Category: photography

Today I went shopping – 22 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Scamp wasn’t feeling very bright and cheery, so I offered to do the Monday shop.

She very kindly made a list of everything we needed and even recited the list in the places I’d find them in Tesco. That meant I didn’t have to wander all round the shop looking for butter when I was in the aisle for orange juice. I appreciated that Scamp.

That didn’t take too long because I was out early … well, earlyish! But there were very few folk browsing the shelves, so I was done and dusted in half an hour at the most. Not so lucky when I was looking for petrol for the wee blue car, because the pumps were either displaying the yellow NO PETROL signs or there was a long queue waiting for fuel. I decided I wasn’t that desperate, and drove home to have lunch.

After lunch, and assured that Scamp wasn’t feeling that bad, I was encouraged to go for a walk. I chose to go up to Fannyside Moor to see if there was anything interesting to snap. I almost bumped into a dragonfly, a black one – can’t remember its name and then watched a field of bullocks running about in one of the fields. Finally got the photo I wanted of a group of cows watching me and making sure I wasn’t doing anything that needed to be referred to the farmer. PoD captured.

Drove home, remembering that I didn’t need to hurry, because Kirsty had cancelled today’s dance class because she was too busy working in her house. Instead, I took my time back home and made Oozy Tuna and Apple Pasta Bake From the Mowgli book. It was a bit complicated, because it told me to par-cook the spaghetti then cut it up into bit sized pieces before completing the cooking for 15 minutes. It looked a bit strange and sweet, but other than that it was fine.

Scamp is intending to get a Covid test kit tomorrow, just to be sure, because she’s meeting two groups of friends in the next few days and then we have friends coming for lunch on Friday. She say’s she’s fine and she does sound a lot better tonight, but she’s just making sure …

Other than that, no plans for tomorrow.

Sunshine Sunday – 21 September 2025

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A lovely morning with lovely sunshine pouring in the window while we had our usual fried breakfast (that’s really lunch) while we watched Laura Kuenssberg tearing strips of another political hopeful. She really is my hero. “Feart fae Nuthin’” as we say in Scotland.

Once that was past we settled down to read a book, play Angry Birds, read the BBC’s version of the news and avoid doing anything like work. With that said, Scamp and I did dig up our last potato bag which provided us with a lot more ‘tatties’ than we’d anticipated. Strangely, some of the strange blue skinned potatoes had some wee potatoes dangling from them. Possibly something to do with the hot weather and drought in late spring and early summer and the weeks long rain that followed as summer turned into autumn. Poor wee potatoes didn’t know what was happening and neither did we. Anyway, the larger ones were collected and became part of our Sunday dinner.

Scamp wasn’t at her best today. She’s had a sore throat for the past few days and now has a really painful sounding cough too. Hopefully, a couple of days of not doing much will get her back on her feet again. She made an apple pie for out dinner dessert, then complained bitterly that it wasn’t very good. I begged to differ, but was shot down in flames. I still say the sharp apples in the pie were perfect. Hopefully she won’t read this.

Later in the afternoon I went for a short walk around St Mo’s with two different lenses on the camera. Neither was completely successful, but they produced some pretty Bokeh, so I should be pleased. PoD went to a tree with multicoloured leaves. I have no idea what tree it was, but I think that autumn is coming in fast.

We watched a strange Azerbaijan GP. Not as bad as yesterday’s practice with cars crashing all around the circuit. This time it was stars who were making a mess of things. What is wrong with the teams this year?

No dance tomorrow. Apparently Kirsty is working at home all week.

Dancin’ – 20 September 2025

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A much smaller class than we are used to.

Only three couples plus one solo dancer without a partner. She danced with Stewart.

I was a bit apprehensive about today. I’d heard all sorts of warnings about half-hour waits and queues of traffic due to extensive roadwork on the M8. As usual they were magnified out of all proportion. Yes there were roadworks, but only for a few miles. Nothing we hadn’t seen before.
Yes, there were road restrictions, but nobody had to wait in a queue. Just the powers that be trying to terrify us.

As a result of the poor attendance, the lesson was reduced from 90 minutes to 60 minutes. The class started with Tina Tango to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shivers’. Then we went in to a quickstep, the Cameron Quickstep which we’d learned months, if not, years ago. With the help of Scamp and Muscle Memory, I managed to get round the hall fairly easily, if not elegantly. I do hope they repeat the lesson next week, because, with a bit more help from Scamp I’m sure I could master this one.

Stewart asked for suggestions of sequence dances that we’d like to go over in the second half hour. Queen of Hearts rumba was favourite for a reprise and after that the New Vogue Waltz finished of the main lessons. However, Stewart wanted to finish with House of Bamboo which I stumble through, but am beginning to remember bits of, just not in the correct order.

