – 31 July 2024

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Today I drove over to Motherwell to pick up my brother and we drove to Chatelherault.

Chatelherault was the shooting lodge of the Duke of Hamilton in past times. Today it’s mainly used for corporate events and weddings. We were going to neither.

After a coffee we walked down to the Duke’s Bridge which takes you over the Avon Water 80ft (25m) below. From there we walked on to the Cadzow Oaks, a group of trees which date back to the 1400s, growing in earthworks that are reckoned to have been there since the 12th century. The whole area is really beautiful and worth a walk if you are ever in the area. If you imagine Tolkien’s Ents, that’s what the Cadzow Oaks bring to mind.

After soaking up some of the history of the area we retraced our steps past the now crumbling Cadzow Castle with little remaining of its former glory. Then we recrossed the bridge and had lunch in the cafe which was almost empty for a change. A few photos of the views round the ‘Big House’ and it was time to get back.

I dropped Alex off at his house and drove home. It was a hot day and I had the air-con on full, but when I stopped at lights just off the motorway, I turned the air-con off and the engine stopped too with a message telling me I’d saved 0.2kg of carbon! It hasn’t done that for well over a year!! Maybe the long drive up from Dent last weekend has recharged its tiny battery.

Dinner was a lovely Chicken Milanese made by Scamp, then we were off to dance class where it showed that we hadn’t done any practise for about two weeks. We really must get some practise in before next week or we’ll get chucked out.

PoD today was a little heart padlock hanging from the handrail of the Duke’s Bridge and a test to see if the camera was performing the autofocusing and it appears to have passed the test. Next thing to do is to try to get its big brother to do so too.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to go for coffee with Isobel and I’m hoping to do some backing up and preparation for the first photos of August.

Getting things done – 29 July 2024

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Another bright morning and the grass, front and back was needing cut. My job was moving the flower pots, about ten of them, out onto the path while Scamp did the actual cutting, then moving them back again. I helped with cleaning the mower once the difficult stuff was done, but Scamp has her own method for this and it’s not a good idea to try to do it any other way.

Lunch was next, and it was so memorable, I haven’t a clue what it was! Oh yes, it was a piece ’n’ ham that came all the way from Sedbergh.

I walked over to St Mo’s again in the hope that there would be some activity round the ponds, but there was none and I came home almost empty handed, although I did find a wee purple vetch flower willing to pose for me and it became PoD.

I actually spent most of the afternoon writing up a week’s blog posts ready for posting tomorrow. It was a bit of a slog, but it’s almost done now.

An early bed because my two weeks long struggle with The Ministry of Time is over. I finished it tonight. An interesting concept, but too much padding. I’m not sure I’d recommend it to anyone.

Tomorrow Scamp is meeting June for coffee and a blether and I’m intending to post the blog.

Back in the old routine – 28 July 2024

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This morning we did the Tesco run. After lunch I went for a walk in St Mo’s and it felt like we’d never been away. PoD was a damselfly with a bit of sparkle in its wings.

Dinner was Bacon, Cabbage and Potatoes. One of those fallback meals which remind you that you’re home.

Spoke to Jamie later in the day and found we didn’t have much to say. Everything was alright at their end an it was the same at our end. Just like it says at the top of this blog.

Back in the old routine.

Finding space – 18 July 2024

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It started in the morning when Scamp said that the blog wasn’t loading. An hour and a few quid later it was fixed.

<Technospeak>
Long story short, the problem with the blog appeared to be a lack of storage space on the Namecheap server. When I tried last night to install a WordPress update. It stalled and glitched upgrade, but more than that, it appeared to damage something. After an hour on a help-chat line I upgraded my 20GB of storage to 50GB. That should keep the wheels turning for a while.
That took care of the morning, but of course, I was now on a different server with a different address and I had to change the host name in all my email addresses. Not an onerous task.
</Technospeak>

Once I was back in again and the emails were working, Scamp suggested a walk to the shops would be good, so that’s what we did. As has almost been traditional after a walk to the shops, I carried the bag halfway home and Scamp carried it the rest while I went for a walk around St Mo’s. After about four years using the Sony A7 camera series I’d found another tweak that while not exactly guaranteeing a sharp, in focus shot every time, at least gives you a fighting chance. No need to explain it to you, but let’s just say it works. That’s what I was using today to get the PoD of a Crane Fly or a Jenny Long Legs to give it its proper Scottish name!

