Category: pond

An early rise – 30 November 2024

Posted on by Zogman

We had to drive to Brookfield half an hour earlier than usual, so we had to be up earlier than usual.

Brookfield were having an early Xmas fair and needed to use the hall from midday, so the proles had to be out by then.

At least the heating was on when we arrived. A quick sequence dance to start the day, then we were into the Hoabie Quickstep, named for the inventor’s dog, apparently. I think I danced like that dog today. My mind was a total blank. Even with Scamp talking me through the parts that made up the quickstep, I couldn’t remember them. Finally after about half an hour of shuffling round the floor like a complete beginner, things began to click into place and the Hoabie Quickstep was in my head. Now all I need is for my feet to learn it!!

Next was the Blue Angel Rumba, which I ‘sort of knew’, ie not very well. One of the tracks Stewart played was Silent Night sung(?) by Stevie Nicks. It was the worst rendition of that song I’ve ever heard. I often slag off street singers by saying: “One of the most important things a singer must learn is how to **sing***”* Even the worst street singers are better than this. Really, it put my teeth on edge. Listen to it if you dare and see if you agree with me.

The next dance was Jane’s version of a Rumba we’ve been learning forever. Every time we get it clear in our head, she changes bits of it. Today it was a move / unit called “Round the World” which was ok, but nothing special. I wasn’t impressed, but it was probably Ms Nicks’ earworm that was gnawing away at my ear canals.

Drove home across the Kingston Bridge and for once it wasn’t horrible. We made good time and I think we were both happy to be home for different reasons.

After a quick lunch of half a Ginsters Cornish Pasty for me and a Ginsters Chicken Pasty for Scamp, I went for a walk in St Mo’s where I got today’s PoD of a collection of Canada Geese getting ready to fly south after stopping off at St Mo’s for a break. I walked down to the shops to get some peas and chicken thighs to make tonight’s dinner Chicken and Pea Traybake. One of the easiest meals to make because it’s all done in a tray in the oven.

Later we watched Strictly and weren’t impressed with many of the dances tonight. We could do better. We can always do better, just as long as it isn’t the Hoabie Quickstep with music by Stevie Nicks

So today was the last day in November with its snow, frost, unseasonal temperatures and floods. It was also the end of meteorological Autumn. Winter will begin tomorrow. There’s a thought!

No plans for tomorrow.

Just walkin’ in the rain – 3 April 2024

Posted on by Zogman

We did stuff today, both of us doing different stuff for a change.

We were both sitting around for most of the morning, doing Wordle and complaining about the stupid pangrams on Spelling Bee, then Scamp made the statement that was in both our heads. She said she didn’t know if she wanted to go to the Tea Dance in Motherwell. I asked her why and she gave the same reason that was in my head. The woman who runs the dance has already admitted that she’s not a teacher and that she isn’t registered. She charges more for the dance than our dance teachers charge for theirs and a lot more than Kirsty charges for an hour long dance class. Also, if she’s not certified, does she have insurance? That hasn’t been made clear. We agreed that we’d give up on that Tea Dance and support Stewart & Jane’s, as we’ve been doing, instead. Also, Scamp was waiting for a dress to be delivered and it looked like it would be coming in the afternoon. Another reason, if it was needed to cancel the Motherwell dance.

The decision made and the air in the room cleared a little. That left the afternoon free. After lunch we started doing some cleaning up. Mine was computer based. I cleared out the old catalog that had become borked and replaced it with the one I’d downloaded with Carbon Copier from my ‘Snapshots’. It only covered March, but it worked and that meant I now had January to March in the catalog. Then I added in the first two days of April and that meant the catalog was up to date. I know that means nothing to anyone but me but it’s a reminder to me of how to repair a catalog if/when I need to do that. Relieved!

While I was doing virtual cleaning, Scamp was upstairs tackling the bookcase in our room, clearing it out shelf by shelf and keeping the articles in different named big Tesco bags. When she’s finished, it means we’ll be able to move the bookcase when we start painting the room. The first step on the upstairs redecorating. As I write, the bookcase is empty and the bags are filling up the upstairs small bedroom.

Although Scamp’s work had been mainly physical, mine, being computer based, meant a lot of sitting down, waiting for complete their transition between disk drives. By the time I’d finished I was getting grouchy and sore from sitting around for so long, so despite the fact that it was still raining – did I mention it’s been raining all day? – I put on my big Belky jacket and took the A6500 out for a walk in the rain. I did get a few shots, but really photography was a secondary consideration today. I just wanted to get out of the house for a while. I came home wet, but happier. Walking in the rain is good for the soul, as long as you’ve got dry clothes to change into! PoD was a photo looking across the pond in the rain with Alder seedheads in the foreground, one with an orange water drop! What created it I do not know.

Kirsty’s class was a bit of a shambles for me tonight. The dance floor really is too small and people kept getting in others way and that was with just three couples. I really need to do more practise in Foxtrot.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending going into Glasgow by herself on a secret mission. I think I’m might go out somewhere too if I can find a dry hour or two.