Category: Sketching

Going for the messages – 10 February 2022

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Scamp had considered going to a tea dance today, but then thought better not, just in case of picking up a nasty.

When Scamp makes a decision, she sticks to it. Nothing will changer her mind. So we definitely not going dancing today. It was probably the right choice, but she knew that it was the last chance for a dance for at least a fortnight, maybe more, depending on what the consultant said after the eye op. What she did say was that we needed a ‘few things’. The ‘things’ were mainly vegetables and I suggested we take a trip to Waitrose in Stirling for them. Veg are usually fresh. There is a good fish counter and also a meat counter. The fact that they seem to be the only place in the central belt where you can get Chocolate and Nut Cantuccini is merely accidental!

Weather was terrible again. Driving through the rain and spray from countless lorries and white vans, but we got to Waitrose and managed to get all the veg, plus some fish and some diced pork with a wee bonus of three bits of lamb’s liver which may do nicely for tomorrow’s lunch. Oh yes and two boxes of Cantuccini. One to use and one to squirrel away.

After a French Toast lunch, I went out into the cold to get some photos. The weather had cleared up after we got back and the sun was shining brightly. I got a few close-up shots with nice textures, rusty wire as you can see and attempted to capture some backlit sphagnum moss that was looking very fresh and green. The only down side was that my little ladybird had disappeared. Maybe the bright sun had convinced it that spring had arrived. I’m hoping so.

I went shopping for even more food after I was finished at St Mo’s and by the time I came back, Scamp was starting to make Sweet Potato Soup for dinner. It tasted a bit spicier than mine, it was fine. More in the pot for tomorrow.

I’m beginning to struggle with the music and film prompts from EDiF, but as Scamp says, it’s prompts like these that make you think.
Today’s prompt was Vienna. That word, is now synonymous with Ultravox for many people. Rather than draw the famous ‘girl and horse’ scene or the one where Midge sings his wee heart out at the start, I chose the fade out scene where they all walk off towards that big scary building in the distance. I think it’s the moody atmosphere and the restricted palette of purples and blues that I like. That’s Vienna for me, just don’t mention Joe Dolce!

No plans for tomorrow, but the weather looks bright and clear, although the temperature is due to go down to -4ºc tonight!

 

Coffee with a crowd – 9 February 2022

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Four of us meeting for coffee. When was the last time that happened?

Up and out fairly early to meet Val, Colin and John for coffee and a blether this morning, and there was a lot of blethering! I’d forgotten to tell John which of the town’s three Costas we were meeting in, but after that we got down to the business of comparing ailments, discussing our latest tech and telling tall stories. Two hours flew past before we knew it and it was time to say cheerio until the next meeting. Hopefully we’ll be able to coax Fred to join us next time.

After the coffee we all made our separate ways home. I dropped in at Tesco on the way to get some baby wipes to allow Scamp to swab her eyelids, apparently it has to be done twice a day for a week before the op. After lunch I watched the hail battering down and decided to wait a while before going out again. Later, I took a calculated risk thinking that I might manage to get a few photos at St Mo’s then get down to the shops and back before the next shower. I almost made it too. I just lingered too long getting photos of the pond looking very placid. Five minutes later I was being battered by hail. I did get to the shops, though and brought back the necessities for making tonight’s stir-fry dinner.

The photos weren’t too bad. I was using an old 10-20mm wide angle Nikon lens bolted onto an adapter which in turn was connected to the A6000. After reading about it last night I managed to get the combination to focus manually and was really pleased with the finished result. A worthwhile PoD.

Today’s prompt was Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White. I sort of knew it as a piece of music my dad used to have, played on trumpet by Eddie Calvert. I never even knew there were lyrics for it. I listened to both today, the Eddie Calvert version and the sung version and wondered why they added lyrics.
But today’s sketch didn’t come from either, it came from a suggestion from Scamp that I draw a couple of paint pots. That sounded like a good idea and that’s what you see here!
Doesn’t it irritate you when the colour that goes on the wall is nothing like the one on the paint chart or the paint tin? I think that’s what happened to this poor decorator.