Back home Scamp made a prawn stir fry and it was really delicious. Meanwhile I bagged the stew and let it rest in the fridge.

It wasn’t the brightest of days. Still clammy but with a bit of a breeze, which made it more pleasant.  Maybe a couple of notches down from the unpleasant heat we’ve been having recently.

After the blog problem from the morning, I’ve been feeling washed out today and I’m hoping to get to bed before midnight. I expect you understood most of that jargon Hazy and I’m equally sure you passed it by Jamie.

Scamp is intending to go to FitSteps tomorrow while I stay home and do some tidying up.

 

Cooking, Grass Cutting and Rumba – 17 July 2024

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We spoke to Hazy in the morning. She told us she’d had her hair cut but we wouldn’t see it until Saturday when she and Neil are coming up. She’s like that, Hazel! I still remember being in the car with her, going to the church on her wedding day and her making poor Neil wait! Bride’s perogative, I believe. I have a long memory Hazy!

I did some shopping after we’d finished our call and took my “I’m away for the Messages” bag. Just my meds, some fruit for Scamp and a loaf.

After lunch I started to clear the top of the sofa in my room. It hasn’t seen the light of day for months now, probably since about March. So, it really did need a good clear out. A lot of stuff went in the bin because tomorrow is bin day and theres no going back after the bin is tipped into the bin men’s lorry. The sofa looks so bare now, but tomorrow it will be filled again with other stuff.

While I was doing that, Scamp was doing ‘grass hoovering’ in the front and back gardens. It looks a lot tidier now, but we’re due rain overnight and that will just encourage more growth. It’s a never ending cycle.

Later in the afternoon I made some stew for next week’s dinner. Not made on the hob this time, mainly done in the Le Creuset which allows the oven to do most of the work.

With the stew happily bubbling away, I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got the PoD. It was warm and still a bit close feeling today. The photo’s another one of a geranium this time with  with a little fly as a photobomber. I think every photo I took today had an insect of one variety or another in it, hogging the limelight.

We went dancing tonight and learned the first part of Kirsty’s new Rumba routine. As with all the best routines, it started off simply and then progressed to the more complicated bits. Next week she’ll be adding in even more intricate figures like the Hockey Stick and the Fan, but by then we’ll have forgotten what we learned tonight!

No real plans for tomorrow other than finishing the stew.

Driving again – 16 July 2024

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After yesterday’s driving extravaganza the last thing I wanted to do was drive today.

So I got in the car about 10am and drove to Falkirk. To the Ironworks Business Park. Nobody was about, so I phoned the bloke I spoke to yesterday. He said I was at the right place and he’d be with me in 10 minutes. He was as good as his word and he apologised for not speaking properly but he’d been to the dentist and one side of his jaw wasn’t behaving properly. Know that feeling? I do too!

I was there to get some coffee and he took my order and gave me a large discount for having come all the way from Cumbersheugh. I even got a free bag to carry the coffee home. I’ve since tested the coffee and found it just as good as I thought it would be.

Drove home and had a piece ’n’ banana for my lunch and Scamp copied me! I was just making the sandwich when I saw a magpie sitting on a branch of the rowan tree in the back garden. Usually I chase them off, but this one looked a bit sad, so instead I grabbed my camera with the zoom lens and got half a dozen shots through the back window. It’s always good to have a few in the bag.

I’d been worrying about the front tyres on my car, so I drove down to Jim Dickson’s garage in the village where ‘Young’ Jim pronounced them good for a few hundred miles yet. That set my mind at rest.

Back home I took the A6500 and the 70-180mm and went for a walk in the sunshine to St Mo’s. I got a few shots of insects and plants, but nothing outstanding. It was quite a muggy afternoon with hardly a breath of wind.

Dinner was pasta and tomato sauce with a whole bunch of basil leaves that I’ve been growing on the window sill. It was quite delicious, even if say so myself.

It’s just passed 9.30pm as I’m writing this and there is a lovely sunset building. After such an overcast, close afternoon it’s good to see a bit of sunshine.

No plans for tomorrow, but I might make a start on some stew.

Out for a drive – 15 July 2024

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It was actually intended as a drive to Stirling to buy some ingredients for next week, but then it got a bit out of hand.

