Food – Page 186 – My Photo Blog

A bright sunny day – 23 November 2016

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Zogman

It was a very bright morning and a very cold morning too, but I decided to get up early (well before 10am) and get out for a walk in the frosty air. It was quite a good decision. I took the Nikon with the 70 – 300mm lens and the 105mm macro too. Just in case there was a decent chance of getting some landscape shots, I took the Oly EPL5 with a 12-32mm lens. It’s a compact wee camera and lens and can fit easily into my pocket. Suitably dressed in warm clothing I headed over to St Mo’s and got some decent shots of the frozen plants and stuff. Only saw a couple of deer in the distance and didn’t have a chance of capturing them in Ones and Zeros on the card. Came home and had a hot shower to heat myself up and a cup of coffee to warm me internally while I processed the shots and uploaded three of them to Flickr, the three above. That was the end of my photographic endeavours for the day.

After lunch which was a couple of bowls of Scamp’s excellent soup, we drove up to the docs to see what medication we needed for foreign climes. It turned out that we needed a Hep A booster and a Tetanus. Neither were essential, but we decide we’d be better with them as they’re free anyway.

After that it was time to sort the dinner and get ready for Wednesday Salsa. As usual, it was cold in the hall, but after a full beginners class we were helping in and an ‘advanced’ class, we were feeling the heat. The advanced class was nowhere near as demanding as our Monday group, but did give us some well needed exercise.

It looks like another cold night tonight and an equally cold day tomorrow. Coffee with Val tomorrow and maybe a trip into town after that.

Design Obsolescence – 22 November 2016

Posted on November 22, 2016November 22, 2016 by Zogman

My car is just coming up for eight years old. Its had a few bits and pieces replaced since new. The usual consumables like the oil filter and the air filter every year at servicing time. Every couple or so years it also has needed new tyres when they run a bit thin on tread. More expensive items like brake disks, wheel bearings and CV joints have also been replaced when necessary. Sometimes I use good quality third party replacements, but manufacturers parts are always available at an extra cost. Occasionally I use them when it seems prudent to do so. All based on the trusted advice from my local garage. It’s a good car and runs perfectly well.

My Macbook Pro is also coming up for its eighth birthday. It’s also had a few ‘improvements’ over the years. It’s had a memory upgrade and a new hard drive installed, then last year I added a super fast Solid State Drive. Some from Apple and some from third party alternatives. Now its battery is failing, so I went to the Apple store in Buchanan Street to find out how much it would cost for an Apple fitted new battery. I was shocked to hear them claim not to have replacement batteries for “such an old computer”! Really? A company the size of Apple can’t source the parts to repair its own computers? I was told by a ‘Tech’ that I would have to phone technical support to see if they still had any in stock, and if they did the repair would cost around £160. I don’t think so. Amazon are advertising a replacement battery for £40 and I’m not so ham fisted I can’t fit it myself.
Since I’ve had the Macbook I’ve become a great fan of Apple, but my allegiance is fading after this example of Designed Obsolescence.

Right, now that I’ve got that out of my system, here’s a synopsis of the day:

Had an entertaining phone call with Hazy in the morning (yes, I did look up the Hive – impressive structure, H), then out to visit the dentist and no fillings, no scale and polish, just a cap replacement and no charge. What a nice man.

After lunch Scamp and I drove in to Glasgow for some pre-Christmas shopping. Better to go mid-week when the crowds are at work earning the pennies to spend at the weekend when we head for the hills, literally. Parked in the Buchanan Galleries carpark with its wonderful panoramic walkway to the galleries proper. Such a great view of Glasgow (and carpark is cheaper than Concert Hall!) I headed off to the book shop for a couple of books I’d my eye on, but which turned out to be less than enthralling. Scamp went looking for girlie stuff. Met up later and had my introduction to the wonders of Designed Obsolescence – Apple style. How to kill of a potential sale in one easy lesson.

