Category: photography

Yet another day in the sun – 7 May 2025

Posted on by Zogman

It was an early rise for us. We were heading to Glasgow for Scamp to have some tests done. The taxi was booked for 9am but at about 8:45am she got a text to say that the test had to be cancelled because the required equipment had not arrived from Holland and a new appointment would be generated. That left us with a whole day to fill and a morning to calm down!

The way we filled the time was to do some shopping and have an early lunch. Then we started into the garden. I began moving the pots that edge the front garden and then cut the edges with the Flymo. I knew Scamp had a special method for cutting the grass, so once I had cleared the edges, I handed over control to Scamp and started putting things back into the places I thought they should go. Most of them I got right, but I knew that Scamp would correct my mistakes after I’d finished.

While Scamp was correcting mistakes and finishing the mowing, I spotted a little bright red insect on what was left of one of the Fritillaries. Scamp had beheaded the plants last week to ensure that none of the strength would go in to the seed heads. That was when I read on Wikipedia how much damage the red beetles did. According to Wikipedia, it’s Red Lily Beetle and it eats the leaves, stem, buds, and flowers, of lilies, fritillaries and other members of the family Liliaceae. It lays its eggs most often on Lilium and Fritillaria species.
This one won’t be doing any more damage, but it got PoD.

By the time we’d completed the shopping, cut the front grass, replaced the pots in their proper places, and done some insect research, it was well into the afternoon, so we downed tools and stopped to have a beer in the sun. We also made plans to repair the dilapidated fence between us and our new neighbours. I’d been promising it for years now and always managed to give it wide berth. Maybe this year I need to start working at it.

Fish Risotto cooked in the oven was tonight’s dinner. It should have been made with smoked fish, but I thought it would be ok with unsmoked. Yet again, I was wrong! It was ok, but just ok.

As the sun was going down I remembered I’d told Scamp I’d water the garden. I finally got the connections made and did get not only our garden, but our next door neighbours’ garden watered too. By the time I was finished the air was becoming decidedly cool.

Tomorrow I’m intending meeting Alex for a photo-walk. Scamp has even more gardening on her list on her To Do list.

Plants and Flowers – 6 May 2025

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We met Isobel for coffee and gossip. Always a good mixture.

Drove up to the Town Centre, part of which is being demolished, thankfully not the part we were intending having coffee in. We were late because I’d forgotten my sunglasses, it being a very bright and hot morning. We haven’t had any rain for about a fortnight and even then it was just a splash and dash from the clouds. Not really what you’d call real rain. Anyway, I found my glasses waiting to be picked up on the radiator at the house and we were off again. Isobel had acquired a table for the three of us. I had a not too shabby Flat White and Scamp had a Latte which is really just a jug of hot milk with half a shot of coffee. We sat talking for about an hour and a half before going our merry ways.

Isobel was going shopping and I intended to take Scamp to the Kelpies. However, the road to the motorway was reduced to a single lane and there was an almighty queue down the Wilderness Brae for a couple of miles to the roundabout that would take us to Grangemouth. I took a quicker way back through Cumbersheugh and on to the motorway, cursing the deadheads in the council all the way.

When we were in sight of the Kelpies, Scamp suggested we go to Klondyke garden centre first. We’d been talking about that change of destination during the drive. Klondyke is a treasure trove for gardeners. Flowers of almost every kind and colour. Only, they didn’t have the kind I was looking for. I was looking for Scottish Marigold, but although they had loads of French Marigold, they didn’t have Scottish Marigold, AKA Calendula. They did have compost, wee pot plants, a set of three stackable triangular pots, a variety of vegetable plants, a basket of dahlia flowers and a big square pot that would hold a rose. We now have all the aforementioned articles too! We had lunch at the garden centre which is reasonably priced. However, to avoid the usual holdup on the M80 and to get the plants back to the house in a reasonable state, we had to forego the visit to the Big Horses. As we passed them on the way home, we gave them a wave and told them we’d come and see them again, soon. I’m sure Scamp will hold me to that promise.

A fairly easy drive home and got parked, then emptied the car boot into the back garden, because that was where the majority of the plants and flowers would end up. Scamp took charge of planting the new rose Schoolgirl in a decent mix of composts. It’s the second Schoolgirl we’ve got. This one might live in the back garden while to existing one will stay at the front. Some things will need watering soon, but they’ll survive for a few days.

