Category: photography

An early rise – 15 September 2022

Posted on by Zogman

A voluntary one.

I’d had breakfast, but couldn’t find a book I wanted to read. The sun was shining although the temperature was just crawling into double figures, but I made up my mind to head out to get a photo of a climbing frame in a children’s adventure nearby. The reason for the photo was this week’s Flickr Friday requested a photo of a “Tower”. There is a tower, a rope climbing net and a slide on the climbing frame, so I reckoned it fitted the bill. There was also a lot of graffiti and a telephone number from an eighteen year old girl who was desperate for love. She must have been desperate, because there was a 17 scored out and replaced by the 18!

I took a few photos with the ultra-wide lens to accentuate the height of the structure, but wasn’t happy with it. To give the sun time to clear the surrounding trees, I took a walk in St Mo’s. There wasn’t much to see. The sun hadn’t cleared the trees here either so the cold blooded dragonflies would need to wait a while for it to warm their bodies and wings before they could fly properly. By the time I’d walked back to the ‘tower’, the sun was warming its eastern face and I got today’s PoD.

While I was doing some post processing of the PoD, Scamp left to meet June and Isobel. After I was satisfied with the photo and posted it on Flickr, I planted some basil seeds. Our basil plants are looking a bit straggly and will need replaced soon. Why buy basil plants from the supermarket when you can grow them right through the winter in the house?

Lunch today was a piece ’n’ banana for Scamp and a Cornish pastie for me. It was Thursday and Scamp had said she wanted some pansies to replace the violas that had flowered non-stop all summer, so I drove to Calders to get some for her. There was only one tray of Peach Pansies left in the garden centre, so I took them. Apparently Christmas is just around the corner. It looked like an articulated lorry had dumped all of its load at the garden centre. Boxes of jolly Santas, cheeky elves and reindeer, so many reindeer! That’s not to mention the lights and decorations, so I won’t mention them. Heavens, it’s the middle of September and we’re being suckered into buying Xmas tat already!

I drove home and made easy haddock risotto. Easy because the oven does all the hard work and as usual it worked perfectly. Nothing to do with me, I just follow the recipe and it works every time.

Tonight we had another dance practise.  A more in-depth one that the last two.  Trying to get the ‘slows’ and the ‘quicks’ in the right places and at the right time.  This ballroom dancing is not anywhere as easy as it looks on TV.

Miles and miles of folk queueing to get in to see the Queen’s coffin lying in state in London. Three miles, possibly four waiting to file past. If it brings the some solace then it’s a good thing.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending going to exercise class in the morning. I’ll exercise my right to stay at home.

The Heron and the Holey Man – 14 September 2022

Posted on by Zogman

Today went out to lunch.

John had told us about a restaurant they’d been to. It was called The Heron and was between Strathaven and Darvel and since he said the food was good, we just had to try it out.

It was indeed in the badlands between Strathaven and Darvel, in the middle of nowhere, up a long hill on a single track road with passing places. It wasn’t a real ’Skye’ single track, just a narrow road. There were plenty of tables, although some of them were in the ‘Dog Friendly’ area. Since neither of us is dog friendly, we chose a different table in a different area. There wasn’t much variety in the menu, but that didn’t bother Scamp. She went straight for the Mac ’n’ Cheese. I was more adventurous with Steak with Chimichurri dressing in a Bagel from the specials. Not my usual lunch choice, but it looked like it was that or a sandwich. Food came fairly quickly and Scamp’s M&C looked really good served in an old style enamel Ashet dish. Mine looked good. A bagel with minute steak and some green dressing, presumably the Chimichurri. Unfortunately it was barely warm and the dressing had almost no taste. Scamp asked for peppermint tea, but unfortunately they didn’t have any, so she settled for her speciality ‘white tea’, ie hot water. They were obviously rationing the coffee too judging from the slightly brown water in my cup. It wasn’t expensive, but it wasn’t very good either. Still, it was doing a roaring trade with a constant stream of folk coming through the door. Maybe we were just unlucky, or maybe not!

We did go for a walk round the ‘shop’. It was overpriced. A 50g box of Assam tea was £5.50. My Assam from The Bean Shop in Perth costs £6.50 for 200g. Lot’s of interesting beers at reasonable prices, but the gin and vodka was just silly money. I described the place as ’Style over Substance’. I doubt if we’ll rush back.