Coffee and then trudged back homeward, but not before Scamp noticed that Jacques Vert had a sale on. I’ll give her that, she always makes it look as if it’s a great surprise to see the sale posters in the window. More girlie stuff bought. Walked back across the bridge to the carpark and the light was just marvellous, so I had to stop to take some photos. Such a beautiful sunset and one you knew just couldn’t last, so I made the most of it. If I’d hurried past I’d have saved myself £1.50 in parking money, but I’d have missed today’s PoD (I’d also have brought the price of an Apple replaced battery down to £158.50, but I’m not bitter!)

Back home I found out that the books weren’t as interesting as I’d thought and have decided to return them (in pristine condition) tomorrow. After a lovely stirfry cooked by Scamp I made some scones that turned out the best yet! No eggs Hazy!

Was posting a condensed version of my rant on the Buchanan Street Apple shop page on Facebook when my eye was drawn down the page to a bloke complaining about exactly the same thing. So, I am not the only grumpy old man then.

Travel clinic tomorrow to book our jags for foreign climes and maybe take that book back. Unless Apple phone in the morning and offer me a brand new Macbook Pro – top of the range and an iPhone 7 to go with it to make up for their shocking customer service today. But then I’d wake up and it would all be a dream 😉

Dreich – 12 November 2016

Posted on November 12, 2016November 12, 2016 by Zogman

A day that started out looking like it might just be ok, but gradually slipped down into dull, drab and dreich. Did you notice that ‘dreich’ is one of those words that buck the trend of “I before E except after C”? Of course if you’re reading this as a translation into a different language from English, you will be thinking “What??”

We toyed with the idea of driving in to Glasgow or to Stirling. Neither of us wanted anything in either place, but we felt the need to go out, despite the dullness outside. We finally chose Stirling as our destination. It wasn’t a great choice although there was a Farmers’ Market in the town or should I say ‘City’ as it got that as a prezzy from Mrs McQueen in 2002. If you’re reading this, Mrs McQueen, go on, make Cumbernauld a city. Just for a laugh.
Other than the market where I got some venison and Scamp got an Arbroath Smokie, (Don’t know what it is? Google it.) there wasn’t much to do in Stirling. Couldn’t get a coffee anywhere, so we came home and dropped in at Milano for a late lunch instead. They actually do a pretty good pizza, not as good as Paesano in Glasgow.

When we got home there was just enough light to grab a few shots in St Mo’s. Spotted a pair of Goosanders in the pond. Don’t ever remember seeing them there before and liked the way they cruised through the ripples and the reflections of the sunset colours.

I don’t know why I called this ‘dreich’ or mentioned Goosanders, but it just triggered a déjà vu in my head. It happens quite often to me and I hate it.

First Full Day – 4 November 2016

Posted on November 4, 2016November 5, 2016 by Zogman

A more relaxed morning than yesterday! Unfortunately it was still raining. Just a shower we told ourselves but the sky gave a lie to that. Breakfast was the usual holiday hotel fare and of course we had too much of everything. Notables were the big slab of butter you could cut for yourself to spread on the bread you also cut for yourself. Butter was white and unsalted and also quite delicious.

After breakfast the rain was going off so we waited a while and then headed off in the direction of Puerto del Carmen. It’s a fairly long walk and the weather was improving so we took our time. Our objective today was to find the cheapest bottles of Gin and Tonic. Although we are all inclusive, it doesn’t go wrong to have the makings of a G&T for sitting on the balcony watching the world go by. The hotel provides us with as much drinking water as we want, free of charge, which is an improvement on some places we’ve been to. WiFi is also free, but only in the reception and only for two devices at any one time. Not a real drawback. To get back to the walk, we wandered down the road checking prices as we went. Stopped for a beer in a wee roadside bar. Checked that a really good Asian restaurant we’d been to was still there. Usual holiday stuff. Then we walked back, and it was getting real holiday hot now. Forgot to get the gin and were appalled at the price they wanted for it in Hyperdino (usually the cheapest, so we hadn’t checked it). I volunteered to walk back to the cheapest shop to get some and also some tonic. Finally arrived back, just in time for lunch. We were a bit more modest in our lunch selection, really just a salad.