A quick walk round St Mo’s gave me a PoD. It’s the gardeners nemesis, the Buttercup. Beautiful flower … as long as it isn’t in your garden.

Tomorrow it’s an early rise then hopefully a couple of trains will take us to Glasgow.

May the Fourth be with you – 4 May 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Just one of those days when we couldn’t wake up.

Eventually I opted to be the one who made breakfast, then after reading a new chapter in a very old Iain Banks book, Transition, a book I never read which I regret now, we rose and went to see what all the hullabaloo was, about with the Formula 1 sprint race in Miami.

It was actually quite an interesting race with crashes galore. Some of which were on the parade lap before the race even started. Admittedly, it was in the rain, but have these drivers never seen rain before?

With all the excitement finished for the morning, we watched Laura Kuenssberg rip a hole in Wes Streeting and Kemi Badenoch’s morning. Isn’t it great to see someone charge through politicians and get away with it? Don’t you sometimes think it would be good to do that too? It would brighten up any dull Sunday morning IMO.

Breakfast over, F1 GP over and politicians put in their place, I went out to plant two bags of potatoes. Can’t quite remember what they are, but they are purple skinned Arran something. If I remember, I’ll look the packet out tomorrow and tell you. I know you’ll all be dying to know!!

Dinner tonight was a tough steak for me with cauliflower and potatoes, but not Arran potatoes, and cauliflower with cheese sauce and potatoes for Scamp.

After that, I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got PoD which was some Hawthorn Flowers. Jimmy Mearns, my ex-headteacher once explained to me that the Scottish expression “Ne’er cast a cloot until May is out” had nothing to do with the month of May, but everything to do with the flowering of the May Blossom ie, Hawthorn Flowers. I’m not sure it really is the time to be casting cloots just now with the temperature local to us expected to reach 1ºc tonight. At least it’s not -1ºc.

No real plans for tomorrow, but Scamp wants to go shopping and I’m headed to the tip with a big bag of empty bottles to dispose of.

Remembering Dancin’ – 3 May 2025

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Today for the first time in ages, probably more than a month, we drove to Brookfield for a dance class.

Quite a big class. At least half a dozen couples ready to strut their stuff … and us, almost ready. Willing too, in as much as, willing the big hand to go round the clock one and a half times and set us free … or maybe that was just me. Ok, enough with the ellipses, lets get started.

We started with Scamp’s absolute favourite, the Tina Tango danced to Shivers by Ed Sheeran. That was us hooked. From there we went into a Foxtrot, not just any foxtrot, the Gershwin Foxtrot. The one we both liked. Much better that those chopped up foxtrots Jane invents in an attempt to make things ‘easier’. This was the full strength one with the “Continuous Hover Cross”. Don’t let anyone convince you that it’s a ‘lot less bovver with a Hover’. It isn’t, at least not with this one. However, after two lessons from Jane and one set of instructions from Stewart the whole thing was becoming possible. Not every time, but at least half the time. It’s a really elegant dance and one both of us like.

Next up was a Blue Angel which we first learned with Kirsty, in fact, one of the first things we learned from Kirsty. Now it’s just a wee easy dance, then it was very complicated.

Next was a Viennese Waltz. You know the one it’s just continuous spinning, first one way, then the other with a bit of straightening out to prevent the participants throwing up or spinning into a wall. What one of the dancers a long time ago called “A Burly Roon”!

We finished with a Mayfair Quickstep danced to “500 Miles” by The Proclaimers, which was appropriate because it felt like we’d danced 500 miles today!

Drove home and risked the lengthy roadworks at the Barrs factory, but we didn’t have to wait too long to get through, then we found a parking space outside the house. How convenient.

Scamp wanted part of the old blackcurrant bush chopped down, so I took a saw to it and cut out a fair chunk of the diseased bush. Hopefully that will open the bush to the air and possible encourage new growth. Later in the afternoon I planted three potatoes in the fancy two part pot. I’m intending to plant the remainder tomorrow or maybe Monday.

PoD went to a lovely pink Aquilegia flower I photographed, growing beside the path when I was going over to Condorrat to get dinner which was a Special Fish Supper with two Pickled Onions (one each).

No plans for tomorrow, but temperatures are set to fall. There is even a chance of snow in the north. Brrr!

A little bit cooler – 2 May 2025

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At last!

Scamp was out to Fit Steps in the morning and that gave me an hour free, so I just stayed in bed and read for a while. It was one of those days that seemed undecided whether to rain or to just stay cloudy. It stayed cloudy for a while, before giving us some sunshine to brighten our spirits.

