Category: photography

A dull day – 23 August 2025

Posted on by Zogman

There wasn’t much sunshine today. Dull white skies, mainly.

We had intended going to Dunfermline, but I was too slow to rise and by the time I got my act together, it was getting to be too late to go.

Scamp used that time to hand water some of the thirsty plants in the garden. There hasn’t actually been an official ban on watering gardens or washing cars, but unless we get significant rainfall in the next week, I can see that being implemented. Even as I was walking over to Condorrat this evening, I noticed some of the plants beside the path were showing signs of needing some water. That’s very unusual in Scotland.

Scamp drove over to Tesco and bought enough food for us to ensure we didn’t starve for the next few days. I asked if I could help when she returned and she told me there was only on thing left in the boot of the car. Unfortunately she didn’t tell me it was a full bag of compost. That’s about the most work I’ve done all week, carrying that bag from the car to the house.

Today’s PoD was a table top photo of a bunch of white sweet peas. The background could do with some improving, but Lightroom made a great job of cleaning up the really gritty image.

Dinner tonight came from Golden Bowl in Condorrat. Chicken Chop Suey with Fried Rice for Scamp. Special Chow Mein for me. Both delicious.

We watched another Masterchef episode with the two clowns trying to look smart. How did that turn out? We also watched Anneka which Alex said was worth watching. I think the jury’s still out on that one.

Best show of the night by far was Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Shades of Clockwork Orange!

No plans for tomorrow, but we may go out somewhere.

Recovery – 22 August 2025

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Scamp went to FitSteps in the morning and I just messed around with the computer.

When she returned we walked to Condorrat to post a birthday card, then we headed back towards the shops, but she coaxed me in to going for a walk in St Mo’s while she did the shopping. PoD turned out to be a Common Darter dragonfly. The dragonflies have been few and far between recently, but there were quite a few buzzing round the ponds this afternoon. Hopefully that’s them back until mid-autumn

Dinner tonight was Fish and Leek Risotto. My job. I thought it was fine, but Scamp thought it was a bit dry. Maybe too little Cremé Fraîche? I’ll bear it in mind for next time, all being well.

That was about it for today apart from watching an episode of Masterchef that wasn’t really riveting.

We got a message from Canute & Delia last night to say that they had arrived home safely and had had a great time in Scotland.

Today was a recovery day after driving back from Queensferry in rush hour. I don’t know how folk can drive through that congestion every day.

We’re maybe going out for lunch tomorrow if the weather plays nice.

Out to the East – 21 August 2025

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We were driving to South Queensferry today to meet up with Canute and Delia on the last day of their summer holiday

Earlier, I filled the tank of the Blue car and took it through the carwash just to make it look a bit more presentable when we got to Queensferry.

We arrived with almost an hour to spare and walked through the town with its quirky narrow cobbled streets and alley ways showing views of the Forth Rail bridge. The town had changed quite a lot since we had previously been there, a couple of years ago.

It was Scamp who was the first to spot Canute and Delia walking along the promenade, so we crossed the road to meet them. We took our time walking to the restaurant we’d chosen for lunch and were quickly seated.

The menu was basic restaurant fare and we ordered and found out about their ‘Glamping’ and the Michael Buble concert. The photos they showed us of the Glamping tents made them look more glamorous than we’d imagined. That doesn’t mean I’m thinking of booking one!

The food in the restaurant was mixed. The Sriracha & Honey Cauliflower starter was excellent, but my Steak and Pale Ale pie was really disappointing. Far too hot and salty. I did complain and got its cost removed from the bill. Nobody else had a problem with the food. Scamp’s Sea Bass, Delia’s Sriracha Cauliflower and Canute’s Fish Goujons were all fine. Maybe it’s just me, then!
Only Delia and Scamp had desserts. Passion Fruit & White Chocolate Pavlova for Delia and Salted Caramel Tablet Sundae for Scamp.

After that feast, we all sat and talked for a couple of hours before it was time for the other couple to go back to their hotel and start packing for tomorrow and for us to go home. We drove through the horrific Edinburgh traffic and after an hour of that, I followed Scamp’s directions to avoid being caught up in a tailback after an accident near Easterhouse, we finally arrived back home.

