Category: Food

More shopping – 11 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Yesterday was window shopping and a touch of ‘real’ shopping.

Today was back to reality shopping in Tesco. Scamp had made a fairly large shopping list and we just worked through it, managing to find most things, but with the usual few missing items.

We’d intended to have lunch, but I’d a bit of stomach cramp so we postponed it. Then Scamp’s pal, Annette, arrived. Now I’m not being sexist here, but two women discussing things can lead to “Three’s a crowd” so I took my stomach cramp upstairs and read for a while. After Annette went home I did trust my stomach with a couple of slices of toast and a cup of tea. That seemed to settle things down. I’m blaming a pot of Kefir yogurt for the problem. The last time I had some, it had exactly the same effect. I’ll be more circumspect in future.

The weather today has been hit and miss. Sometimes the sun shines for an hour or more and sometimes it only lasts for a short while before the driving wind sprays everyone with showers. I caught a couple of those showers today. I also missed one by sheltering under the trees when I was out for my constitutional over St Mo’s then on across the football park and back home. Sometimes I extend the walk to include the path to the shops, but I was keeping a weather eye (literally) on those big black clouds that were rolling in from the north-west.

I went out with a different camera/lens combination today. A Lensbaby Sweet 35 lens for closeups and a Tamron 70-180mm zoom. Both on the A7iii. The Lensbaby gives dreamlike effects and the Tamron is an almost ideal short telephoto. Both worked very well, but the Tamron won the day with another shot of a Bird’s-foot Trefoil behind a chain link fence. This one has a much better background than the original. PoD sorted!

We couldn’t decide what to have for dinner, but in the end Scamp had an omelette and I had a fry-up. For me it was a bit of a test to see if my stomach was back to normal and it seems as if it is … touch wood.

We watched another boring episode of Masterchef. Thankfully it’s coming to an end soon. Good riddance I say!

Tomorrow is a cooking and maybe a baking day. Crawford & Nancy are coming to dinner. Whoever is free will probably be making the starter (possibly soup), Scamp is intending doing the main course and I’m booked for the dessert. We’ll see how it goes.

Shopping – 10 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Not Tesco shopping, but looking for books, trainers and prezzies!

We drove to The Fort in the outskirts of Glasgow. A vast array of shops selling almost everything imaginable, but mainly clothes, shoes and jewellery. I was looking for a specific book, ‘Wild Houses’, but didn’t end up buying it. I applied three rules I got from the English teacher I had at college more than forty years ago. She told us to:

  • Read the entire first page, because it provides the ‘Hook’ that keeps you wanting to read more. If the book fails that test, reject it.
  • If it passes the first test, select a page from around the middle of the book and read about half of that page. If you’re still interested, the book is worth buying.
  • If it fails the second test, don’t reject it out of hand. Take a note of the title and author and test it again in six months or so.

My book fell at the first fence. It just wasn’t for me.

Scamp and I were both looking for a comfortable pair of trainers. My old ones are worn right down and no longer waterproof. I tried in three different shops and didn’t find anything I was willing to pay good money for. Scamp had the same problem.

That meant Books and Trainers were a waste of time and money. Thankfully she did find the prezzies she was looking for, so we didn’t go home empty handed. When we arrived at The Fort around 11am, there were spaces on every row in the carpark. When we left, just after midday, there seemed to be none. People were prowling around actively searching for parking spaces. This was on a Wednesday, usually a quiet shopping day. I dread to think what it’s like on a Saturday afternoon!

We drove home and I admit I was being a grump. Maybe because I’d a near miss with a less than interesting book or a pair of too expensive trainers, or maybe it was just the mood I was in, but the drive home was in silence.

I went for a walk in the afternoon. I got halfway round one of my usual walks when the rain started. I didn’t mind, really. I had my Famous Blue Raincoat on and despite its tears and patches, it kept me dry. Dry enough to get a few shots of a little wee hoverfly that sat patiently for me. That became the PoD.

Dinner tonight was the best fish ’n’ chips I’ve had for ages. Scamp made it and it was way better than any food from a chip shop. Thanks, Scamp.

We’ve no plans yet for tomorrow, but it looks like it will be wet.

