Category: green

Dentist – 18 April 2024

Posted on by Zogman

Not for me, thankfully, but for Scamp.

We did very little in the morning, just attempted to solve Wordle ( I did eventually find it, but it took a while) and I’m still looking for today’s pangram. It’s probably under a cushion somewhere.

At midday Scamp got ready to have her temporary tooth remove then the old molar from the back of her mouth extracted. Next she had an x-ray taken, and a new temporary tooth rebuilt. That was a lot of work and a lot of anaesthetics to deal with, but she came back with a smile on her face, as always. Brave girl.

It does look as if most of my seeds have now sprouted although some took a lot longer than others. Still no sign of potatoes in the fancy double skinned bucket, but it has been unseasonable cold. There’s time yet for them.

After lunch, and after Scamp was safely ensconced on the couch, I took the A7 for a walk in St Mo’s in the drizzly rain. Not much to see today, but I did get one decent shot of a fern unfurling its leaves. Like my seedlings, it’s a bit late, but getting there. I extended my walk down to the Shops to get some flowers for Scamp and some sweeties for me. Well, it is Thursday for me as well as Scamp.

Dinner tonight was Haddock Risotto, the easy one, made in the oven. By that time Scamp was able to eat again and her tongue had done one or two circuits of the new mouth and tooth.

We watched the final of The Apprentice even although there was no doubting who was going to win. I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably say it again. The program needs a revamp. A replacement for Lord Sugar. He’s becoming repetitive. Oh yes, and a new scriptwriter to put the jokes back in the crackers.

The fern was the PoD. Not the best shot, but it’s in and posted. Got myself another ‘Explore’ for the view looking up the South Tower of Bothwell Castle. That was a brightener.

No plans for tomorrow, but I really must tidy up the back bedroom soon.

 

The wind and the rain and a parcel – 31 January 2024

Posted on by Zogman

It had been a wild night again and Storm Something-unpronounceable (maybe Norwegian?) was still growling around the houses. It didn’t look like we were going anywhere today!

We weren’t. But that was good, because Hazy phoned to find out what was going on in the rest of the family. So we discussed the weather as you do in Scotland and also how Jamie’s house was progressing. She told me that a parcel would be arriving today or maybe tomorrow by Royal Mail. Then she went on to tell me that the previous parcel had had a wee accident and was now in a hundred pieces. After that, she and Scamp had a long discussion about singing in a choir, which they both had done in the past and I could sense that she wished she could have joined June and Scamp in their recent recital of the Verdi Requiem. I really felt sorry for Neil being put under pressure by his Head Teacher. I’ve been there and got the tee shirt, but didn’t like wearing it. Finally she sent me a GIF of a catbus! Google it. It’s hilarious. I must watch some Japanese cartoons some time!!!

Five minutes later, the postman knocked on the door and handed me a big box that had come from Kirkcaldy, ordered from London. Inside was a lovely plant pot that I hope my Split Rock, Nelly is going to go into as soon as I can get some compost – that’s part of tomorrow’s task. It’s a lovely blue and white painted terracotta pot and saucer. I’m sure Uncle Murdo would love it, Hazy! But he won’t get a chance because it’s mine.

Lunch was left over haggis mixed with left over potatoes, mashed together with some butter and served with a fried egg. Sort of like Bubble and Squeak, Scottish style. Very nice, Scamp. A great idea.

In the afternoon I phoned Val. It’s ages since we spoke. Probably not since last year. We discussed our health and what we were doing about it and the damage the latest storm is causing. He had just lost his garden table to one of those gusts when the glass top smashed to smithereens. Poor guy. I think he like us has had enough of Windy Willy’s carry on.

That was about it for a dull day. We did get an hour in the late afternoon when the wind dropped and the rain stopped and I wandered the garden searching for subjects. I finally settled on some rhododendron buds that are beginning to plump up. Developed in Lightroom, Photoshop 2023 and in On1 2024. It looked presentable after that.

Tomorrow we’re intending getting compost for Nelly and some bulbs for Scamp.

Fourth of July – 4 July 2023

Posted on by Zogman

Another day of thundery showers followed by warm sunshine.