It had been a beautiful day with blue skies in the east coast. Not so good with black clouds and the threat of rain as we neared Cumbersheugh.

PoD was a photo of a couple sitting looking across the Firth of Forth with the Forth Bridge in the background.

It really was a great day. I think we all enjoyed the chat and the stories that were told.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to go to FitSteps in the morning, but we have no other plans.

Walking with Alex – 20 August 2025

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I’d a bit of an upset stomach yesterday and I was hoping it wouldn’t present any problems today.

It didn’t. I met up with Alex at our usual place, Buchanan Street Bus Station. It had been a cold start this morning, but by the time my bus got to Glasgow it was warming up nicely. First stop was Cafe Nero for a coffee and a chance to plan the day. Neither of us had any ideas where go today, so Alex suggested a walk around the centre of the city. That suited me fine. I was looking forward to a walk and a talk. We passed a bloke entertaining the crowds with some decent sounding electric guitar music, mostly Snow Patrol. I was quite pleased that I could name a few of the songs he played!

Alex had scouted out a possible new camera for me (New to me, but really second hand). It looked like a bargain until I did a bit of research back home and found it had taken over 110,000 photos already! Mine had only taken just over 7,000. Not such a great bargain after all. Pity

We walked down Buchanan Street and along Ingram Street, avoiding the Apple Store. Then down to see the gigantic portrait that had been painted on a gable end for the Merchant City Festival in July. On the way there I did my ‘Good Samaritan’ act and gave a German(?) lady directions that would take her to the GOMA (Gallery Of Modern Art) which she was looking for in all the wrong places. I hope she found it. Alex and I photographed the massive portrait and then, because he wanted new guitar strings we had a wander round Guitar Guitar, a glory hole for musicians. I just wandered round wondering what was the most expensive guitar they had. It was £9999 just in case you’re interested, that was for a used Gibson Les Paul Custom blah, blah.

I got my PoD near there. It was two wee old guys (same age as me, probably) sitting near the ventilator for the underground railway. I don’t know what they were talking about, but it looked as if they were discussing the different architecture themes in the buildings on Argyle Street. Or maybe they were just discussing their team’s results.

We were getting hungry so Alex suggested Greggs for a sandwich and a bottle of juice. I agreed and he was paying. With our lunch in our hands we walked down to the Clyde Walkway and scoffed our lunch sitting on the grass, which seemed to be what everybody else was doing.

We walked along the Walkway when we were finished and critiqued the graffiti. Definitely not as good as the ones from a fortnight ago. The good thing about the Clyde Walkway is that if you do’t like anything you see there today, come back in a week and it will all be changed! Nothing lasts for long here.

By then we were heading homeward, but not before we had a coffee in the Nero in St Enoch’s Square. Then the long drag up the hill and into the bus station. Alex went left and I went right. We are considering a walk round Paisley next time.

Back home it was plenty warm enough to sit in the back garden. Dinner tonight was a Salmon and Broccoli Quiche for Scamp and Mince ’n’ Tatties with Beetroot for me.

I think we may be heading east tomorrow to meet some friends.

 

A change in the weather – 19 August 2025

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A distinct change in the weather this morning. Much cooler than recently. Is this the gentle slide into Autumn I asked myself? Or is it just a cool day and the sun will return tomorrow?

It was dull and cloudy when I eventually got up and dressed and there didn’t look as if that was going to change very soon. Maybe it was just a rest day for the sun. It had been working very hard for most of the summer and it deserved a rest. As long as it didn’t forget to come back.

Lots of wee birds fluttering around the Rowan tree, presumably hoping the bird feeder would magically refill itself. Well, it did manage to refill itself, but it was me who filled it, not magic. To encourage the big fat pigeons to stay away from the bird feeder, I left a handful of seeds on the lid of the compost bin and that seemed to do the trick. The wee birds got some food and so did the big one. There’s probably a moral in that story, but I’m not sure I’m the best person to untangle it from my usual stories.

In the afternoon I managed to fix another email address which leaves only one on the old computer and possibly three still to fix on the new one. We’re working away at it making small changes and hoping they will stick. Scamp finds the most devious ways to work between computer and iPhone and get things to turn out the way we want them to. Thanks again Scamp.