With all that said, it had a lovely outlook over the hills and farmland and the weather couldn’t have been better.. We drove back down that narrow road and turned right to try to find Loudoun Hill which was my destination today for photos. It’s not hard to find. It’s a volcanic plug, apparently. It looks like a big lump of granite or some such mineral, dumped in a field. You just can’t miss it. I missed the turning for the car park, though. A mile or so down the road we found a place to turn and with Scamp giving directions, we found the path to the car park.

I’d brought my rucksack with both cameras in it, but forgot my walking boots. I had no intentions of climbing the hill anyway. I just wanted to make sure I got the image I had in my head for today and it was there in front of me. The Spirit of Scotland monument by artist Richard Price was erected in 2004. It stands on a pathway which runs through the Irvine Valley near Drumclog. The monument, made from steel stands over 5 metres tall. It’s one of the ugliest monuments I’ve seen, but one of the first I’d seen with the shape burned out of the steel slab. It commemorates the Battle of Loudoun Hill between Aymer de Valence and Robert the Bruce in 1307. It was a return grudge match which Bruce won, despite being vastly outnumbered. Loudoun Hill stands in the background. It might be ugly, but it gave a foreground for the scenery in the background. PoD captured.

Another short dance practise when we got home, because I don’t want another day like last Saturday. I want to be able to crack not just the Jet Lag Waltz, but also the New Foxtrot. I’m getting there, and there are a few more days to go to get it even better.

Tomorrow, Scamp is meeting June, Ian and Isobel for coffee in the morning.

 

A lazy day – 30 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

A lazy morning, more like.

We just seemed to lounge about and complain about the rain, although it had been forecast for about a week with progressively more accurate details of when and where. The ‘where’ wasn’t really all that important. We knew it was going to be in the central belt of Scotland. The ‘when’ however, was important. Scamp was sure it was going to be in the morning and that it would clear up by midday. I, as usual was more down in the dumps and though it wouldn’t rain until late afternoon. Scamp’s weather forecasters got it right.

We’d half intended going to the Merchant City Festival in Glasgow if the weather had stayed fine, but as it was, that seemed unlikely and maybe would be postponed until tomorrow. Maybe we should go out to lunch, just to get out of the house. That sounded like a good choice. Scamp suggested Cotton House, or ‘The’ Cotton House, to give it its full name. I didn’t think we’d get a table, but as usual, Scamp had done her due diligence and could tell me that it was open all day at the weekends, so we could go after the usual lunchtime rush. That’s what we did.

We got a table without any problem. Scamp had her usual Thai Spring Rolls to start, followed by Chicken Chow Mein. I had Crispy Pancake Rolls and Ginger & Spring Onion Chicken with Noodles. Both excellent, both finished in double quick time.

What to do now? I’d offered a drive up to Fannyside and a walk along the path there, but then thought a walk along the Forth & Clyde towpath might be even better. We drove down to the towpath from Haggs and walked as far as the ruin of Underwood Lockhouse. An historic part of the Forth & Clyde canal that’s been ‘accidentally’ burned down twice now and remains an empty shell, hidden behind hoardings, but easily accessible if you’re of the Urban Ex frame of mind. I wasn’t, but got a shot of a half bottle of Buckfast on a line of steps that now go nowhere.

Lots of cyclists on this section of the F&C, but not many walkers. Such a beautiful day with cloudscapes that just made you want to keep taking photos. One of those views along the canal made PoD.  We walked back to the car and drove home where Scamp decided it would be a perfect afternoon for a seat in the garden, to enjoy the fruits (and flowers) of her labours.  I agreed and sat for a while reading my latest Kindle book.  After a while it began to cool down and we had to adjourn to the house.  Watched a ‘thrilling'(?) Hungarian F1 Qualifying.  I do believe that one day that commentator will simply burst with excitement at George Russell achieving something.  Anything.  Today he was getting pole position.

Tomorrow we may make that postponed trip to Glasgow.

 

 

A toy off the rack – 27 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

It was coming today, but not until evening. Who would want to be a DPD driver.

It was an early rise for us lazy folk. The lady with the long cotton bud and the questions was coming between 9.30 and10.30am.