A short dance practise tonight with Mambo Marina, Tina Tango and two variations on the Rumba. Meanwhile our two dance teachers are sunning themselves in the Caribbean! It’s just not fair.

No plans for tomorrow. High winds and snow predicted.

Off to the Coast – 8 February 2022

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We’d agreed that today we would drive over to Braehead to find the new Ross Hall Eye Clinic.

Scamp was out in the morning to get her hair cut. Before she went, she suggested that we could go to Coast for lunch. We’d heard great reports about the food in this restaurant and we’d passed it a few times in the last year or two. Maybe it was time to see if the food lived up to the hype.

So when Scamp returned looking very swish with her new hairstyle, we drove to Braehead. I’d earlier used the Nissan app to put both the postcode for the clinic and Coast into the Micra and got the report back that the destinations would be available in the car. I wasn’t convinced, and I was right to be. When we started the car and the navigation system loaded it confirmed the address for Coast, but not for Braehead. It really is the most unreliable car navigation system I’ve ever used. Actually, I’ll rephrase that. The navigation system is fine, it’s the app that just doesn’t work.

After Scamp, as co-pilot, manually typed in the address for Braehead, we drove through the rain and found the clinic without any trouble. Very smart looking building, all gleaming aluminium. That must be where our money goes.

From there we drove to Coast and it too was a smart looking building with great views across the Firth of Clyde from Dumbarton down to Helensburgh. It’s ok, Jamie, we weren’t going there today – wrong side of the Clyde anyway. Scamp had her usual tester for any new restaurant, Fish ’n’ Chips. I had a Spicy Sausage Rigatoni Ragu. We shared a starter of Tempura King Prawns. Food was really excellent. Both of us agreed on that. Service, I thought, was a bit slow, but Scamp was more forgiving. Besides, that view from the wide windows kept us occupied as the rainbows on the river came and went and the rainy squalls did likewise. There was no rush, you felt you could sit there as long as you wanted, but I wanted to take photos, as always. Hopefully we’ll make an excuse to go back again soon.

We drove along through Langbank which just looked like it sounds, a long main street with no shops, just houses. We drove as far as the outskirts of Port Glasgow and the rain got heavier all the time, so we turned and drove back towards Glasgow. We turned off the A8 at a roundabout and sat out the rain at Parklea which is a sort of sports complex. When the rain eventually left us, I got out and took those essential photos. Not the most scenic of places, but at least I got some landscapes for a change. Drove home over the Erskine Bridge and then through the outskirts of Glasgow to Kirky then home.

That was a good day. We found the way to the clinic for next Thursday and we investigated and evaluated another restaurant. Even better, we found that it’s part of a chain and there’s another one nearer us in Falkirk. We may compare and contrast some time.

PoD was a shot taken at Parklea with Dumbarton in the background. A wee woman in a red coat and walking a dog gave a nice spot of colour to an otherwise drab landscape. Thank you Mrs.

Today’s prompt was Step by Step. They say that every journey begins with the first step. Sometimes that first step leads somewhere, sometimes not. It’s often the case that the first step leads to another step and eventually you begin to wonder if you’re just going round in circles and there is no exit. I’m sure Mr Escher and also Mr Penrose thought that. I know I have.

Tomorrow some of the auld guys are meeting for coffee in Costa, hopefully with the addition of a new member.

Another rainy day – 7 February 2022

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Just a miserable day with a smirr that never really became ‘real’ rain.

We spoke to Hazy in the morning and she sounded good. Neil was off school today with what was probably a virus, but certainly NOT COVID. She reminded us about a film that her sister-in-law is in on C4 tonight. We’d forgotten to add it to our recording schedule, but Scamp did that later. Good to hear that there is likely to be a sequel to Around the World … You can always rely on Hazy to know these things. We all agreed that David Tennant played his part really well.