Scamp decided we should go shopping and I went along to make sure it was done properly! We arrived back home with a sight more than the milk, potatoes, fruit and veg. Stopped on the way to get the makings of tonight’s dinner which was stir-fry. We just got in the door as the rain started.

Yesterday Scamp decided the bed needed changing and the mattress turned. Today she decide the upstairs rooms should be hoovered so between us we hauled out the bed, dusted behind it then hoovered there too. Finally we put almost everything back in place. Some things though, including my ancient but totally shot leather slippers didn’t go back. They went into the bin instead. Poor things were almost worn through. I’ll never find another pair like them.

We were just relaxing with a coffee after our work when the rain came on again and it really did come down like stair rods. The weather fairies had warned of thundery showers and for once they were correct. I waited until I was sure the rain had stopped then booted up and walked over to St Mo’s with the A6000 in tow and took a few insect and flower photos. The flower photos won today. The ultimate winner was a photo of a branch with Snowberry flowers. Delicate little pink bell shaped flower that will produce bunches of white ball shaped fruit in the autumn. Managed to get back dry, apart from the drips coming from the trees after the heavy shower earlier.

Got an email from Nissan asking me to Pay Up or Put Back by September. Still considering what the final fate of the wee Blue car will be.

No plans for tomorrow as yet.

A glass of wine and a cucumber – 26 May 2023

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The glass was a prompt but the cucumber was in the garden.

While Scamp was off at FitSteps class this morning I did a rough sketch for today’s prompt which was A Glass of Red Wine or Juice. I chose the wine of course and as usual, the rough sketch got more and more refined until it became the painting. I was running out of free space on my concertina sketch book, so I’d drawn it on the back of a sheet from my A5 sketch book and I’d already been doodling on it weeks ago. That meant I had a lot of erasing to do once I’d finished painting. I think it worked really well.

When Scamp returned we went for a wander round the garden and that’s where I saw the wee green spider. It’s a Cucumber Green Spider and it looks like it’s just caught its lunch on its web. The web was stretched across one of the rhododendron flowers in the garden.

After our lunch, Scamp went and sat in the garden for a while and I put up a hook on the fence to hang the watering can from. That was the sum total of my work today, other that frying my lunch which was a venison burger that I found in the freezer. It was a bit past its ‘sell by date’ and had lost a bit of its flavour, but was ok with potatoes and beans. Scamp had the same potatoes and beans, but with a veg sausage.

She stayed out a bit longer but eventually gave up because the sun was coming and going all the time, just as the weather fairies had predicted.

Hoping to go to dance class tomorrow if we can get a quorum.

A dull day – 2 March 2023

Posted on by Zogman

Not the weather this time, just me.

Woke up and knew I wasn’t going to have a good day. Now I know what Scamp felt like earlier in the week. Stuffed up nose that morphed into a drippy nose and a really rough throat. I’m going to blame it on breathing everyone’s germs and viruses on the metal tube in the sky coming home from Tenerife. I thought I’d dodged it, but I was just a couple of days behind Scamp, like I have been before.

We both had a vitamin C drink in the morning and that seemed to make us feel a bit better. Maybe just the act of doing something about it dragged us out of the rut.

After a bowl of Scamp’s Leek and Potato soup for lunch I thought I had an idea for a PoD and it worked for me. The cut end of a leek became the picture of the day!

I’m hoping I’m over the worst of this lurgy and will be out and about again as normal, because that was not a fun morning.

Jamie and Simonne, I hope you have a brilliant holiday. Say hello to Jaime for me

Hoping to get out and about in the fresh air tomorrow.

Sunday is Washing Day – 26 February 2023

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There were two full cases of washing to be done, so we got on with it.

I say ‘We’, but Scamp was the organised one and she got things sorted into stuff to deal with right away and stuff that could wait for a few days.

With that done we settled down to a normal Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg tearing into politicians of all parties while we had lunch.

Scamp decided to do some ironing and I decided to take the macro lens over to St Mo’s to see what it’s one eye would see. It saw a few Cladonia lichen, but they seemed to be a bit dried up. Probably needed a shower to brighten them up. It saw some ‘Green Blobs’ or more correctly the fruiting bodies of moss. It was the Green Blobs that got PoD after a bit of jiggery pokery in Lightroom and Photoshop. I liked it anyway. It was good to get some direct light to brighten things up.