She arrived right between those times, and this was to be her last visit to us because from now on we’ll get a sampling kit sent to us and once it’s been used we’ll post it away for checking. The questioning will be done online. All those folk who’ve stood in the rain with masks on, dispensing the sampling kits and asking the questions finish work at the end of the month. I felt quite sorry for her because she seemed to enjoy the work and the meeting people. However, the cotton bud down the throat and up the nose still had to be done today and the questions had to be answered and logged for one last time. I think we’ll keep it on for a while anyway, if just for the free test.

Scamp went off after that to get some essentials from Tesco and I started working out how I’m going to get tomorrow’s picture for Flickr Friday. The topic is ‘Kiss’. My plan involves two ‘Troopies’, male and female kissing. Not as easy as you might think. While I was working on it I got a text from DPD to say that the lens would be delivered between 7.09 and 8.09pm tonight. I had hoped it would be here earlier, but it was not to be.

When she returned, Scamp had bought bread and some bananas. That was lunch sorted for both of us. After lunch, Scamp wanted to cut the front grass because it was a lovely warm day and there’s just the chance t might rain tomorrow and you can’t cut wet grass. While she was doing that, I thought I’d better be gainfully employed, and used the new radiator brush to clean out the inside of the back radiator. It’s amazing how much gunge gets stuck in the vanes of those heaters.

With that done, I offered to cut the remaining grass. I hadn’t realised how technical, cutting a couple of square metres of grass is, but with plenty of instruction from Scamp I got it finished. Or almost finished because she was pointing to a bit I’d missed. Then I was unloading the clippings the wrong way too. I gave up and went for a walk in St Mo’s.

I didn’t get much today, because there wasn’t a lot of insect life about. A couple of Ringlet butterflies was all I found. I was just heading for home when I got a message from Scamp asking me to get a lettuce from the shops. I phoned her to say I’d no money, but if she wanted I’d meet her and we could walk to the shops together. On the way to meet her I found today’s PoD. It’s the seed heads of a Sweet Cicely plant. I’ve photographed them before, but didn’t know their name. Mr Google did. When we got back there was just enough time for a relaxing G ’n’ T in the garden.

Dinner was a salad with lettuce, potato salad (last of our ‘earlys’) beetroot and prawns for me. I’m not really keen on big prawns served cold. I’d wished we’d got some small fresh prawns at the shops. Never mind, it was food. Plus there was strawberry jelly and ice cream for dessert.

Just after 7.30pm the driver delivered the box from MPB. Inside was a red box. This is important. It appears that there is a group on YouTube who have proved that lenses that come in red/orange boxes are better than those that come in white boxes. It’s probably utter tosh, but this was a red box, so I knew we were good!

It’s a neat little lens. Solid feeling and it does indeed produce a distorted wide angle view. Unfortunately it was starting to get dark before I could get any decent images, so tomorrow is testing day.

Tomorrow we have no plans. I thought we were going to a tea dance, but Scamp decided to err on the side of safety. Probably quite right.

 

Hair raising – 26 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

Scamp was out this morning to get her hair cut.

I did offer her my services with the number 4 cutter on top and the number 3 cutter on the sides and back, but she refused. It would have been cheaper and quicker than having it done at a salon with the added benefit of not needing it done again until it had grown in. Ok, I’m not a trained stylist, but the difference between a bad haircut and a good one is just two weeks.

While she was out I used the plastic to get me a new lens. This one looks as if it will be quite versatile. I know you’re all waiting to hear all about it, but all I’m going to say is it’s a Sony 10-18mm ultra wide angle that has the benefits of being constant aperture and also having OIS built in. I knew it would impress you and it was a steal at £1100.

When Scamp returned looking more beautiful than I thought she could, we had lunch which was a pot of yoghurt each because there wasn’t really any useable bread, especially after I’d paid all that money for a lens.

We both wanted to go for a walk and I suggested Colzium. It’s been a long time since we’ve been there and there’s always something new to see. We parked beside the old cafe at the Curling Pond. The cafe closed down about fifteen years ago, never to open again. I didn’t want to park where the tourists go on the other side of the pond because it’s so easy to lose your car in the potholes over there. I often wonder how many folk have broken a spring in them.