After lunch, Scamp went to sunbathe and I went for a walk over the rough lava rocks to get some photos.

Booked dinner in the Asian restaurant in the hotel for Monday as Saturday and Sunday were fully booked. At night we waited for a while for the Flamenco show to start, but gave up on it after a while. Had a drink in the lounge and then went back to try again. The show is supposed to start at 21.30. At 21.45 they started the presentation of the awards of the day for the Kiddies Club. That was supposed to happen at 20.30, so it looked like they were running at least an hour behind. We, or to be more exact, I couldn’t be bothered waiting that long, so we headed for bed. Scamp was keen to demonstrate that she, as Genghis Pathfinder had discovered a faster way to get from the main building to the room and, for once, she was right. Full marks for Pathfinding, Scamp.

Less food tomorrow and hopefully some sunbathing with the possibility of a swim too.

The Traffic Warden – 1 November 2016

Posted on November 1, 2016November 1, 2016 by Zogman

Today we were up bright and early to face the day. It was a bright sunny morning so we headed off into Glasgow to make the most of it. Couldn’t get parked in Cowcaddens 1, but I was sure we’d get into Cowcaddens 2. Nope, there was someone sitting poaching by the entrance waiting for a space to become available. Drove round to Concert Square, but it too was full. There was nothing for it but to use the extortionate Buchanan Galleries where there were plenty of spaces – allegedly. We eventually found some on level 5. A pleasant surprise awaited us by the lifts. Buchanan Galleries prices have gone down by the same amount that Concert Square’s have gone up! Right, coffee awaits us.

After coffee, we went our separate ways for a while. We agreed a separation of an hour and a half and after checking that Scamp had her phone with her this time, I headed for Sausage Roll Street and Scamp went to Bucky Street. These names have been changed to protect the innocent you realise. Nowhere would really have a street called after a lunchtime non-fattening pastry or a bottle of tonic wine, would they? I was going to get the book I’d been meant to collect on Sunday at Waterstones. The much awaited sequel to The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. With it safely in the bag, the next path lead to the Flat Iron Building. Again, not its real name, but the shape of this red sandstone monolith always reminds me of the strange NY building. Theirs may be taller, but ours has gravitas and curly bits.

After a few wrong turnings I arrived at the corner of Shamrock Street and New City Road where the Flat Iron Building lives. I chose a sketching position next to the PDSA buiding on Shamrock Street and started. A woman passed me carrying a cat and with a Jack Russell on a lead, but she just looked through me as Glaswegians do when they have no clue what you’re doing there. She and the animals left me to my business and I left them to theirs. After I’d been sketching for about ten minutes, a wee wummin came round the corner, by that I don’t mean she was a diminutive lady. A wee wummin in Glasgow can be a terrifying person capable of facing down Genghis Khan. A nippy sweetie on the other hand would have torn Genghis apart to get into a fight. This was just a wee wummin, a kind of apprentice nippy sweetie. She and her daughter were also cradling a dog each and she was shouting. Shouting at me. “Here, are you giein’ me a ticket?”. “Somebody in there said there was somebody oot here giein’ folk parkin’ tickets.” I turned to her and asked her if I looked like a traffic warden, then realised that I did. Black jacket, bunnet, looks like he’s writing something in a black book. Yes, I did look like a traffic warden. I told her, no I wasn’t a warden and I hadn’t seen anybody giving out tickets. Just then a bloke arrived, also carrying a puppy. [Thinks: Does everybody here carry their dogs around with them? Do they not want them to wear out their wee legs?] This bloke is also shouting about somebody giving out parking tickets. Then realisation dawned. “Was it a wummin wi’ a dug and a cat that told you?” I asked. They agreed it was. Then realisation dawned on the bloke first, then on the wee wummin a split second later. ”She dun that tae get ahead of us in the queue. Aye, well she’ll have me tae answer tae. You jist see if she disnae!” and with that, a magical thing happened. With her words hanging in the air she made the transformation from wee wummin to the fully fledged and fearsome nippy sweetie.
After that exchange I got down to work on the sketch proper, adding the curly bits and the architectural fancies. I quite liked the finished article. I called it Shamrock Street, but in retrospect and in homage to Botticelli, I should probably have called it “The Birth of the Nippy Sweetie”. I hope the woman’s dog and cat are alright and that they found their own way home.