With that we were free to go. Again I expected more carnage on the drive home, but it was actually quite clear with everyone behaving themselves. I wish all the dance classes were as enjoyable as today’s.

Back home I should have been going out for a walk, but instead I got stuck in the puzzles again. They are quite addictive. Later in the afternoon I did manage a walk round St Mo’s and today’s PoD came from that walk. Just a bunch of Hawthorn berries hanging from a branch after a rain shower. I really must get out of the rut and walk further afield in these shortening days. Maybe tomorrow.

Dinner tonight was Fish & Chips x 2. Nice and easy and nobody needs to cook.

Tomorrow, maybe that walk.

A dull day – 19 September 2025

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Not the best day this month. Cloudy and dull.

Scamp was out in the morning to FitSteps. I stayed home and read for a while, then when Scamp returned we solved the usual puzzles. Sometimes the prompts cause more consternation than good. Maybe it’s because they are generally aimed at puzzlers are aimed at Trumpland.

Scamp suggested we have Bacon & Borlotti Beans, a recipe we got from Jamie and Simonne and always a great fallback if you can’t think of what to have for dinner. We needed a courgette to go with the beans, and as I hadn’t wandered past the door today, I volunteered to go and source some, along with cheese which we didn’t need for the meal, but we DID need for tomorrow’s lunch. When I walked out, there was a fairly large bank of cloud that I guessed was full of water, so I increased my speed a bit.

I was testing a new combo on the new toy. I was using a fairly old and hardly used Sony 16-35mm f4 lens. Like I said, quite old and with a ‘slow’ aperture. It performed really well with the A7c, so I’ll try to give it a bit more of a challenge in the next few days.

I wanted a photo of the wild geraniums that grow along the path at St Mo’s and got a few photos with those threatening clouds as the backdrop. That got PoD. Spoke to Susan Greenshields in passing, she was complaining as usual, but other than that, she didn’t say much, obviously not in the best mood today.

I walked over the back road to the Shops and found the groceries Scamp wanted. Before I left the house I’d chopped down some of the kale from what’s left of the raised bed because Scamp needed it for the dinner. I also planted some Red Kale in a pot in the garden. Hopefully it will grow well in some fresh compost and give us more kale to use in the kitchen.

I actually remembered what Scamp wanted from the shops, which is a miracle, especially because I’ve got so many things on my mind this weather.

Basically that was it for the day. Scamp made the dinner and it was really good. The kale was a lot fresher than it looked and it added that extra crunch to the meal.

Tomorrow we’re hoping to go to Brookfield for a dance class, but as there have been warnings for weeks that work is being done on the M8 and it’s likely to continue until May at least, I’m not looking forward to the drive.

Dancin’ – 18 September 2025

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Out to Glenburn for a Tea Dance, the first in ages.

I struggled with the Sony A7c’s internal workings, attempting to make sense of the new system for allocating the twelve items I use most often. I finally got what I wanted and it does work quite logically so I’ll stick to it for a while until I’ve filled in all twelve boxes. That and the inevitable Wordle took up most of my morning. I think it took up almost all of Scamp’s time too. After a quick shower it was time to get ready for today’s dance, and I was looking forward to it for a change.

A fairly busy drive over to Glenburn and we were almost late comers. Thankfully there were a few stragglers arriving later than us, so we didn’t get a telling off or even worse Stewart’s well worn comment “You can’t just Waltz in here at any time, you know.” It really should have a “Boom Boom!” at the end.

The afternoon started with a waltz, as usual. Also, as usual, I made a bit of a mess of the first track. However, by the time we’d completed the second track, Waltz Nioli was again firmly in my repertoire. The next track was a Cha-Cha I think. It’s hard to keep a record of what we did in what order, but if it wasn’t the Cha-Cha, it was a Quickstep. All the right dances, but not necessarily in the correct order. Again, as usual, Stewart inserted a few sequence dances to encourage some folk on to the floor. We didn’t really need the encouragement, we were there to dance and would dance almost anything.

Tea time came quite quickly and Scamp was annoyed that the two other blokes at our table didn’t include me in their conversation. I wasn’t really bothered, they were just arseholes anyway. See, Hazy I can swear in the blog too!

The formula for the second half of the dance hasn’t changed in the past year or so, it’s always a very few Ballroom and Latin dances linked with a collection of Sequence dances. I used to call Sequence “Dancing for the Dead”, but now I realise the repetition in these dances actually keeps them fresh in your memory, especially the complicated sequences. It’s quite a clever way to memorise them.