 

 

Out and about – 8 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

An early rise this morning to see Jamie and Simonne safely on their way back home.

It was a flying visit, but it was great to see them for a couple of days. Good to hear that the boys (and the girls) were all well and grown up now. I don’t think we would recognise them after all this time.

We wandered around the house feeling like lost threads. Scamp put the fold-down bed away and I put all the glasses away. Still there was a whole day ahead and no real plans for it. I suggested we go to the Kelpies and use them to recharge our energy. Scamp agreed. Also, we could take a look in at Klondyke Garden Centre when we were there anyway. That sealed it. We were going to Helix Park where the Kelpies live.

Drove over almost to Grangemouth and paid our £4.50 to park, then as we were walking on to the beasts themselves, I saw a new view of these mighty magical horses. Two heads were rising above a grassy bank that made the statues look even bigger than they usually do. I took a couple of shots anyway and we walked over to see the Kelpies.

The park was mobbed, quite the busiest we’ve seen it in years. We did the usual walk round and between these metal creatures. Unfortunately the wind was from the west today and the smell from the sewage works was almost overpowering. We didn’t tarry long and walked back to the wee restaurant for a cup of coffee and a chocolate biscuit each. We agreed there was just too big a crowd today and drove over to Klondyke to search out a bargain or two among the plants. Once Scamp had chosen her selection of bulbs from the vast selection, and I had picked up a fairly healthy looking Acer at a knock down price, they all went into the boot of the blue car and we went to search out some food.

I’m not usually impressed with garden centre food, but today’s Steak Burger was an eye opener. Best one I’ve had in ages. Scamp had a Mushroom Quiche and I had that brilliant burger.

We drove home and I planted the Acer while Scamp was going round dead-heading some of the fading flowers.

Kirsty’s class today was Cha-Cha. I wasn’t impressed. I used to say Cha-Cha was my most hated dance. I thought I was over it, but today, with the noise from the ghetto blaster and Kirsty shouting over the top of it, none of the instructions were going in to my head. She (Kirsty) wants to do another session next week. That gives me almost seven days to make up an excuse not to go.

When we got home there was a message from Jamie & Simonne to say they had arrived safely after a fairly easy drive. Glad they had an easy day for a change.

PoD went to the picture of the Kelpies looking over that grassy bank.

No plans for tomorrow … yet!

We went shopping – 7 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

You know it’s been a dull day when the highlight is “We went shopping”.

Some days are like that. You can have days when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and you manage to capture fifty photos, each one better than the last. Then there are days where you manage to grab half a dozen shots of butterflies and are satisfied with that. Today fell into the ‘satisfied’ category.

We went shopping, as I mentioned and that got us out of the house for half an hour or so. Just the usual shopping for lunch and dinner. Mainly essentials.

Jamie and Simonne were on their way back from yesterday’s wedding but were stopping off in Glasgow to meet up with a couple of their old friends. They arrived back at the house around 5pm. By then I’d been out for a walk across the football park behind St Mo’s and had hardly taken the camera out of the bag. I did get just over 100g of brambles on the way back.

I made a hash of getting Simonne’s SD card to work in the new computer. Why do the different companies insist on sticking to their own formats. It would be so much easier for everyone if they just took the sensible approach of one size and one format fits all. Anyway, in the end we got the photos she wanted, although I’ll have to work out how we make a heart shaped background for one of them.

For dinner, Scamp and I had Chicken Milanese with our own potatoes and Scamp’s speciality, Rats, which of course is short for Ratatouille. Jamie & Simonne shared a pizza. We all had Passionfruit & Raspberry Cheesecake for dessert while we watched Lando Norris being humiliated by being given a derisory second place as compensation for having had a slow pitstop. Poor guy was very noncommittal in the interview.

We’re expecting the young ones to be leaving early tomorrow to take the road south. Hope they have a problem-free journey and arrive home safely.

Us? I think we might be going looking for the elusive bread bin again, with maybe the chance of dancing Cha-Cha in Kirsty’s class later.

In all their finery – 6 September 2025

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The youngsters were up about 6am and busying themselves getting breakfast and choosing what to wear to the wedding.