The rest of the day was tame by comparison with this ten minute street opera. I walked down to Cowcaddens subway station and got a couple of shots of a grand tree by the underpass. I got the subway to St Enoch’s and bought a couple of sketch books to replace the rapidly filling Fabriano and some brush markers, then met Scamp and drove back home. We stopped off at Milano for lunch as Scamp and her sister were going to a ‘do’ in Motherwell later.

There’s been a wren hunting in the bushes in the garden for weeks, presumably for spiders and other insects and I’ve never been quick enough to catch it. Today I did. The smaller the bird, the quicker they move.

Off to meet Fred P tomorrow and then on to Falkirk which will be free from traffic. Aye Right!

The Wild West – 28 October 2016

Posted on October 28, 2016October 28, 2016 by Zogman

Today we drove in to Glasgow.

We couldn’t get parked and it was such a great day, we drove out of Glasgow again and headed west along the M8. We just kept heading west until we reached Gourock. Along the way I took a wrong turning and that’s how we reached Largs. (Confused yet? You should be)

Largs is the gateway to Millport across the wild ocean, well, across the Clyde estuary, but that’s not where we parked. We parked in Largs and wandered around this metropolis. It didn’t take long. Largs has a great butchers, a great fishmongers and a couple of good restaurants. Not that we’re foodies or anything! It also is the gateway to Millport, but I’ve covered that. We had lunch at the restaurant we went to last time Bean & Leaf. Neither of us could remember what we had last time, but we agreed that it had been excellent. This time Scamp had a Cajun Chicken Burger. Served with hand cut chips. I had a burger with everything. Everything in this context was a Handmade Scotch meat burger with Barwhey’s cheddar, crispy Ayrshire bacon, fried onion, pickled gherkins & salsa. Served with hand cut chips. Now that’s a mouthful and no mistake. The food took a while to come, but I remember being told on one of the Royal Caribbean ships that it takes 20mins to cook a real burger properly. Tell that to Micky D’s.

After lunch Scamp went to investigate a couple of shops and I started my sketch which was to be Nardini’s Cafe. Nardini’s is one of the places you must go to when you’re in Largs. The other is the ferry to Millport, but I think I mentioned that earlier. We didn’t go to Nardini’s this time, but we have been there a few times. The frontage is pure Art Deco. All rectangular columns with rebates in a colour scheme of black on white. Very stylish and any changes that have been made to it over the years have been in that same Art Deco vein. An icon.
I think I did it justice in the sketch and was quite pleased with it. I’m beginning to like drawing with the Derwent Graphik 0.1mm pen. I’m thinking about buying a 0.05mm pen too – SuperFine.

The rest of the day’s pictures were taken around the front at Largs.

The Ice Cream shop sign was a phone-grab.
The car was a superb Lotus, tweaked with a custom curve in Lightroom, then dunked in Photoshop to block out the numberplate.
The Hotel was another grab shot, this time with the camera. This run-down building was on the front, and looked as if it was ready for the bulldozers. The woman hurrying by was a lucky.
The sailingboat and the windmill was another custom curve in Lightroom.

Then we went to pay for our parking. Put in the ticket and Scamp plopped in two 50p coins and a pound coin, but the pound coin didn’t register. Pressed the cancel button and the card came back, but no refund. Foolishly we put the card in again and loaded some more coins in with the same result. A bloke came along while I was phoning the help number and he tried the same thing, but with the same result. Now there were six people waiting for the engineer to come and sort the problem. Luckily he wasn’t long and solved the problem. It looks like a couple of Scamp’s home made 50p coins had jammed in the machine borking it. She really must be more careful with her quality control. Anyway, problem solved and we were on our way.