I was keeping a watchful eye on the clock because we like to get away early most weeks, to avoid the school kids. We were a bit later today and the road was almost clear all the way to Cumbersheugh by the M8/M74/M73.

Back home I walked over to St Mo’s to try to get some low camera shots with the new toy, but the light was beginning to fade as the big black clouds rolled in. I did manage a few and the best of a bad lot was the low viewpoint shot of some fallen leaves on The Path. It’s always good for fallen leaves later in the autumn. It just filled a space today.

Dinner was a baked potato and prawns with Marie Rose Sauce (ie tomato ketchup mixed with mayonnaise).

For the first time in ages I thoroughly enjoyed the dancin’ today. We must do it again some time. Scamp is intending to go to FitSteps tomorrow and I’m sure I’ll find something to fill my time.

A Toy off the rack – 17 September 2025

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It’s a long time since I had a toy of the rack. I think I deserved it!

We went out in the morning and drove up to meet Shona at her brother’s house, then we went to Costa in the town centre for coffee and a blether. It’s a while since I’d seen her, although Scamp meets up with her every couple of weeks at least, sometimes more than that. She was looking well and seemed calmer than she had been the last time I’d seen her.

I left her and Scamp talking and went for a walk through the town centre, at least, the Antonine centre which is the most ‘modern’ part of the town. It’s still a dump, but a dump with more shops than the entire Phase Four on the other side of the road. I had a quick browse of what’s selling in the town this weather. The answer was nothing much. Out of date iPhones, iPads and ancient video games. It really is a depressing mall, and cold too. No heating to speak of and with a cold breeze blowing into Costa every time one of the automatic doors opens, I can see why there isn’t a problem getting a seat. When the two ladies were finished their blether and their coffee, Shona went shopping while Scamp and I went home for lunch … and a heat.

Yesterday I had almost made my decision to buy a new camera, not brand new, I hasten to add. It’s a bit long in the tooth an ‘used’, but it looked as if it had hardly been used and has some interesting features that make it worth the money. I tried phoning WEX to book it, but the phone went to voicemail or more likely, they’d locked it in a cupboard to avoid having to answer it. So I drove in to Glasgow and parked at Cowcaddens carpark which had a notice at the entrance to say that the gates had been locked open until “… a new operator has been appointed” So, no need to pay today.

I walked up to WEX and after a cursory glance at the camera, paid my money and drove home again. Camera didn’t look as if it had been used and a quick check once I was sitting at the computer confirmed the shutter had only been actuated about 700 times. That’s nothing for a camera. Their usual operating range is just under one million actuations.

I didn’t get much time to play with the new toy, because Hazy phoned just after I got in for a wee chat. I managed to tell her what I’d done to the Gmail problem and that it seemed to be working fine again (touch wood). She told me about the new book she’d been reading and gave it a less than wonderful rating. I told her about mine, “Gunner” and I think mine was better than her’s, but not by much. While we were discussing things a parcel arrived for Scamp – from Hazy. It was a cleverly designed pair of spoons that look like they will be very helpful for Scamp’s problem. She has already discovered a solution to her problem of measuring out coffee with the new Red spoon. The Black spoon may need more work, but even that Red spoon is a boon in itself (no pun intended)

After we’d said “Cheerio” I went out into the garden and took some photos of the Rudbeckia flowers in the garden. One of them made PoD.

Tomorrow we may go dancing if the weather lets us. It’s getting a bit windy outside the windae just now (Pun intended!)

New Shoes – 16 September 2025

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Well, trainers, actually.

We took the bus in to Glasgow on a bright sunny Tuesday morning. We were each looking for a pair of trainers for the holiday. My old ones were almost worn through. Scamp found a pair in John Lewis for a very good price. Nothing fancy, just trainers. I swithered, as usual and decided I’d go for a walk first. Scamp was going looking for clothes and we agreed to meet at Waterstones on Sauchiehall Street after .a cup of coffee in Nero.

My walk took me up Bath Street in torrential rain that seemed to come from nowhere, to WEX where I got a chance to test two possible new cameras. One was wildly out of my range, but it’s nice to play with shiny new toys! The other one was a bit less expensive, but did almost the same thing. I’d saved up a few quid, so I felt I was due a new toy. Not bought anything yet. Still thinking.

On my way back to meet Scamp I was passing an old climbers shop on Sauchiehall Street that was having a refurbishment sale. That usually means a closure or at best, a move to smaller establishment. I hope I’m wrong. Anyway, I went in for a quick look and they had a lot of lady’s jackets so I phoned Scamp and told her about it and she agreed to meet me. Long story short, she didn’t get anything in the shop, but I came out with a new Goretex jacket at a very good price. Strangely, I was reading the blog post for 15th September 2024 last night and I’d just bought a single skin waterproof jacket that I never really liked. Strange how the world turns!