We pretended we were still sleeping, but knew we were just kidding ourselves. We too got dressed and made sure they had had breakfast and had all the accoutrements you need for going to a wedding. Just to be sure, I went over the basics of the camera again and could see that she was confident with using it. It’s a fair step up from her old Nikon as I’m sure she realised.

Suddenly, the car was packed and they were dressed and ready for a final curtain call at the front door to show off their finery, then they were off to the wilds of North West Scotland where a church was waiting for them.

We didn’t go back to bed. Instead we had breakfast and sat and did what we usually to, ie Wordle, Spelling Bee and Strands … Then we made plans for the day. We’d intended going to Edinburgh, but somehow that got put on the back burner and the burner was turned off. We settled instead for a visit to Stirling. Both of us were still looking for a pair of trainers and possibly a new pair of trousers for me. I’ve been promising myself those trousers for months now, if not years. I didn’t get them, but I saw two pairs of trainers that would work for me and a couple of pairs of trousers that would do the job too. Scamp didn’t get anything either, but did express an interest in a dance skirt. We but all of the above into that same back burner and vowed to come back and look at them.

I did get a book I was interested in and got the bloke in Waterstones to tell me about another one that I’d forgotten the name of. I didn’t have the name, but I recognised the title from his desk display. Unfortunately it wasn’t in stock, but I’ll call back and order it soon. The name was Wild Houses by Colin Barrett.

Lunch was two toasties in Caffè Nero. Both the same, although one was supposed to be a Ham & Brie toast, but it was a Tuna Melt that arrived. Scamp’s order was a Tuna Melt. I suppose I could have had the Tuna Melt magically transformed into the H&B, but I was hungry and in this case the TM would do fine.

We did a bit of shopping in Waitrose to pay them for allowing us to park in their store for a couple of hours and then we drove home. I went for a walk and came back with a couple of decent photos. PoD turned out to be a Bird’s-foot Trefoil flower, viewed through a chain-link fence. I thought it made a neat frame for the wild flower!

Tomorrow we’re expecting the Photographer and her assistant to return from the North West before going out again with friends later. That’s the plan for now.

Visitors – 5 September 2025

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Visitors means tidying up, hoovering (or Dyson-ning) and maybe some dusting. So it was today when we realised that Jamie & Simmone were on their way to Scotland.

Scamp was off to FitSteps and I volunteered to hoover the stairs and the downstairs area. You forget just how much clutter there is in a house until you have to tidy it up and remove all the dust and paper. I know now just how much Scamp does in the house, while I’m swanning around pretending to be useful. But we know all that work will be short lived because I’m plain lazy.

With a bit of the work done and a space created in the back bedroom that could almost be described as “liveable in”, I changed from ‘cleaner mode’ to ‘shopper’, and went to find the articles on my shopping list. Meanwhile Scamp ‘Sorted the House’. I think that means she undid all the work I’d already done and made the house look like it was made fro humans to live in. I just let her get on with it.

Late in the afternoon the travellers arrived in Cumbersheugh and we could all rest for a while and hear about their plans for the weekend. They were coming up to Scotland for a wedding. Two of their friends were getting married on Saturday up north, near Oban. They had finally met Andrew, our business man and part-time comic.

Dinner tonight was Spinach & Chickpea Curry. I’d been the first person to make it a few months ago. Made from a book that Scamp had bought for me and a mine of useful information. It took a bit longer than I’d anticipated, but although it was a wee bit hot, it was almost as good as the first one I’d made and also tasted quite like the one Scamp had made too. I like it when a plan comes together like that.

I gave Simonne my A6500 with the kit lens a new SD card and a quick explanation of the vital bits and pieces she’d need as she was going to be photographer for the wedding. She seemed to understand most of what I was saying and, because she’d used an old Nikon before, had a fairly good knowledge of the basics of photography.

After that it was early bed for the travellers who’d driven about nine hours to reach Bonnie Scotland and were tired out. Tomorrow was going to be another long day, I feared!

PoD was a bunch of acorns hanging from a low branch on an oak tree I passed on the way to do the shopping. Not very inspiring, but at least I had something done.

Tomorrow will be an early rise for all. Then, when the youngsters drive up to meet the rest of the wedding party, we might go back to bed for another forty winks.

