Category: reflection

On Reflection … 22 April 2016

Posted on by Zogman

combo bIt wasn’t a bad day. Up a bit earlier than normal today to take my niece and her mum to a hospital appointment. Rather than sit in a crowded carpark waiting for them, I thought I’d just drive in to Glasgow. Followed my nose and relied on guesswork to get to where I was going. On the way I passed a Chinese supermarket and went in to see if I could find Dried Fenugreek Leaves because I’m sure the Indian chef who took the cook school I went to had listed them as one of the main ingredients in pakora. They had loads of dried an fresh herbs and veg, but no fenugreek, dried or otherwise, so I left empty handed, but I’m going back there some time for some Chinese curry mix like Jackie made for us in Skye.

I got parked easily up on St Mungo Avenue in Glasgow and walked down past Queen Street station and looked across past the College of Building and Printing as-was, now Glasgow Metropolitan and liked the light on the old sandstone building (top middle). On through George Square where I caught the wee man looking bemusedly at his iPad and down Queen Street to peruse the bargains at Cass Art. There were none – bummer. Walked back up and admired the reflections on the new office block, not for the first time. Managed a few shots, but then a crowd of school weans arrived out of the GOMA (Gallery Of Modern Art) clutching sketch pads and pencils and proceeded to sketch everything in sight. I put my camera away, knowing I had my PoD in one of the reflection shots. I’d just sat down with a coffee in Pret when my phone rang and I knew the Outpatients were ready for their lift home, so back up the hill again and back home via the hospital.

After lunch which was fried bacon, potatoes and egg (not the healthiest perhaps, but very, very tasty) Scamp wanted to go shopping. I decided my calling was more cycle related and put the bike on the rack on the car and got going to Auchinstarry. I’d decided it was warm enough for shorts. It was, but only just.  Today was not as warm as yesterday or Wednesday with clouds massing over the hills. Colder, but ideal for another go at another time lapse (That technique is becoming a bit ‘old’ now that I can remember its name – time for something new). Cycled along to Dumbreck and set the camera up on the Gorillapod on a fencepost and fired off a 100 frame, 10 second interval movie.

Then changed lenses and did another 100 frame, but 5 second interval movie. That was enough for me. I was getting cold standing around so I packed up and headed for home.

I was just fitting the bike on to the rack when the first splashes of rain appeared on the roof of the car. There was that delicious earth smell you get when it rains after a long (for Scotland) dry spell. It rained all the way home, but when I drew into our street the road was dry. Got the bike in to the house and the raindrops appeared on the window. It must have followed me home.

So, on reflection, it wasn’t a bad day!

A wet day in the Toon – 12 September 2015

Posted on by Zogman

comboAs with most Saturday mornings, this one started gently with a long lie in. This was partly because I’d been to a retiral dinner on Friday when much drink was taken.
The weather this morning was, as predicted, wet. I think it was partly Scamp’s fault and partly mine. She because she had watered the garden on Friday and Thursday because it was so dry. Me, because I had washed my bike on Friday. Both these acts were completed using the hose. That self same hose that we bought in April and hadn’t used since then, because it had rained almost every day. We had broken the dry spell by using the hose! Broken the ‘spell’ that is!

We had sort of planned to go to Perth today, but that was back in the middle of the week when the weather was much better. Today, we decided, we’d just go to Glasgow on the train for lunch. Seemed like the best way to deal with such a dull day.

Went to Zizzi’s in Exchange Square for lunch. Scamp found out just how hot red chillies can be and my pulled pork pizza was more like a teased piglet pizza. Really, I should have taken a shot of it and sent it to the Zizzi management to see if they could identify the actual pork without the aid of a microscope or DNA analysis. I think this may be the last time for a while we will be gracing their premises. I realise that times are tough in the restaurant sector, but if you advertise the pizza as pulled pork, then that meat should be its prime topping. That said, the Italian sausage was tasty, but, I’ve just checked the menu on Zizzi website and there is mention of crispy prosciutto and that wasn’t in evidence either. Maybe the pig ate it then ran away. I’ve written a complaint to Zizzi head office.

Bumped into Ruth from Salsa – she was going to a refugee rally in George Square.  Hardly recognised her.  She’s a shadow of her former self, but in a good way.  She seemed a bit put out that we were walking away from the rally.  It’s our choice, our life, our day.

On the train back, we were sitting beside two loud americans ex-teenagers. They drawled on and on in loud voices discussing the education system in Scotland and its failing. Why are american teenagers and ex-teenagers so annoying. Empty head and empty talk full of jargon and little else. I was tempted to put on the Ned voice and drawl back at them: “Hey mate. Ur youse americans? So ur ye jist here tae git a bit o’ ejicayshin? Cause you’re baith talking’ pure crap man. See me, ah’ve dun the ejicayshin thing an ah can tell when sumdi’s talking’ shite, an youse ur.” Scamp would not have been pleased and would have maintained a stony silence for the rest of the evening.

Top left picture is of my favourite building of the moment taken with the 9mm lens.  Processed in Tonality Pro.  The processing suited it in my opinion.  Top right is a religious zealot who regularly preaches in Buchanan Street.  I think he got more than he bargained for today when he took on the man on the right.  Bottom right is the same building as the first one, but with a bit cleaner processing and a different viewpoint.

It was a no’ bad day in the Toon.

Summer comes to Scotland – 3 June 2015

Posted on by Zogman

It’s been a sunny day (with some showers of course – it is still Scotland!).  Went to Stirling and felt overdressed in the warm afternoon sun.  By the time we came home there was no time to take any photos as I was on cooking duty – voluntarily I must add.  Pizza for dinner ( the unhealthy option, but very tasty).  Dancing tonight.  One hour of the utter hell that chooses to call itself Kizomba.  Actually it’s just two self-centred girls showing off to each other and us and along the way teaching us the odd step of what could be and interesting and very sensual dance.  The dance itself is good.  We’ve tried it a year or two ago with a real teacher.  His grasp of English may not have been great, but boy could he put his point across.  These two are just amateurs pretending they can teach.  I really feel sorry for the ones in the class who have never had the opportunity to see it danced by a real, talented teacher.  Thankfully, this was our last class.  After a 25 minute lecture on how to move and ‘musicology‘, if felt like giving up the will to live.  I almost walked out, it was so bad.  Never will I attend any of the classes by these self-styled teachers again.  Fin!

IMG_2578-Edit- blog-154After the Kizomba Katastrophe I really needed Jamie G’s salsa class to lift my spirits, and it did!  When I came out there was a mayfly sitting on the windscreen of the car.  Of course, I didn’t have a camera, but I did have my iPhone.  Unfortunately it took so long for the camera app to load and focus, the mayfly took off and left me with a blank windscreen.  Then I saw the reflection on the roof of the car.  The red roof acted like a Claude mirror and reduced the reflection to the kind of monochrome IMG_2579- blog-154although mine was a red monochrome as seen here.  Drove to the end of Park Road and saw the wonderful view of Glasgow Uni against a glowing sky and couldn’t pass up the opportunity.  This time the iPhone worked perfectly, as all good Apple products should.  The weather folk say the magic fairies are whispering that summer has gone again for a few days.  Oh dear!