An explanation – 6 March 2026

I’ve been struggling to add in all the things we did on our spring break and we’ve spoken to both of you individually since we arrived home, so you have a fair idea of what we’ve been doing. With that in mind I thought I’d cut to the chase and take them as read. After all, it was a holiday and we didn’t really do all that much, except drink watered down beer, eat some cold food and go for walks along the coast. So my plan is to start fresh from today and get back to Blogging. Here goes.

Today Scamp was out at her usual time to go to FitSteps class. One of the last FitSteps classes she is likely to attend, because Kirsty is abandoning the classes as the numbers are dropping away and it must be heartbreaking to run a class for only three people. I don’t think Scamp is exactly pleased about it, but she appreciates the predicament Kirsty is in. There are other FitStep classes Scamp could go to, but she likes the Friday morning class, but it’s just not practical. Kirsty is still committed to the Monday evening dance class, so I can’t get out of it that easily 😉, it’s just the Friday morning class that’s disappearing at the end of the month.

After Scamp returned from FitSteps we walked over to Condorrat to post a card to somebody or some people who deserved one, but on the way we had intended dropping in at Broden’s bar for a Friday lunch, only to find that the door had its shutters down as did the pub that it’s connected to. We’d even decided on our lunch which was to be Mac ’n’ Cheese for Scamp and Fish ’n’ Chips for Scamp. Instead we walked home to get a sandwich each. Nice though they were, the just weren’t as good as hot food. The last time we were in Broden’s (probably known to you as The Masonic to you) we discovered that it was under new management. One of Scamp’s Witchy spies had heard that it was closing but we thought it was just a rumour. Hopefully it’s just closed for refurbishment. Fingers crossed.

Scamp was doing some rearranging of her plants in the last few days and I hoped I could avoid work by going for a walk in St Mo’s. I got a few photos of frogs in St Mo’s pond and one of them made PoD. I thought I’d avoided some gardening work, but Scamp dragged me kicking and screaming to the back garden to prune the big Buddleia bush that grows beside the back fence. I have to admit that it looked better for its Short Back and Sides.

We may take a broken lens in to WEX in Glasgow tomorrow to see if it is repairable. It sounds like its had some water ingress that’s causing rust. If it can’t be fixed, it’s going to be more pocket money leaving my pocket.

 

Some kind of normal – 4 March 2025

Today we had shopping to do. A chance to turn the day into something approaching normal.

Afterwards we drove up to Torwood for lunch and a look at what the garden centre had to offer. Scamp got some seed compost and a very dark coloured hellebore. After I’d dropped her off at home, I took the Blue car for a spring clean at the car-wash! It looked so much better after that.

I went for a walk in St Mo’s and found that the frogs were back. Almost all of them were busy making more frogs. Yesterday there were none, but seemingly the message had got out that it was time to procreate. There were vast rafts of frogspawn. I’m sure this will bring crowds of primary school children eager to capture some of the frogspawn to put in jars in their classrooms. Probably there will be a law against capturing frogs eggs, but children know nothing of the legality of such ambushing.

Today’s PoD was inevitably “Frogs”!

We drove in to Glasgow in the middle of rush hour to pick up Jackie who had travelled south from Skye to add weight to the Scottish contingent. We were very glad to have her. It gave Scamp an opportunity to explain in detail the last few days. It also gave the sisters a chance to bond. I hate that ‘bond’ word, but it’s the only one that fits

Tomorrow we are invited to have coffee in Tesco with one of the English side of the family who may try to put her case for what happens next. I’d have thought a better, and less public place could have been chosen, but maybe, just maybe, it was the choice of Paul and Shona.