We walked up the steps to the big house, went left and followed the road round and down to the new cafe in the museum. Unfortunately their card machine was out of order, but luckily Scamp had a nice new tenner in the little purse she takes with her on walks. That paid for two coffees and a packet of shortbread. How’s your shortbread coming along, Jamie? We’d intended to walk round the walled garden before heading back to the car, but forgot, at least, I forgot anyway.

When we were walking over the bridge that crosses the wee burn, I spotted a twig with two Sycamore keys on it, the little seed pods that twirl round like miniature helicopters from the trees. I took a few photos of them and one of those shots made PoD. We walked down the drive and round to the car and home.

Back at the house, we’d decided to lift one of our remaining two ‘tattie bags’ for tonight’s dinner. It wouldn’t have made good eating as we unearthed just three potatoes. Thankfully the final bag gave us far more than we needed. Scamp had salmon with her potatoes and cauliflower and I had a very salty venison burger which I’d got cheap at Morrisons. Now I know why it was so cheap. We might plant some late potatoes for lifting in the winter, I think. Next garden job was to prune back the roses at the back door. It’s half finished, hopefully I’ll get the rest done tomorrow.

We’ve been watching a flower growing in the bed at the back of the house beneath the window. Neither of us had a clue what it was, at least until I put its photo into Google Image Search and out popped the name Astrantia major. The picture it showed was exactly like our mystery plant. Now we need to know where we got it from!

The lady with the cotton buds to shove down our throat and up or nose is coming to see us tomorrow, but we’ve no other plans. If it’s pleasant we may go for a walk, at least if the DPD man arrives with my new lens in time.

And just in case you’re wondering, I’ll say that the lens probably was a steal at £1100 when it was new, but I paid a fraction of that for it second-hand. If you’re not impressed, I’ll go and tell Alex. He will be!

Wet again – 25 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

Then after a long heavy shower, the sun shone and the clouds drifted away.

During that heavy shower I was trying unsuccessfully to repair the boot switch of Scamp’s wee red car. I took cover in the car and hoped the rain would go off because I hadn’t realised just how cramped it is in the back seat of an old Micra with the parcel shelf and the boot cover for company. Also, I was feeling the call of nature!!

Eventually the rain eased off enough to make the short trip to the house doable without getting thoroughly soaked. The boot is now locked and won’t be able to be opened until I get the switch mounted properly. The last time I fixed it, it was held together with that amateur mechanic’s standby viz: Duct Tape and Hot Melt Glue. I’m thinking I might try something more substantial this time as the tape was holding, but the hot melt glue was just sitting there, getting in the way. Allegedly you can buy replacement switches from a bloke in Wishaw of all places. Not sure I’m that desperate yet.

Back in the house and feeling a lot more comfortable, I had, what I can only describe as, a slab of bread and roasted cheese for lunch. The loaf it came from was far too soft to cut with the bread knife, really so I had cut a thicker than normal slice to make sure it didn’t crumble away (it made sense at the time). Actually it tasted better toasted than it had yesterday, just spread with butter.

Now that we were pretty sure the rain had gone, we went for a walk over to St Mo’s. There was nothing to see there and Scamp wanted to get a card in Condorrat, so we extended our walk to the paper shop in Condorrat. The next thing she wanted was a voucher from M&S to go with the card and we walked back the way we’d come and onward to the shops. We got the voucher and something for tomorrow’s lunch and walked home.

On the way Scamp got an email with a cabin number we’d requested, so then two computers were utilised to find where that cabin was located. We found it, but it was nowhere like where our initial email a couple of weeks ago had said. Never mind, another box ticked!

I still didn’t have a photo for today, so I went for a walk around St Mo’s again and this time took more heavy duty armoury with me in the form of the A7iii and the 105mm macro lens. Got some photos that looked worthwhile and came home, because in a change from tradition, Scamp had offered to make dinner tonight. Monday is always pasta and I am usually the pasta chef. Tonight it was pasta, Scamp style. It was Macaroni ’n’ Cheese and it was quite the best she’d made for a long time. Not one morsel was left on the plate.

When I looked at the photos, I knew something was wrong. Almost all of them were absolutely filthy. Not dodgy filthy, you understand. No, dust all over the sensor left black marks on the images. It must have been from the old Sigma 10-20mm lens I’d used, or more likely from the adaptor. It took about an hour with a magnifier a blower brush and a fine white paintbrush (that’s never been near paint) to carefully remove most of the dust. After that, cleaning up the actual photos was fairly easily done, but time consuming. PoD went to a wide angle shot of some wild flowers in St Mo’s.