It’s a Burd wi’ a Burd! – 4 September 2025

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Now there’s a thing you don’t see every day!

Alex and I were on our way to Paisley when I caught a glimpse of this parrot (actually a Black-headed Caique) sitting on a girl’s shoulder. I don’t know how she managed to get it to sit there quietly, but I’m guessing Superglue or Araldite might have had something to do with it. Instant PoD!

I met Alex sitting on the steps of the Concert Hall in Glasgow and we walked down Buchanan Street and had a cup of coffee while we made plans for what to do today. We’d talked about going to Paisley the last time we were out for a photo-walk, and agreed that it was a good choice of venue for today.

We got the train to Paisley and started our walk at the Abbey. It’s quite a remarkable place, and one of my favourite architectural buildings now. We agreed that Glasgow Cathedral was a very dark and gloomy building, but the stained glass window panels in Paisley Abbey are so bright and colourful. I’m not religious, but I do like this building. None of the walls are parallel allegedly because the entire structure is tilting slightly after being built over a watercourse. I don’t know for the truth of that, but it’s something I’ve heard a lot from Paisley folk.

After a walk around it, we felt the need for some sustenance so we headed for the Ugly Duck, our go-to place for a burger. It’s not much to look at, and the food isn’t fantastic, but we both like it and I’d say it’s one of the most friendly places in the town. I managed to break a cap on one of my teeth, nothing to do with the food, I hasten to add, just me being clumsy I think. Phoned the dentist and got an appointment for next week. More money!

Alex wanted to have a look round a wee shop that’s rarely open when we’re visiting Paisley, but today it was open and Alex was just raring to go in. I’d say it was a junk shop, but maybe that’s being too critical. I’d certainly not be buying any of the cameras that were sitting on one of the shelves and I wouldn’t even touch the lenses that were stacked beside the cameras. I was actually glad to get out of it, but I could see Alex was engrossed with the variety of tack that was there.

When we eventually came out, it was starting to rain, so we headed back to the station and the train in to Glasgow again. Coffee in a Nero just off Buchanan Street. Walked up the hill and met a bunch of Hare Krishnas coming the other way. Haven’t seen them for years, but there they were dancing and singing their hearts out.

We parted at the bus station and Alex went left while I went right. The old single decker bus was waiting for me as I walked along got the walkway and it took me back through Moodiesburn where it drove through a downpour. It felt like it had been waiting for just that moment to catch us unawares. I got out at my stop to find the rain had stopped and the sun was shining. That’s Scotland fur ye!

Tomorrow I must clear up the back bedroom for Jamie and Simonne on a flying visit.

Just tidying up – 3 September 2025

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Or at least, my version of tidying up, which just means doing it on the computer, not in real life.

After we’d worked out the twisted games of Wordle, Spelling Bee and all the other assorted puzzles we play in the morning, Scamp was off to meet the rest of the witches and I was going to Tesco to get the messages. I’d a little list already made up under Scamp’s careful instructions. It was one of those days that looked as if it was just about to rain, but never did. At least, it didn’t do it until later. I’d some computer stuff to get my head round first.

<Technospeak>
Last week I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best when I removed one of my the old iMacs from the safety of the Adobe corral. Adobe allows you to have three Macs open at the same time. However, you can only use two of those three at the same time. The other one can not use Adobe software until you choose to remove one of the other two first. Confused? Yes, so was I, but them’s the rules apparently. I wanted to check to see if it was the old computer I’d removed and it was. That meant that the new iMac and my MacBook were now able to work together. I’ve more or less stopped using the old iMac now. It is getting slower than frozen treacle and crashes if you look at it the wrong way.
</Technospeak>

By the time I’d struggled through all that, Scamp was back from her meeting with the witches and just as I was heading into the garden to take some photos, the rain started. I managed to get four shots before I gave up. Out of those four shots, I kept two. The PoD was a couple of white Cosmos flowers. Not great, but done and posted.

I made dinner tonight which was Cod & Prawns with Fennel & White Wine. It’s an old recipe we’ve used a fair amount, but not for a long time. It still works, though.

I got an email from one of the Flickr managers asking if I was going to run Inktober again this year. I’d already decided that I wasn’t going to do it this year. I’d too many thing to do this October, so had to bow out. I may participate for some of the time, but not for the whole month. Pity.