We headed north and passed through Gourock (see, we did go there) and crossed the Erskine bridge to avoid the inevitable queues on the M8, into the biggest traffic jam I’ve seen in a long time. Drove at an average of 20mph all the way home. All in all, a lovely day. The weather was simply superb. Not wall to wall sunshine, but lots of sun and some blue sky. There was a great sunset forming behind us as we were heading home, but I knew the traffic would only get worse if we lingered to see it and to be honest, we’d had the best of the day. Only one thing was missing. We didn’t go to Millport. Maybe next time.

Clicking the Coconuts again – 23 October 2016

Posted on October 23, 2016October 23, 2016 by Zogman

The day started with a bright sunny morning and we decided to go out somewhere interesting. No wandering around the shops and no long bus journeys. Somewhere I might get some foties and a sketch done and where Scamp could get tea and a scone.

We settled on either Castle Campbell or Doune Castle. Both would fit the specification, I thought. As driver, I chose Doune. We’d been there a few weeks ago and I like the building.

Unfortunately, the weather was deteriorating the nearer we got to Doune and there was a bit of drizzle in the wind when we got to the castle. However, we were there and it looked like we were sharing the drizzle with the whole of the Forth valley, which meant that Castle Campbell would be suffering in the rain too.

While I set up my sketching position in the corner of the courtyard to draw the entrance at the diagonally opposite corner, Scamp went for a walk through the inside of the castle. My first attempt wasn’t all I’d hoped for, so I changed position and started again and that is what you see for today’s Inktober. Perspective is a bit ropey in places and the proportions aren’t totally correct, but it was much better than the first attempt – you’ll have to take my word for it.

By the time I was finished, Scamp had returned from her investigation of the inner rooms of the castle and it was getting a bit cold. That’s when I realised that Doune Castle didn’t have a tea room. Bummer. Not to worry, we settled on a quick trip to Dobbies at Stirling and coffee and a scone there. As it happened, Dobbies was mobbed. All the Sunday Drivers were there, ’Grey Hairs’ one and all. “Do you want a meringue or a scone, oh look at the size of the sausage rolls, is that lemon drizzle cake, make up your mind, it that a jam doughnut … “ All without taking a breath. Every one of them was the same and every one of them was in the queue in front of me. However, I found the scones, loaded my tray. Got the tea and coffee, paid and then found Scamps table while the Living Dead were still choosing which of the cakes they’d have. They’re probably still there.

I’d grabbed a couple of ‘banker’ shots earlier in the morning. Just photos of Stuckies (Starlings to you) squabbling over the peanuts hanging on the rowan tree outside the kitchen window. I also got some shots of the Wallace Monument from Dobbies by poking the lens of my camera through the chainlink fence. The tower had looked beautiful as we were driving down from Doune, but by the time we got the Dobbies, the light on the building had gone and the outlook was far more gloomy, almost sinister. I still took the shot, thinking it would look good in mono.

That was it for the day. More rain on the way home, so perhaps yesterday’s rain had come down the road from Perth after all. Oh well, the morning had been good.

Tomorrow’s Monday. The busy day. My intention is to be better organized and get things done early. We’ll see.

A Good Day in the Toon – 21 October 2016

Posted on October 21, 2016October 21, 2016 by Zogman

It was Scamp’s suggestion that today we should travel in to Glasgow on the bus and then take the subway (AKA the underground, definitely NOT AKA the tube) to the West End. From there, I could choose between the Botanic Gardens and the Art Gallery or to give it it’s posh name, The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. I chose the latter.

Walked to Condorrat to get a fast(er) bus into the Toon. Coffee first (in Cafe Nero of course), then the subway out to Kelvin Hall which is about half a mile from the actual Kelvin Hall, but who cares. We walked along to the Art Gallery, although we always called it the Art Galleries and I suppose we always will, and entered this grand space. I remember my dad and my Uncle Jack taking me to this place and amazing me with all the things to see in it. My Uncle Jack as well as being a mine of information about Glasgow in general, was very knowledgable about painters and paintings. He would tell me the back stories of the paintings in the gallery and explain what the painter was trying to say. My dad was from a mining family and he would show me the models of coal mines and explain in detail what all the parts pit head buildings did.