When Scamp came home we drove over to Larky to collect my new two pairs of glasses. One pair for distance and one pair for reading. I thought it was a bit of an overkill when the assistant told me and asked her to check with Euan. She did and he confirmed it, so two pairs it was. I still wasn’t convinced until I tried on the distance pair and Wow, they showed what I should have been seeing for at least two years. The reading pair were less of a surprise, but having both means that I can now happily dispose of my cheap ‘readers’. I drove home wearing the distance glasses and then I found just how dirty the front screen was!

I had a snooze after lunch because I’m still not sleeping well at night. If it continues I’ll make an appointment with the doc or the nurse. It’s quite unlike me.

While I was out for the count, Scamp was working away in the garden, planting stuff and moving other stuff around. When I woke, I hardly recognised the back garden. More plants and less green space. Plus, my Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon meadia) were in bloom and I managed to get a photo of them, while keeping the background out of focus. The plant has produced about half a dozen flowers with quite a collection still to bloom. Last year I think I had one flower. Of course, the Shooting Stars got PoD.

Dinner tonight was Paella, or a version of paella. Everything was going smoothly until I was almost ready to serve, then I realised I’d forgotten to add the chicken stock cube. Ten frantic minutes later the problem was solved. Scamp said it tasted fine, so disaster averted!

Tomorrow we may be going to dance class.

The first of May – 1 May 2025

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We really should have been up early and washing our faces in the dew, but we’re probably beautiful enough and it would only make everyone else jealous!

Instead of an early morning face wash, Scamp drove over to the dentist for her six month checkup. I read more of Tainted Cup, a very twisted tale with the most complicatedly named cast I’ve ever seen. I wonder if Mr Bennett made up the names of all the places or if they have some meaning.

After a wash and brush up, it was time to go over to Glendale for the Tea Dance. Sitting with David and Carol and hearing about their adventures with their grandson from Kingston on Thames. In exchange we told them stories about the roads on Skye and the beautiful weather we’d had for almost a full week.

Dances were the usual mix of latin, sequence and ballroom and although we both struggled to get it right sometimes, for the most part we managed to cover the floor quite well.

Lengthy roadworks near the Barrs factory in Cumbersheugh meant a detour to Tesco on the way home to get dinner which was Bacon, Cabbage and Potatoes with Scamp swapping Black Pudding for Bacon. We’ll need to remember that if we’re going to Brookfield on Saturday.

I went for a walk round St Mo’s in the afternoon and got a photo of a wild flower that I couldn’t name, although I knew it. Finally I resorted to looking it up and it was a Plantain, but not the Plantain they have in Trinidad, the one they have in Scotland. Allegedly it is very effective at dealing with insect bites and stings. It is also much better than dock leaves to ease the discomfort of being stung by a stinging nettle too, but don’t quote on either of these remedies.

The Scottish Plantain made PoD, there being no competition for it here today. Note the bonus spider in the photo!

It was a fair bit cooler in the afternoon, compared to the last few days. The weather fairies were at pains to confirm that for the next day or two, the weather will stay cooler.  We’re just hoping for rain.

Scamp is hoping to get to FitSteps tomorrow and then I might go and collect my new glasses.

It Rained! – 26 April 2025

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The last day of the holiday and it rained.

We amended yesterday’s plan and drove down through Glencoe to the Green Welly at Tyndrum. Stopped there for a late breakfast / early lunch in the restaurant. Scamp had a Roll ’n’ Scrambled Eggs and I had a Roll ’n’ Sausage – Lorne sausage to be precise. Both were rated excellent. Mine was thick and cooked medium rare, just the way I make it myself. Obviously a classically trained chef, like myself. Then it was back in the car and on into the rain again.

I remember a teacher at school telling us how he always drove through Glencoe with the Speed Limiter set to just below the legal limit because near the ski lift there are so many places for polis cars to hide. With that in mind I did the same today and found it’s much better than having Cruise Control. I’ve never liked the SL, but today it worked for me. I think CC works for motorways, but SL is better for normal roads.

After driving at a maximum speed of 50mph, when we reached the M9 motorway it felt illegal to be travelling at 70mph! It was a drag of a run down from the Green Welly. Not a lot you can do but keep in the tyre tracks of the car in front. At least Glencoe has an interesting backdrop.