We went to Wagamama for a very nice lunch, then we headed homeward, but not before I got a pair of trainers, almost the same as Scamp’s, also for a good price.

Got the bus home and watched the final of the Great British Sewing Bee. The best person deserved the win.

PoD today went to a couple sitting on the stone steps of a shop in Buchanan Street. Don’t they know they’ll get piles?

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to meet Shona for coffee.

 

Now that’s a better day – 15 September 2025

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Not brilliant, but with enough sunshine to make it worthwhile going out with a camera.

We were up and out fairly early today, early for us anyway. Scamp wanted a lift to Tesco and after dropping her off, I drove over to Condorrat to the dentist. Half an hour later I walked out of the surgery with my broken tooth fixed. It still doesn’t feel like my own tooth, but I’m getting used to it. Just as I got to the car, I got the message from Scamp to say she was waiting for me in the Tesco cafe. I found an empty ‘Drop Off’ slot, where we loaded the car and drove back home. An efficient way to get ‘The Messages’.

Later in the day, while Scamp was deadheading some of the flowers, I went for a walk in St Mo’s, a shorter version of my usual walk, mainly because we were expecting to go to Kirsty’s dance class, but as it turned out, the class had dwindled. One of the men had pulled a muscle in his back, one couple were on an extended weekend holiday and another part time teacher was sunning herself in foreign climes. We decided that only four of us didn’t really make a quorum, so Kirsty agreed to cancel tonight.

That gave me enough time to process the photos I’d taken in St Mo’s. Not a bad haul and the PoD went to a bunch of Antirrhinums poking their bright pink heads out of a break in a fence, like a trio of runaways. It made me smile and it’s now on Flickr.

We may go on a trip to Glasgow, tomorrow. Looking for the elusive trainers. Maybe a walk up to WEX to see what they have to offer too.

No excuses – 14 September 2025

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Today we didn’t do very much. I’ve no excuses for this, it was just the way the day turned out.

It was a normal Sunday. Watched Laura Kuenssberg tearing strips of poor undefended MPs and other politicians. It was fun for a while watching them squirm, but you knew they were lying because their lips were moving. That took all the fun out of it.

After lunch I went for a walk over to St Mo’s. There wasn’t very much over there to photograph, but I did get out for a walk which was good … until the rain came on. As usual, the rain waited until I was at the furthest point from home, then it started. I didn’t mind, because I had my big orange Rab jacket on and it’s fairly waterproof and the rain was fairly light for most of the walk home.

PoD was an old favourite of mine, the view down the avenue of trees that takes you down past St Mo’s school. A bloke with an umbrella was kind enough to walk into view just as I was crossing his past. I waited a few minutes and got my Photo of the Day and he never felt a thing.

Dinner was a rump steak for me and potatoes with ratatouille for Scamp. Rice and prunes was the dessert.

Spoke to Jamie later in the evening and heard that he and Simonne are considering going away for a week some time soon, not sure when yet. This time Vixen gets to go with them which should please her.

Thanks for the hint Hazy. I’ll tell you how I got on with it once I work my way through it.

Dentist tomorrow to get a broken cap on one of my teeth fixed. Oh what fun!

Recovery – 13 September 2025

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A day for recovery after all the work we put in yesterday.

That, and a late night, led to us abandoning today’s dance class. Just too much still to do to clear up the dishes and pots meant Scamp suggested we take today off. In fact she suggested we might apply that rule from now on when we’d been out late or when we’d too much to do. Losing the occasional dance class wouldn’t be a terrible sacrifice if it gave us some free time. It’s worth a try.

With that said, we didn’t do much for the remainder of the day. I’d written to Hazy saying it was a beautiful Autumn morning and less than an hour later it was tipping it down. Actually that was the story for the rest of the day. An hour’s sunshine followed by a ten minute torrential downpour. As a result, I did manage a few shots in the afternoon when it wasn’t raining. Just grab shots of bedraggled flowers in the garden.

We’d intended going out to lunch, but that just didn’t happen. Instead, we had lunch inside and later we had a home made curry for dinner. I did manage to work out how to set-up and run a clever bit of software that will allow me to copy my Mac files to a PC hard drive. It’s something that should happen automatically, but Apple doesn’t work with PC and PC doesn’t work with Apple without a bit of software that nobody talks about. Ludicrous in this day and age. They just pretend that the other lot don’t exist!

I’ve not a lot more to say about today. Hopefully we’ll get out somewhere tomorrow for a walk or to find a pair of trainers for Scamp and me, even in the rain!