Scamp was delighted to find that the organ recital was at 1pm and it was now 12.45pm. I was delighted because I knew where she’d be while I searched out a piece of armour to sketch. I’d seen a TV program a couple of years ago where they literally took apart a suit of armour and explained what each part did and how the pieces were put together by the armourer and the blacksmith. Since then I’ve intended sketching armour and this was the ideal opportunity.

Once the sketch and the recital was complete, we met up again. Scamp had enjoyed the recital and had found out that they did tours of the organ. She’d like to go, but not today. Next thing, she’s following an information assistant through a side door and motioning me to follow her. Climbed a couple of flights of stairs, through a wrought iron gate along a passage way and ended up in the small balcony where the organist was demonstrating how the organ was played. It’s a massive beast of an instrument when you’re up close. The organist was really great, explaining what all the stops did an the multitude of pedals. The only thing he didn’t do was give her a shot at playing Vidor’s Toccata or something although I could see she was itching to have a go. Yes, yes, Scamp, I know it should be Widor’s Toccata, but that just doesn’t look right and it’s my blog, remember. I took the chance to get some shots from a viewpoint I probably wouldn’t be in again and it was quite a remarkable half an hour.

Anything else would have been a disappointment after that, so we headed for lunch which was in a wee Indian tapas restaurant we had been to before at the bottom of Byres Road. The food was excellent. Fish Pakora and Buttered Chicken were the stars for me. Lovely light nan, but it had cooled just a little bit too much for us. Still delicious.

Walked up Byres Road and had a beer for me, 3 Hop Edinburgh Lager (Poor, very poor) and a G&T for Scamp in Oran Mor. We even sat outside and drank them. It was that sort of day. The sort of day to just take your time and enjoy life.

Subway back to Glasgow City and the bus home. Job done. Had a great time. Brilliant idea Scamp. Let’s do it again some time soon.

Today’s Inktober sketch is of a knight’s helmet from c1620 (which is twenty past four in the afternoon for those who don’t understand the 24 hour clock!) It amazes me that people could not only wear one of these medieval crash helmets, but they could ride into battle in them. They could fight in them. Many of them could die in them. If they were knocked from their horse in a battle, what chance did they have of standing up again? Having said all that, when you examine these pieces of armour, they are beautifully made and the attention to detail is fascinating. Little bits of brass (surely not gold) worked to look like rope that adorned the edges of the eye slit and the neck piece. Exquisite workmanship, and it’s safe to say workmanship, because all the armourers were men.

The remainder of the photos were taken in or around the Art Galleries. If you’ve never been, or if it’s a long time since you’ve been. Go and get some culture for a change instead of wandering down Bucky Street, along Sausage Roll Street or dodging the jakies in Argyll Street. Have a curry in that wee curry shop, it’s called Usha’s at the bottom of Byres Road. Don’t bother with the 3 Hop Lager. It’s basically Heineken who own Caledonian who make 3 Hop Lager, strangely enough. Head back in to town and have a draught Bitter & Twisted in The Horseshoe. That’s the makings of a ‘Good Day in the Toon’

Rain and Sunsets – 15 October 2016

Posted on October 15, 2016October 15, 2016 by Zogman

The weather fairies were predicting a good day for tomorrow, with blue skies all around, but for today they were predicting blue as in the colour of water everywhere. I don’t know about tomorrow, but they were dead right about today. Scamp’s phone predicted that it would dry up around 4pm and it did.

Needless to say, there was very little chance of photos during the bulk of the day and no chance of any sketches, even with permanent markers.

We went to Stirling, because:

It’s fairly near – This wasn’t a day for driving far.
It’s cheap to park if you know where to go – £1.40 a day v £2 an hour in Glasgow.
It’s still got a good curry shop.