We got some photos from Jamie showing off his tomatoes. They look great. I’m afraid none of ours are turning very red yet. I suppose that’s one of the advantages of having a ‘real’ greenhouse. Well done Jamie.

Tomorrow Scamp has an appointment with the hairdresser and I’ve just realised she might need her car, so I’ll have to tidy it up a bit so it doesn’t look such a sight!

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.

Keeping Fit – 22 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

Not me! This was Scamp’s adventure into dancing fitness.

Scamp was out just after 11am to go to a Fitsteps Tone. I have a Fitbit, so I don’t need Fitsteps too. My Fitbit keeps me toned to perfection. However, while she was away I spent a worthwhile hour or so running up and down the stairs, lifting stuff and searching through other stuff, looking for my Kindle. I thought I’d done almost as much exercise as Scamp had. That was until she came home still sweating from her class. About half an hour after that, I found my Kindle buried under a load of cartridge paper in my room. I really must tidy it up THIS WEEK! Apparently the class was a great success and she really enjoyed it. It certainly looked strenuous.

After lunch, I drove over to Fannyside and got some photos of what I though were sheep, but which turned out to be goats. Very nosy goats that came right up to the fence and one in particular more or less demanded that I take its picture, which I did, of course. I’d intended getting some landscape photos, but there was a van parked in my usual parking space so I went for a drive along the single track road to Arns which is a couple of houses about 50m apart. I eventually gave up looking for somewhere scenic to photograph and drove back to see if Van Man had moved on. Thankfully he had and I got my landscape photos. The lighting had been better earlier, but since there is only room in the parking place for one vehicle, I couldn’t stop.

I drove back after getting some moody cloudscapes. I stopped just after the boatyard at Fannyside Loch and got some better shots with the loch sparkling in the sunshine that had appeared. Behind the sun I could see the rain clouds looming and sure enough, as I was driving down towards Cumbersheugh the first splashes of rain hit the windscreen.

The rain stopped. I, too, stopped, at Tesco and tried to get a pizza and two litres of milk, but with a queue of twelve folk, some with the weekly shop in their trolleys, waiting for a slot in the self-service checkouts, and only two of the ten main checkouts in operation, I put the milk and pizza back in the racks and left empty handed. You’d think that a company like Tesco would be able to organise its staff better. It’s not as if they wouldn’t know that Fridays were going to be busy. The shop is usually jumping on a Friday. Or, do we blame it all on Covid again?

I went to Iceland, got the pizza and the milk and got served in a quarter the time it would have taken in Tesco. Maybe I’m just in a ranting mood today because Van Man stole my parking space in Fannyside!

Pizza was ok, but the glass of cheap Malbec wine was better. All was well with the world again. The PoD went to the photogenic goat, and second prize went to the landscape shot I took of Fannyside Loch.

We spoke to John and Marion in the evening and got an invitation to dinner next month. That will be good. That put another smile on my face. Wrote to Alex and sent him some photos.

Just before Marion phoned the rain started again. Not a shower this time but good heavy soaking rain. Good for the garden.

Tomorrow we may go out somewhere, but I also want to clear a space on the sofa in my room.

A day window shopping in Glasgow – 12 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

Well, I was window shopping, but I didn’t buy anything. Scamp was shopping for ‘things’.

After some discussion today, I drove in to Glasgow. Scamp offered to drive, but I knew she doesn’t like driving in to Glasgow, so I said I’d drive. It was fairly easy to get parked in Buchanan Galleries, probably because it’s holiday time, but Glasgow was busy, probably because it was holiday time! Lots of people coming out of Queen Street station and just standing there with their phones or a map in their hands. I always feel sorry for them. There really should be a kiosk near the exit to help visitors, even those from Embra!

We walked down Buchanan Street (note, I’m giving it its ‘proper’ name today). I was looking for a pair of trainers. I’ve been looking for a pair for a while now and I now know that the problem is, I just don’t know what I want. We went in to Tiso and I tried on a couple of pairs that looked like what I thought I wanted, but I didn’t like them, or they weren’t comfortable. The bloke who was serving me couldn’t have been more helpful. He didn’t push me in any way or for any make. He just explained the benefits of the different shoes they had and left me to make up my mind. I may go back before the weekend and seek his advice again.