Drove up to Tesco in the morning to get milk and Scamp’s meds. Got the milk and bread and rolls and bananas but drove home without the pills. Had a coffee to see if that would help then went back to Tesco and got the pills. The chemist is next to Tesco, you see. On that second drive up the hill to the shop, the rain had formed into a mist that just seemed to cling to the pine trees by the side of the road. In a way I was wishing I’d brought my camera to maybe get some etherial misty shots of the bare trees, but as soon as I was in the mist, I came out again. Very localised. By the time I was coming home it had all but cleared, but that was probably because the wind had changed direction and was causing it to thin. No point in getting the camera and going back. Anyway, I’d been up that road twice. I wasn’t going back to get a photo of some mist.

Roll ’n’ Banana for Scamp’s lunch. Roll ’n’ Corned Beef for mine. Tried reading my latest book, The Ugly Bus, but couldn’t settle. Kept waiting and hoping that the wind would rip a hole in the clouds and the sun would poke its head through. Then that is exactly what happened and I wasted no time in getting properly shod and dressed for a cold day and took some bread to feed the ducks.

Rather than feed the greedy swans, I scattered some bread as I was walking. A couple of crows scoffed a few slices and I also broadcast some of the bread among the trees beside the path to the shops. There, on a tree, I found a little painted plaque hanging with this message painted on it:
“Stay close to people who feel like SUNSHINE”.
I thought that was worth a photo and it’s now on Flickr. The swans DID grab most of the bread, but the good stuff went to the ducks, geese and coots. The swans got the ‘hard tack’.

PoD was a wee bit of whin bush, although you may call it ‘Gorse’. It looked fierce with its jaggy spines and its flower buds starting to show. Soon they’ll be yellow flowers.

Today’s prompt was Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go. Not the most thought provoking track you’ve ever heard and difficult to work with as a prompt. My offering is the alarm clock that sits on my bedside table and has done for more years than I care to remember. I don’t use it as an alarm much now. I’ve got a phone that can do that if needed and a watch that can confirm the need to rise and shine, but the alarm still reminds me of the days when I had to get up at 7am to Go-Go to work. The yo-yo is a mere figment of my imagination, but it’s in the lyrics. It’s years since I touched a genuine Lumar.

That’s me seven days in. First quarter is complete!

Tomorrow, Scamp has an appointment to get her hair cut in the morning. I’ve an email and a letter to write and we may go looking for an eye clinic in the afternoon, just to make sure we know where we’re going next week. If we pass anywhere offering a decent lunch, that will be a bonus!

 

 

Snow, Rain and Wind – 6 February 2022

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Welcome to Scotland. Three seasons in one day. We don’t do Summer.

I blame it on being out too late last night, too late for ‘auld yins’ anyway. I also blame it on the little nightcap we shared last night, but for whatever reason, we slept like logs last night. Logs that didn’t want to wake up or get up this morning. We both took one look out the window at the horizontal snow and said “No, not this morning, thank you!”

However, duty calls and there was a lot of work needing to be done today. A lot of blog, needed writing and sketches needing sketched and of course paintings needing colours splashed on them. So it was with a heavy heart that I dragged myself out of bed, just before 10am. Scamp did likewise. A couple of cups of coffee each put us in a better frame of mind and we were soon ready to face breakfast.

After we had fed ourselves we put on boots and coats and heavy jackets and went out to survey the wilderness. The snow had stopped, but the temperature hadn’t risen much above zero and that wind was cutting. Even with my woolly hat and my knockoff Buff, the wind was still finding ways through my armour. Once round the pond was good enough for Scamp, I’m made of sterner stuff and knew I needed some photos to fill the blog and put on Flickr. I NEEDED a PoD after yesterday’s poor carnations.

We walked once round the pond and then Scamp left for the warmth of the house. I went for a walk in the woods, but didn’t find much to photograph. On my way back I found the little weed that made PoD. I think it’s the dried remains of a Yellow Rattle plant. So called, apparently because the flowers are yellow and when the seed pods are ripe, the seeds rattle inside the hard thin skin of the pod. There you are, you learned something today. I didn’t make it up either, it came from Monty Don the gardener who swears by yellow rattle for keeping coarse grass under control.