Sorted then. Had a curry in the Indian Cottage and a quick wander round the shops. Coffee in Cafe Nero and then a browse through the gallery in Port Street then got tomorrow’s dinner in Waitrose on the way back to the car. It wasn’t a brilliant day, but the curries were tasty and mine was super hot with loads of fresh green chillies.

Although the clouds were lifting and the rain was becoming more hit and miss, there still wasn’t a case for getting the sketchbook or the camera out of the bag. It would have been a bit dangerous and maybe even illegal to do a sketch while I was driving anyway. Just another of the restrictions being put in place by the Scottish government. Can’t drink and drive and now you can’t draw and drive. Whatever next? They’ll be telling us we can’t use our phones while we’re driving! Only joking, they’d never be able to police that, would they?

I started to get twitchy once we got home. The rain was off, the clouds were lifting and there was a wee bit of light getting through, so I grabbed my jacket and ‘the big dog’, the Nikon and headed out. I didn’t really want to go to St Mo’s because I knew the light direction wouldn’t make for a good sunset shot, so instead I took the longer walk to Broadwood Loch. It’s not really a loch, it’s a big pond – manmade by ‘the cooncil’ who flooded a boggy chunk of land they couldn’t sell to house builders or to the industrial sector. That’s all they did really. They built a turf dam at one end and let the water level rise. Initially there was talk of a sailing club and game fishing, but as usual, these ideas were shelved by ‘the cooncil’ as it would cost too much outside the limits of Motherwell, so we must consider ourselves lucky to have a path round the pond and some distance markers. Compare and contrast with Strathclyde Loch with its Olympic rowing lanes, its sailing club, cycle track, multiple carparks … need I go on? It couldn’t have anything to do with its close proximity to Motherwell, the centre of North Lanarkshire. I digress – as usual. I got a few decent sunset shots using the 10 – 20mm Sigma lens which is simply ideal for this type of shot. I had something in the bag at last.

Today is ‘hump day’ for Inktober, 15 days in. Pass this and you’re on the home stretch. I chose one of my old shoes for today’s sketch and since a lot of people are photographing their pens with their sketches, I thought I’d do the same. Today’s drawing was completed on 110gsm Fabriano Sketch using a 0.3 Micron.

Lets hope the weather fairies are as correct in their prediction for tomorrow as they were today.

Sketching in Town – 14 October 2016

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Zogman

We took the bus in to the town today and then went our different ways for an hour and a half. Me to do my sketch of the day and Scamp to wander round the shops. Yesterday I had a bit of a hiding place, ensconced beside a wall in the church yard of the old church, you could even say I was hiding, but today was drawing in the middle of Glasgow. No walls, no church yards to hide behind, just me, a sketch book and about half a dozen pens. I got some strange looks, but nobody stopped to ask what I was doing, which was a great relief. I suppose I did have one hiding place, one wall, the wall and hiding place of Inktober which I guess I could use as an explanation for sketching in the open air in Glasgow. Either that or a daft auld bastard with too much time on his hands. Yes, that would work too. Sketch wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be, but I’ll keep trying. Another sketching day beckons tomorrow.

Today’s photo is of a wee lane just off Queen Street. I think it unlikely that Nicola had ever seen this lane, let alone stayed in it. Such is the hyperbole in Glasgow at the moment. I’ve taken this shot before, but this is a different crop to remove the two windows above this one and exaggerate the squalor of Queen Nicola’s Lane.

Lunch, when we met up again, was at Paesano Pizza in Miller Street again. Excellent pizzas. When we left there, the rain was on. Up until then it had been dry and fairly bright. Like I said at the start, we’d travelled on the bus today and on the road home I was pleased that we had. Traffic was backed up and hardly moving as we crossed the bridge where I would have been exiting the M80. I’d have been caught up in at least three miles of standing traffic. Not a good way to end the day. In addition, I had the opportunity to have a glass of wine with my pizza. You can’t risk that if you’re driving these days.

Altogether a worthwhile day.