Back home we re-heated yesterday’s curries and had them for dinner. As a starter we had a glass of champagne in new glasses. The bubbles were from Jackie, Murdo and Mairi. The glasses were a present from Annette. Pudding was Sticky Toffee Pudding with ice cream.

Watched a couple of silly programs on the tv tonight and went to bed before midnight – just before midnight for me!

Green Shoots and Quickstep – 25 February 2023

Posted on by Zogman

Drove to Brookfield in the morning through a lot more traffic than normal.

I don’t know what all the rush was for, but lots of folk were going west today. Not only that, lots of folk had already been there, didn’t like it and were going back east again, judging by the biz on the other carriageway.

We started with a silly wee sequence dance and then we were into the Quickstep. We (I) struggled to start with, but eventually things began to come together and we actually danced for almost a full track without a stop. My, but quickstep is exhausting. Next was a sequence dance to allow us to get our breath back before we entered the slightly easier Foxtrot. Easier, maybe, but not Easy. I was still making mistakes and Scamp was doing her best to correct them. Tango was next and we even managed to incorporate the new turn that Jane had put in. One more sequence and we were done for the day. This is the first dance class for ages that I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed.

Back home I went for a walk in the woods at St Mo’s and got my first ‘Green Shoots’ shot this year. Just a sycamore seedling popping out of the leaf litter, but it’s a sign of things to come. That became PoD.

Dinner was courtesy of Bombay Dreams. Scamp had her usual Mushroom Paneer and I, for a change had Chicken Tikka Bhunna. Both tasted as good as you’d expect from this restaurant/take away.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to relax a bit.

Spiders in the rain – 22 August 2022

Posted on by Zogman

It was a wet day today. No real incentive to go out.

Scamp drove up to the chemist to get her meds, but I stayed at home. She walked over to St Mo’s later to post a couple of parcels and got thoroughly soaked for her trouble. So badly soaked was she that her raincoat is still drying in the kitchen.

Earlier I almost managed to choose a dry spell for a walk in St Mo’s. Lots of spiderwebs with their attendant spiders easily visible after the rain. One of those shots got PoD. I was quite pleased with the out of focus raindrops hanging from the web. It almost looked like the Milky Way to me. Although I did get wet, I wasn’t nearly as wet as Scamp was later in the afternoon.

Spoke to Fred for a while later and discussed paintings he’d done and sketches I’d done. I must get that back bedroom cleared out and create some space to get some painting done.

Dinner tonight was a very tasteless Spice Tailor daal. With leftover chicken from Saturday’s dinner. It’s not often we have a failure with Spice Tailor kits.

Scamp and I played Rummikub later because there really is nothing worth watching on terrestrial TV. Maybe we should have a rummage through the offerings on Amazon Prime and Netflix.

Maybe it was just a bad day and tomorrow will be better. It doesn’t really look like it though. Wednesday looks the best day of the week. We might go somewhere then.

 

A day of mixed weather – 24 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

Sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy, but always with rain of some description.

Heavy rain, light rain, sometimes just drizzle or a Scottish smirr, but there was always water of some description falling from the sky today.

We voted with our feet in the morning and our feet were up on the coffee table, although I did clear the junk off my IKEA Poang chair and had a relaxing half hour or so on it. It’s a great chair for reading in, but not so good for using with a laptop. I suppose it was designed before laptops were a thing. Allegedly it was designed around 1978.

Eventually had to get up to help prepare lunch and then the laptop came out of hiding and I was lost in Flickr for an hour at least. It did seem to stop raining for a while after that, but it was only a ruse by the rainclouds. As soon as we went outside the rain started again.