After I came home, dumped the photos into the computer and satisfied myself that I did have a prospective PoD, I started on yesterday’s sketch which had the prompt Walking On Broken Glass. I’d already decided what my take on that prompt would be and although I overpainted it, it looked like what I had in my head for yesterday’s sketch.

The next thing to do was yesterday’s blog which I wrote and posted. Scamp had claimed the rights to today’s dinner which was to be curry. A special ‘dry’ curry baked in the oven. She busied away in the kitchen making it and there were some delicious smells coming from there soon after. While she was busy with that, I started making a pizza, a Quattro Stagioni (Four Seasons). Not a real one, unfortunately, but a painting. Today’s prompt was The Four Seasons. I could have done four paintings of St Mo’s if only the temperature had risen a bit above zero, but as I said at the start, we only had Three Seasons today. I was quite pleased with the painting when it was finished and I learned from my mistakes and didn’t overpaint this one.
In watercolour the important thing is to know when to stop.

Spoke to Jamie in the evening and for once neither of us had much to say.  Heard a bit about their plans and gave him  the latest updates on the cataract op.

In blog writing it’s also important to know when to stop and that’s what I’m going to do now. I’ve had a busy day and I’m going to have an early night. By the way, that curry was the best I’ve had for ages. Really unusual to have a curry without a sauce, but it worked perfectly. I take my hat off to you Scamp. Beautifully executed meal, and totally veggie too!

Tomorrow we have no plans.

A Day in the Toon – 4 February 2022

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Today we drove in to Glasgow.  Just for a wander round the shops and maybe a spot of lunch.

Halfway along the M80 I thought we’d made a terrible mistake.  We were driving into a blizzard.  It started out as sleet, then turned to snow for a while before fading away as if it had never been, and there was sunshine and a beautiful blue sky again.  Parked at Buchanan Galleries and had a quick look in JL where there wasn’t anything interesting for me, but there was a bargain for Scamp.  I’m not going to say that she went there knowing that bargain was available, but I think the visit to the shop was partly stage managed,

Walked down Bucky Street and got some photos on the way.  I’d taken the little A6000 with me today because I think walking around all day on Tuesday had caused the ache in my back.  So it was one small camera and one small lens. Actually the combination was very effective and netted me about 50 photos, most of them perfectly exposed and sharp.

Lunch was at The Cup, the place Alex and I had had lunch in.  It was much busier than Tuesday, but that’s to be expected on a Friday.  Food wasn’t quite as good and the coffee was terrible.  A bit weak and too sharp.  Maybe we were just unlucky or maybe Alex and I were lucky last Friday.  I used one of my Covid vouchers in Waterstones and got two Denise Mina books that had been on my wanted list.  I felt I got them for free, because I wasn’t using real money, just a voucher.  Tried a pair of Merrill trainers, but the fit just wasn’t right.  Girl in the shop seemed a bit put out that I didn’t just buy them without trying them on.  Sorry dear, auld guys don’t do that.

Drove home through more rain and sleet and when we got to the house another blizzard blew in.  What a day!  More snow and sleet due  for tomorrow.  However the teachers are off taking dance classes on a cruise ship for two weeks, so no early rises and no driving through that awful traffic on the way home.  We will miss the exercise though.

PoD went to a photo of Buchanan Street subway again.  If you’re reading this Alex, it was taken just after 1.15pm!  Just as you predicted.

Today’s prompt was Little Red Corvette which meant Prince, of course and again, not one of my favourite singers, however I had listened to the song a few times in the past and had a fair idea what he was singing about. Although a lot of the references meant nothing to an old Scots guy, I did work out what the Trojan horses and the jockeys references meant. Basically it was beautifully sung filth. I may listen to more of his music now with a different ear!

No plans for tomorrow apart from a lazy morning.

Inconsiderate Shopping – 3 February 2022

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Some days are filled with fun and some days are filled with shopping.