I went for a walk in St Mo’s just before dinner and although there wasn’t much to look at, I did find a little thin green spider just finishing wrapping its dinner up on it’s web. I really needed a longer lens to capture it properly, but thankfully Lightroom came to the rescue and enlarged the photo so the details were visible. The spider got PoD.

The fruits and berries are ripening well ahead of schedule now after all that heat and sunshine. Today it was a bunch of Rose Hips that drew my attention. I think this must be the best year ever for fruits on the trees and in the garden. Yesterday we pulled four or five little red strawberries in what was meant to be the raised bed. I’m afraid that after about twelve years of wet and dry, it’s becoming rotten and will need to be replaced soon. Almost all the kale I planted has now shot (or Bolted to give it the proper name) and will soon be chopped up for the compost bin.

Mince and Tatties for dinner with a few slices of pickled beetroot, just because it was sitting there. Absolutely delicious!

I’m hoping to go for a walk with Alex tomorrow. Nowhere grand, probably just a walk round Glasgow. Scamp is hoping to entertain Annette while I’m out.

 

Yet another hot day – 18 August 2025

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Out to the dentist in the morning.

I was lucky to get an appointment at the dentist. I had my six monthly check last week and today, a week later, I had one of my teeth filled. Not for the first time either, it’s the second or maybe the third filling I’ve had for the same tooth and it’s all my fault. I just keep probing the repaired tooth and occasionally I’ve bitten down on a hard sweet and cracked the tooth. I’ve now had a “good talking to” and for the next week I’m banned from chewing anything tougher than an apple. I’ll do my best to comply.

So it was that lunch was half a nice soft Ginsters pasty. Scamp had gone shopping after I returned from the dentist. I was attempting to solve a couple of problems that were still lingering with the new iMac. It’s beginning to look more like a usable machine now, not just a bag of disconnected parts.

After lunch Scamp started to clear out some of the clutter we’d built up over the years. Many sheets of ancient documents and invoices went into the shredder and then into the compost bin. Chopped up paper apparently makes great compost when mixed with vegetable and fruit in the big black box at the back of the garden.

While she was doing that, I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got a photo of a Painted Lady butterfly that became PoD. They are occasional visitors to Scotland, but are less rare now than they were.

Scientists have discovered that the Painted Lady butterflies do indeed migrate south each autumn but make this return journey at high altitude out of view of butterfly observers on the ground. Radar records reveal that Painted Ladies fly at an average altitude of over 500 metres on their southbound trip and can clock up speeds of 30 mph by selecting favourable conditions.

We were dancing Rumba at Kirsty’s class. Very slow and precise and quite enjoyable in this hot weather. Kirsty taught three separate parts of the routine and then encouraged us not to dance them in order, but to take them in any order the leaders chose. No directions, but the leaders had to guide the followers by hand pressure alone. I found it difficult and demanding, but worth practising at home. Our one hour slot just disappeared!

Tomorrow I believe we may be taking some stuff to the Council tip. Especially if Scamp has her way!

 

 

Drilling in the Sun – 17 August 2025

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The whole thing started out because Scamp wanted a hook to hold one of her sweeping brushes for use in the garden.

I’ve had an old Black & Decker with two NiCd batteries for what must be 20 years now, if not longer. Anyone who has used NiCd batteries will know how quickly they lose their charge. I’d been looking for a better drill for some time. A DeWalt for preference. Today I got one. It feels better balanced than the Black & Decker and hopefully it will last as long as the old B&D, but with better electronics. And yes, Scamp did get her brush hook. Now she’d like “ A few more things done in the house.”
No Comment!

Both of us took the folding chairs out and sat in the front garden with a book and a drink or two until we had cooked enough. Then, when the heat got too much we headed for the back garden where there was more shade.

Dinner tonight was Sea Bass with Potatoes and Sweet Corn. Dessert was a Peach Melba Trifle from Lidl at the new Westway retail park. So much cleaner and cooler than the overcrowded one in St Maurice’s Gate. Badly named, because it doesn’t have any gates!

We spoke to Jamie later and heard about the Birthday Barbecue. Really glad you had a good time, Jamie.

PoD was a photo of “Kelly Anne”. A pretty pink geranium, closely related to Rozanne.