Scamp in the meantime had visited the first shop on her list and had secured the purchases she wanted. She was now complaining that a second shower gel she really likes is being discontinued. Why do people do this? The same happened to me with Grass shower gel in Lush. They discontinued it, even after saying it was one of the most popular sellers. Hazy found the same with Lush a few years ago. I understand that there is a constant need to push new products, but think about the consumers please!

We walked along Argyle Street to have a bite to eat and a coffee in Nero. Scamp chose a window seat that gave us a panoramic view along this busy street. That allowed me to grab a photo or two of folk just walking. Nothing fancy, no ND filters, just ordinary folk going about their business. Something I’ve not considered before, but it was interesting, just people-watching.

When we left there, fed and watered, Scamp wanted to go to M&S and I didn’t, so while she walked round the store, I took more photos: Pigeons on the disgustingly dirty glass roof over the entrance to Argyle Street station, A bloke sitting reading a paper which became PoD. I’d have taken more, but Scamp reappeared and we walked back and I got quite a decent one looking along an alley off Buchanan Street.

Driving back home, Scamp noticed that the heavy clouds, that had been blocking the sun in the morning and most of the afternoon had broken and blue sky was appearing. Were we going to have a decent evening? I hoped so. And so it was. I transplanted my teasel seedlings into individual pots and also potted up the last few kale plants. Scamp did some potting on too, giving two cuttings she’d taken at Jamie and Sim’s garden a new pot and fresh compost because they were building strong roots. After dinner we sat in the garden and read. I finished my latest book and now I need to start on one that Fred gave me.  FInally we had to go in because the temperature was dropping.  It had been a good day.

We have no plans for tomorrow yet.

Walking in the woods – 10 July 2022

Posted on by Zogman

Another lovely day with wall to wall sunshine in the morning.

Scamp’s suggestion for today was a walk round Broadwood with the extension through the woods. It suited me too because it meant I didn’t have to drive. Just for the sake of it, we went anticlockwise as opposed to our usual clockwise walk. I didn’t think there would be much to photograph and I was right. We did see a pair of crested grebes on Broadwood Loch, but they were too far away. I think it was just the feeling of being out with shorts and tee shirt in the sunshine that made the walk interesting. Also, for me, not lugging a camera and a couple of lenses, just one small camera with one lens made the walk more enjoyable. An as yet unnamed butterfly followed us on our Sunday morning walk through the woods at Broadwood, stopping occasionally, but never long enough for me to get close. Finally, I thought I knew where it had landed, but then couldn’t see the insect. Purely by accident I triggered the shutter button and took a photo of a butterfly I couldn’t see! Almost perfect camouflage. That photo of the butterfly became PoD.

Back home for lunch and then I volunteered to walk down to the shops to get some salad veg for dinner and a carton of milk. No wee man to offer me a Mivvi today, but after I got home I thought I should really have bought a packet of them just to stick in the freezer.

While I was out, Scamp was hacking into the blackcurrant bush and doing a great job of cutting it back while opening it out to remove all the criss cross of branches in the centre of it, Those are the ones that limit the light getting in to the bush.

I was on dinner duty today and it was quiche. It’s a while since I’ve made quiche and I had to stick to Scamp and Jackie’s quantities and techniques to get the pastry made and then the filling added. Two quiches as it happened, one with broccoli, smoked salmon and tomatoes. One with cheese and tomatoes. We ate half of each and have the other half ready for tomorrow.

After dinner we sat out in the sun for a short while before deciding to water the garden. It really needed the water with the temperature reaching 25ºc which is positively tropical for Scotland. Later when Jamie phoned, we found that they could beat us with a 31ºc, but that’s becoming the norm for those in the Deep South. Who knows what the temperature was in London.

We watched an almost interesting Austrian GP with a commentator nearly bursting a blood vessel trying to make it sound like the earth shattering race it simply wasn’t. Nice try, pal. Hope the blood pressure is back to normal now.

Now here’s a strange thing. I just checked and the title of the blog one year ago in the 10th of July 2021 was … “Walking in the woods”. Maybe I’m becoming predictable. Hope not!

Tomorrow we may go out for a drive. Not been out driving for ages.