We were out fairly early and drove to Morrison’s at Falkirk. I thought we were going to our usual Morrison’s at The Fort, but Scamp had remembered the roadworks on the road for months. I’d no intention of sitting in a queue for ages just to get some messages, so I accepted her suggestion.

Morrison’s, like so many supermarkets these days was totally reorganising its shelving. Apparently it’s to encourage shoppers to find things by accident while still searching for what the entered the store to find. I really wish they wouldn’t do it. I didn’t find any wonderful surprises on the shelves and neither Scamp nor I could find things we came for. Just saying! Even worse, we got through the checkout about five past two and the cafe closed at two. No tub of chips for Scamp and no roll ’n’ sausage for me. According to their website the cafe closes at 6pm. I feel a letter of complaint is appropriate. I haven’t written one in ages. They might send me a roll ’n’ sausage and a tub of chips for Scamp (without prejudice.)

We drove home and lunch for both of us was a tub of yogurt. After that I went for a walk in St Mo’s, but first thing this morning I’d sneaked out into the garden and grabbed a shot of two little snowdrops and also a newly sprouted crocus. The crocus, still wearing what looked like its wrapping paper, won PoD. I didn’t get much in St Mo’s and nothing that beat the crocus.

The prompt for today was Born To Be Wild. How many of us in the heady days of the late 60s watched Easy Rider or listened to the Steppenwolf track and decided a motorbike on the open highway was for us.
How many of us were so disappointed when the Honda C 90, or in my case the CZ125, didn’t quite cut the mustard that those two Harleys did. Riding the plains in America is a lifetime away from slipping and sliding through the diesel slicked roundabouts of Motherwell in the rain.
Still, there was fun to be had on those bikes too, as long as you could Get Your Motor Runnin’.

We may go out tomorrow (if we can borrow a coat to wear). Maybe a walk round Glasgow for a spot of lunch, but only if it’s not snowing or icy, because that is the forecast.

 

 

A bit calmer today – 2 February 2022

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Thankfully the wind had gone to bother someone else today.

I spent the morning getting my photographs organised into the correct folders in the correct place for my new regime. It took a lot more time than I’d anticipated, but it’s done now. In fact it took me until lunchtime to get it completed.

Immediately after lunch we drove up to Seafar to visit Margie who is one Scamp’s oldest friends in Cumbersheugh. Old in the sense that they’ve known each other for a long time. Old also in years, but not in outlook. The stories she tells have us in stitches. A great painter too. I took last night’s work to let her critique it and it won some praise from her. Then we discussed the prompts for the week and she gave me a few suggestions for the more obscure ones. Things I’d never have thought of. We stayed for a couple of hours and I think Scamp was careful not to tire her out too much. All in all an entertaining and at times hilarious afternoon on a really dull day.

Dinner tonight was house favourite: Cod with Bacon, Lentils and Braised Peas. Simple and satisfying. Two cheap steamed puddings from Iceland provided the pudding.

Today’s prompt was Brown Eyed Girl. Van Morrison is not my favourite artist, so I stuck with my lyrics theme and added the chorus from the song, but gave a nod to Van the Man with his archetypal hat and dark glasses. The cow is called Daisy. Named by Margie.

PoD is further adventures of The Professor. This time he has discovered the fabled Dragon’s Green Tooth. It’s a sprouting garlic clove and I guess that slight double image is because it moved slightly during the long exposure. Just for fun and because I didn’t have anything else.

The Christmas decorations finally made it up into the loft to rest there until next year.  A bit late this year, but it’s been a busy week for both of us and that’s my excuse.  Not a reason, just an excuse.

No plans for tomorrow. Neither of us has any commitments, but we’re open to offers!

The first day of a new month – 1 February 2022

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Always an exciting time!

It’s also a day when a lot of catalog management is required. I won’t go into the details, because that’s not what you’re here for, is it? No, I guessed not. What you want to hear is what we did today. Ok, here goes.