Scamp wanted to get some rose food for her beloved roses. They have worked hard since spring, producing a continuous show of flowers. Now the plants need a little help with some nutrients to extend their flowering period. She was sure we could get the rose food in Dobbies at Stirling. When we got to the turn off to Dobbies, every other gardener seemed to want to go their too, but it was impossible to cross the road in to the garden centre because of a long, long line of cars, all going in the opposite direction. We decided to move on to task 2

Task 2 would be easy. We’d just drive to The Smiddy, a cafe/restaurant near Blair Drummond Safari Park where we could hopefully get some venison and definitely get some coffee. Unfortunately they had no venison and wouldn’t have any until next week sometime. They did have the coffee, but only the pre-ground variety. Not what I was looking for. Since it was heading for lunch time and the cafe was quiet, we had a coffee and a scone each and I bought two skinny bottles of Old Engine Oil, a lovely black stout that only rarely makes an appearance on shelves. I managed a couple of shots of the Gargunnock Hills with a beautiful sky.

Back on the road again and got parked at Dobbies this time. They didn’t have the rose food, nor the lawn feed that Scamp remembered she also needed. We did get other things, though, so our journey was not in vain.

Back in the saddle and on to Waitrose where they did have the venison. Hooray! One of the ingredients bought and ticked off. As usual we bought one or two other things too, just to make the stop worth its while. I also got PoD which was the Wallace Monument at Stirling with a nice bit of sun on it.

I suggested we go from there to Klondyke Garden Centre where they just might have the plant food. Hooray No 2! They had both foods. Not exactly what she wanted but a reasonable substitute. We were back on the road and on the way home. What had started as a beautiful hot morning had degenerated into a cloudy and muggy day. Thank goodness for air-con!

When we got home, Scamp scattered the rose food and the grass feed in the required places and by then it was time for dinner. After dinner which was burger for me and mushroom and pepper omelette for Scamp (with the half of yesterday’s trifle as dessert)

As I settled down to process today’s photos I noticed I had a message on FB. I’d almost completely missed my old pal Charlie’s birthday, and here was his reply agreeing that him, Steven and me really needed to do a catch-up. I don’t know if my two readers will remember Charlie and Steven, but Charlie was my apprentice many years ago and Steven and I used to drool over motorbikes we knew we could never afford. I’m hoping we’ll all manage a meet-up some time in early August. Charlie is a pensioner now. How in the name of the wee man did that happen???

So, almost all the boxes were ticked today. Only one more to go and I might be able to tick that one tomorrow, all being well.

Return of the damsels – 14 July 2024

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One of those days with a white sky above the Campsie Fells but with low clouds lying in the valley. It happens a lot here it’s temperature inversion I think.

Once the day had warmed up and we’d solved Wordle and Spelling Bee, it was almost lunchtime. Scamp made Shakshuka which is eggs poached in tomatoes and spices. It was very nice, too. I think I could probably stretch to cooking that.

The big story of the day was the shooting of Donald Trump. Just a flesh wound, thankfully and the assailant was brought down in a hail of bullets which seems to be the American way of dealing with these things. Still, I suppose they had to avoid the bloodbath that could so easily have happened.
On a lighter note, I was wondering if one of the security guards really did shout Donald, Duck!

We watched Laura Kuenssberg’s attempt to get some sense from some Labour Party woman who only wanted to robotically recite the party line ad nauseam. Not a lot of cut and thrust there and I got the feeling that Laura was thankful when that interview finished.

Moving away from politics, and on to more interesting stuff, Scamp was ‘tidying up’ things in the garden later in the afternoon and I took myself off to St Mo’s to see if there was any activity there. Indeed there was. Not only were there butterflies flitting around, but also there was one dragonfly and a few skittish common blue damsels. Two or three days of warm sunshine had brought them out.

When I came back, Scamp and I sat reading for a while, while cooling down with a G&T each. It was quite pleasant until the rain started and forgot to stop. It didn’t get really heavy, but it was persistent.

Dinner tonight came from the freezer and was reheated Carrot & Lentil Curry for Scamp and reheated Chilli con Carne for me. Dessert was half a strawberry trifle shared between us. The remaining half will hopefully be tomorrow’s dessert.

PoD was a Common Blue damselfly sitting on the edge of the boardwalk today. Most of the insects were very nervous and flew off whenever I came too close. This one didn’t. It just sat there soaking up the sun and watching me, intently. It felt like it was sizing me up as its next meal!!

I walked home before it could attack.

England lost in the final of the Euros. That’s a pity, but at least it might “put their gas at a peep” as we say in Scotland, at least what auld guys say in Scotland!

No plans yet for tomorrow. As usual, it all depends on the weather.