<Technospeak>
It was about 4 o’ clock before I decided to put on my new Columbia trainers and take an unusual combination of Sony A7iii + adapter + Sigma 10-20mm lens out for a walk in St Mo’s. I restricted myself to one circuit of the pond and had to get all my photos in that time and only with my Heath Robinson contraption. It’s really a very capable lens. It originally fitted my old Nikon D70, but when I upgraded to a D7000 the lens wouldn’t work with the more demanding electronic connections, so it was relegated to a cupboard. When I was selling all my Nikon gear to fund my move to full frame Sony hardware, I couldn’t bear to part with the old 10-20mm and found an adapter that would allow its use on the A7 series. It still takes great pictures, but is now manual focus only. The other problem is that it’s an APS-C lens which doesn’t quite cover the sensor of a full frame camera, so some cropping is inevitable. I could allow the camera to do it for itself, but where’s the fun in that when you can spend an hour doing it yourself!
</Technospeak>

The old lens took today’s PoD which is a view of St Mo’s pond with its duckweed carpet, viewed from the pond outfall. I just liked all the different green hues in the picture.

Dinner tonight was yesterday’s pakora and curries reheated and with some flatbreads for good measure. It’s now making itself known to me again, so some Gaviscon may be necessary tonight!

Watched the French GP with more than its fair share of thrills and spills. Good to see Hamilton making it to the podium. Not so happy to see George Russell sneaking 3rd place from Perez.

Spoke to Jamie in the evening and heard how they survived the heatwave on Monday and Tuesday. Heard too about the tomatoes in the garden ripening while Scamp’s are still green.

I think it may still be raining outside and we’re forecast for more tomorrow. Maybe the garden still needs a little more.

Out looking for leeks – 2 June 2022

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Any excuse to get out and have a sneaky bit of lunch, but the wee car was sounding exhausted.

We started out early, because a lady would visit us today and ask us to stick a cotton bud thing down our throat and then up our nose before answering a series of very searching questions which we answered very quite honestly. Then after she went away leaving us with a memorable word picture of India we two went different ways. Scamp went to pick up Isobel to go for coffee and I wanted to do some painting. Neither of those things happened. Scamp phoned to say that she though the car was making a strange noise, maybe exhaust? I agreed because I’d heard it as she drove away. I never quite go round to doing any painting, because I wrote a long email to Alex instead. One thing added to my to-do list and immediately ticked off.

When she got back from having coffee at Isobel’s rather than at Costa, we drove off in the blue car to Clydeside, looking for somewhere for lunch and also if they had leek plants in that place, it would be a bonus. Gouldings was the first place we went to and it was bedecked with bunting and purple banners declaring that there was a Platinum Jubilee. The other thing they had was a very long queue for food. So we went looking for leek plants, but, eh, that was something they didn’t have. It’s become more and more difficult to find garden centres that sell veg plants. Flowers, yes. Vegetable plants just aren’t sexy enough though. Nor are they pretty enough. We left empty handed.

The next place was Dobbies which used to be Sandyholm. The car park was almost empty, not a good sign, but I did find leeks in their vegetable area. Scamp found a couple of interesting flowers there too and there was no queue for lunch. So we paid for the plants, put them in the car and went back for lunch. Scampi and chips for two and that was lunch sorted. When we drove past Gouldings on the way home, I did wonder if we’d have had our lunch by then if we’d stayed in that queue.

Dropped in at John & Marion’s to hand over a memory stick with a load of wedding photos on it. Then we continued on our way home to plant out today’s leeks, hydrangea and tomato plants. Actually none of these were planted in the soil, but they were watered with the rest of the garden when we dug out the hose and used it on the front and back gardens. Tomorrow I have kale to plant and also some leeks. Scamp has the flowers to deal with. I also have pea plants to transplant along side one pea plant that is growing from seed in the raised bed. Strangely, it looks as if I’ve got a kale plant growing from last year’s sowing!

I took a walk over to St Mo’s after we got home and got PoD which is a shot of Horsetails looking like an alien jungle. Also, if you look in Flickr you’ll find a pugilistic Wolf Spider that just missed PoD and slightly confused mushroom that thinks it’s autumn come early! On the way back, I had a poke at the exhaust in Scamp’s wee Red car and it’s definitely needing a visit to Jim Dickson’s garage. I think it’s hanging by a thread just now.

Tomorrow we’ve decided it will be a gardening day. Lots to do there now that we have some warmth in the soil, so time to start things growing.