Today there was the Devil o’ the Highlands Footrace, a challenging 42-mile trail ultramarathon along the West Highland Way in Scotland, from Tyndrum to Fort William. The race features a scenic route with 6,500 feet of ascent, mostly on trail. At least that’s what it says on the Running Life blurb. I don’t have a clue what all that means. Scamp watched them running their races while I tried to keep the Wee Blue Car on the black and between the white lines.

PoD was a last look over the Caledonian canal to the Nevis Range. Hopefully we’ll be back again, some day.

Things I’ll remember:

  • The number of bends from Crianlarich to Callander.
  • How slow it is to to drive at 20mph through Callander.
  • How scenic Scotland is when there’s nowhere to stop and take a photo.
  • How miserable it is to drive in drizzle
  • How good a roll ’n’ sausage or a roll ‘n’ egg is when you’ve had nothing since yesterday.
  • How great the feeling is to come home to a warm house.

 

The start of the long drive home – 25 April 2025

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A great week of weather and family had almost come to an end. Jaki had brought Grian to say bye-bye before we left. One last wave from the end of the drive and we were off. Heading south on a cooler day than the last ones, but probably better for that. Scamp filmed the hoards at Store and I tried to avoid most of the potholes. You can never avoid them all, but if you miss the majority, you’re doing well.

PoD was a photo of Ben Nevis from Neptune’s Staircase.

Things I’ll remember from today:

  • Feeling that summer was over when the clouds rolled in.
  • Filling the tank at Portree almost to overflowing.
  • The drive over the Skye Bridge, feeling like we were flying.
  • Climbing up the hill after Cluanie with no cars in front of us.
  • Going out for a walk up Neptune’s Ladder with Scamp before dinner.
  • Disappointment with the Chicken Tikka Masala served to us by what might have been an Indian family.
  • Wishing I’d had Scamp’s Fish ’n’ Chips!

Tomorrow we are intending to have breakfast in Morrisons, do some shopping in Fort William and driving home.

 

Is this summer? – 24 April 2025

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It certainly feels like it. Long may it continue, but the weather fairies say the weekend may be wet. We’ll see, they’ve been wrong before.

Today we decided on a less stressful morning. I quite fancied driving a couple miles north to Loch Langaig. It’s more like a lochan, than a loch. It sits high above the road and collects water from the surrounding hills then passes it through some gentle falls down to the sea. It’s position muffles the noise of passing traffic with only the sound of the burn breaking the silence

When we got there, today, a girl was erecting a bell tent beside the loch. Then she started carrying seats, tables, a cake tin and a bottle of champagne. I wandered off to look for possible photo opportunities round the other side of the loch. While I was away, the girl told Scamp that she was building a picnic for a couple who had been married today at daybreak on Quiraing. She asked Scamp if she was “ ‘One of the ‘Easterhouse Girls’ ” I could imagine Scamp’s hackles rising and her replying “Provanhall, if you don’t mind!!” However, Scamp kept her cool and Alex, the girl, explained that she knew Jackie.

While I was off scouting out potential photos two French (?) blokes appeared one with a camera taking the same photo you see here, the PoD. I won that game, because I had already taken the shot and I had a bigger camera. They wandered off round the loch and started climbing up to the rock face at the top.

Then the wedding party arrived. Man in a suit and lady in a floaty white dress followed by a photographer who beat both the French bloke and me, because he was toting about four cameras on various slings over his shoulders. Some folk just like to show off.

At that point, we headed back to the house because we were going to Hungry Gull for lunch; Scamp, Jackie, Murd, Jaki, Mairi and me. Star attraction though, was Grian the smiling boy. Food was great and the draft Spidermonkey IPA I had was lovely, and so was the Kombucha drink Scamp had.

With lunch over we went back to sit in the sun in the little sunspot at the house. Soaking up every last minute of a busy, but also relaxing day. While we were there, I say the first two swallows this year! I’d already heard the first cuckoo earlier in the week.

Tomorrow we’re homeward bound.

Today was Sunday – 20 April 2025

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It was going to be quite a busy day.

Lots to prepare, lots to do. Bags to pack and lists to be made, because we were going up north, hopefully up to Skye in two stages. The first stage would take us to Fort William where Scamp had a B&B booked for us. The second stage would take us over the sea to Skye. All Scamp’s idea and it was a great idea … if it worked, which it would. We were sure it would. All we needed to do was pack the bags and I needed to make a list of all the things I was taking. That would be the hard part.

PoD was the completed Lego Bonsai tree.

Looking forward to tomorrow.