I’ve deliberately not mentioned computing today. I’m having a day off from it. Tomorrow I may dive back in and try to workout where I am.

Also tomorrow, I’ve a dentist’s appointment in the morning. Fillings will be the order of the day. Just in case she need to drill it out a bit first, I have a DeWalt drill she can borrow!

A lazy start to Saturday, but … – 16 August 2025

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… then it got busier and busier.

This was the first evening dance for months. At least the first one we had a chance to go to. We didn’t do very much, but we did both remember to send Jamie a Birthday Message, just because it was a special one.

We spoke to Hazy in the morning and heard about the goings on down south. She and I talked books for a while and I told her of the problems I was finding with the iMac. I realise this isn’t your forte now Hazy, but thanks for trying.

As you will have gathered, this is a catch-up, so I’ll cut to the chase:

  • We both sent birthday wishes to Jamie.
  • Spoke to Hazy in the morning.
  • Scamp noticed that Karlyn and John, our next door neighbours, were dressed for a wedding.
  • I offered to take their photos and got half a dozen decent images.
  • Later in the afternoon Scamp watered the garden, both back and front.
  • Then Scamp was getting ready to go to the August Dance
  • That meant I had to too.
  • Actually enjoyed the dance, but the room in Brookfield was really warm, even with the doors open.
  • It was a lovely drive home after the Last Waltz. Very few cars on the road. It was like Glasgow had become a deserted city!

No PoD’s worth posting. Sorry!

Tomorrow I’m hoping it will be a more relaxed day.

A fairly lazy start – 14 August 2025

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We knew that wouldn’t last!

There were lots of things that had to be gathered together, but I’m not allowed to give any more details, other than to say that sellotape is really sticky and adheres to every surface it’s not meant to stick to. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it had a mind of its own.

Back home and with a couple of slices of toast for lunch, a quick shower and a tidy up, we set off to Coatbridge by the most complicated and circuitous route the Sat Nav could make up. Eventually we found the destination at the hospital. We arrived with about 20 minutes to spare, but we needn’t have worried because the consultant was running about 30 minutes late.

So about an hour after arriving at the hospital, we got the decision we’d been hoping for, since the end of January, six months ago. I don’t think either of us was really bothered by the wait now, and the answer was basically “Keep taking the tablets”, and add an extra one for luck!

On the way home we stopped at M&S in Coatbridge for fruit and something for tonight’s dinner. We arrived home exhausted and posted messages to friends and family.

Today’s PoD was another photo of the Japanese Anemones. This time a solo flower in the garden, backlit by the sun just before it sank behind the fence in the back garden.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to go to her FitSteps class then might meet Isobel for a blether followed by lunch with Shona. That’s if everything goes according to plan. I’m thinking I might have a look at the new iMac, now that it’s mine and I can’t give it back.

Just a normal day – 13 August 2025

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But a normal day, with extra heat. Hottest temp recorded on Scamp’s phone was 30ºc.

We went shopping at Tesco and then started filling up the new fridge. Once that part was looking more like we’d expected, Scamp started on the old freezer. We managed to get most of the food transferred and the freezer too looks better.

I went for a walk in St Mo’s later in the afternoon looking for some photos. What I found was hundreds of butterflies. Mostly Peacocks, but also a few Red Admirals. I don’t think I’ve seen so many butterflies in my life before. I know I’ve said that before, but it really is a remarkable sight. I made sure I was well protected with Smidge, from the clouds of biting insects that I was sure were waiting in the wings.

Despite being surrounded by butterflies this afternoon, they didn’t feature on PoD. That honour went to an Emerald Damselfly that I saw clinging to a grass stem.

When I got home, Scamp and I had a seat in the garden for a while with a Soda & Lime each. Then from nowhere came a little sprinkle of rain. We took the seats in and the rain stopped. So my chair went back out while Scamp stayed in the house to take a call from Annette. Again those sprinkles started. They never got really serious. Just drips from the clouds but maybe a sign of things to come.

Thunder showers are predicted from tonight until midnight tomorrow. Maybe they will cool the weather down and we’ll get some comfortable sleep.

I’m not saying we’re looking forward to tomorrow, but we are looking forward to hearing the result.