Tomorrow I’m intending to meet Alex. We may go for a walk around Paisley.

A spot of lunch and a walk in the park – 2 September 2025

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Travelling by bus to Dunfermline today.

We were on the ball for a change today. Caught the bus to the town centre and then picked up another bus that took us to Dunfermline. There were heavy clouds when we left Cumbersheugh, but the further north and east we went, the lighter the sky became.

We walked from the bus station down towards Pittencrieff Park. On the way we were hoping to find some decent trainers for sale, but there wasn’t much to choose from. Scamp thought there were a few styles that might be useful, but not many. I may go back to Go Outdoors this week and have a look there.

The park was a different place to the High Street. Well kept grass and great views over the Forth to Edinburgh. We walked round the gardens and Scamp got a few ideas for plants for next year, all being well. Echinops was the main thing she was interested in. Big blue globe thistles that seem to attract the bees. I can see why she would like a few of them in the garden.

For me the heated greenhouse was the draw. I love walking round the pond, watching the carp and goldfish. The flowers too are just that bit more glamorous and bright than most of our garden flowers. My favourite, and PoD was the Gloriosa Flame Lily. Such a statement plant with its bright reds and yellows.

Lunch was in Wetherspoons. Fish ’n’ Chips for Scamp and Chicken Jalfrezi for me. Scamp had a glass of Barossa Ink and I had a pint of Innis & Gunn for me. A lunch that didn’t cost the earth.

We left Wetherspoons with plenty of time to cross the road and catch the bus back to Cumbersheugh, except, that bus just never came. Half hour wait for the next one and, of course, two of them came at the same time. The traffic was a bit heavy as we neared Cumbersheugh, but we weren’t driving, so we didn’t care. The X3 arrive about five minutes later and it took us home.

We watched the Great British Bake-off, or at least Scamp did. I was too busy posting the PoD on Flickr, and anyway, I couldn’t be bothered with all the giggles from the ‘bakers’. We also watched the Great British Sewing Bee just to finish off the day. It was much better.

That was a great day. Great idea Scamp, giving the wee Blue car a rest for a day!

Tomorrow, Scamp is intending to meet the witches for lunch. I may be sweating over a hot keyboard because I’ve still got a lot to do yet.

The Constant Gardener – 31 August 2025

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That’s not me, it’s Scamp!

I’m the one who mixes up the compost and sometimes gets the proportions wrong. I’m the one who makes a mess all over the clean, freshly cut grass. I’m the one who forgets where he put the trowel, spade, fork etc. Mainly, I’m the labourer. I carry the pots from the front garden to the back and sometimes from the back to the front. I don’t mind. Scamp’s the clever one. She remembers the names of all the flowers, but I know which of the beasties will nip you and which won’t! Between us we get the garden growing.

Today we were splitting up the Primula Candelabra into two separate plants, repotting the colour changing ’Switch Ophelia’ we also repotted a few of the newly purchased plants from last week. We dug up the potatoes from the first of the big ‘tattie bags’ and were disappointed by the size and quantity of the potatoes themselves. We’d hoped they would be bigger, but the soil they were growing in was a bit dry and dusty because of the lack of decent rain during July and August. Hopefully now that we’ve had almost a week’s worth of rain, the next crop will be better, providing they haven’t become sodden and rotted.

I went out for a walk in the afternoon over to St Mo’s and across the football pitches, hoping for some decent shots of butterflies, but there were very few on the wing today. There were some Peacocks, but none of the more exotic butterflies I’d seen a few days ago. A little drone fly on a Scabious flower got PoD. On the way back I managed to find a couple of grams of brambles that may go into a dessert some day.

Dinner was Chicken Milanese with potatoes and Scamp’s special veg mixture. Very nice it was too. Pudding was Rhubarb Crumble made with a mix of Jamie’s rhubarb and some of our own.

We spoke to Jamie later and heard about final preparations for their visit north to go to a wedding next week. Sounds like an awfully long way to go for a couple of nights. However, they are intending to meet Andrew. Oh to be a fly on that wall!

Tomorrow Scamp and I may go looking for a bread bin that will fit into a corner of our kitchen.