Scamp was first out. She was meeting Isobel for coffee in Costa and I wasn’t going to meet her. I was second out and I was driving to Glasgow to meet my brother. The wind had plagued us all last night again and it was still with us in the morning. I don’t know where all this wind is coming from. Somebody somewhere who controls the weather, I’m guessing it’s Putin, needs to seriously look at their food intake, because that’s what gives me wind. Anyway, parked in Buchanan Galleries carpark and walked round to meet Alex.

First things first, we had coffee in Nero to give us time to set the plan for the day. This was Alex’s choice of photo walk, so he got to choose where we’d go. His choice was to walk up Sauchiehall Street which has always been called Sausage Roll Street by Scamp and me. So off we went on our travels up Sausage Roll Street. We saw closed shopfronts, pigeons that crapped on us, Chinese dragons celebrating Chinese New Year. Kung hei fat choy to all the poor participants in the dancing dragons who got blown about mercilessly by the gales driving down the street.
We climbed the footbridge over the M8 and got some spectacular shots of Charing Cross. Photo is on Flickr.

Alex also wanted to get a shot of the sun shining through the glass of Buchanan Street subway entrance. He’d worked out on his app the best time would be between 1pm and 1.15pm, cloud base permitting. With that in mind we hurried down Sausage Roll Street again stopping for some shots of The Beresford, Glasgow’s Art Deco 1930s building. It’s very impressive now with a fresh coat of paint. Photo on Flickr.

We just managed to get to the subway as the light was fading but I think we did capture it quite well. Only time will tell when we get a chance to compare and contrast the photos each of us took.

Lunch was in The Cup which is a lovely wee restaurant Scamp and I have passed many times in the past and never went in. Today Alex and I had an interesting lunch. He had Pea & Ham (from a chicken?) soup with an Applewood Smoked Cheddar & Chive Scone. I had Toasted Sourdough with Scrambled Eggs, Smoked Salmon and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Quite posh but it was worth it because the flavour of it just made it worthwhile.

Time was wearing on and we had other things to see:

  • A new Mural where the Badminton Players had been. I think I preferred the originals.
  • The gargoyles on the Old Fruit Market.
  • A couple of churches

Then it really was time to go home. Alex got the bus although I offered him a lift. I drove home.

Back home we compared notes on the day.  Both different and both similar talking to people from our separate families. Lunch was chicken with rice and ‘rats’ (ratatouille)

The 1st of Feb marks the start of 28 Drawings Later or Every Day in February. Both are sketching challenges in Facebook. My first day is done and here it is.  The prompt was “Green Door”.  I chose to base my sketch mainly on the lyrics.  PoD was the shot of Buchanan Street subway.

It was a good day in town.  For the most part the weather was kind to us, much kinder than it has been recently.  Tomorrow we’re off to visit Margie, hopefully.

The end of October – 31 October 2021

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Halloween and the day the clocks went back to GMT, plus the end of Inktober 2021.

All that and it was still raining!

The only useful thing we did today was to walk to the shops to get some veg for me to make a veggie chilli. For something that changes every time I make it, I was surprised when it actually turned out quite well today. One courgette, one Red Pepper, half a Red Chilli and Onion (chopped fine), a Red Onion (quartered), a large Tomato chopped, a tin of Kidney Beans and half a tin of chopped tomatoes. The veg fried for five minute or so then the rest tossed in along with a teaspoon of cocoa powder (thank you Aunt Belle). Brought to the boil then simmered for about half an hour. Served with rice and pitta bread if you have any. It wasn’t blindingly hot, just hot enough, but Scamp’s Lime Cheesecake finished things off and performed any cooling action that was required.

After we returned from the shops and before the culinary skills were on show, I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got today’s PoD which was a tree sapling growing from a stump of a tree. I just liked the idea of a tree growing in a tree. Sketch of the day was for the final prompt of Inktober 2021, ‘Risk’, and was a glass of whiskey, half finished with a set of car keys beside it. We all take risks. Sometimes the benefits mean the risks are worth it. Sometimes they’re not. I’m not making judgements here, just drawing an ink sketch. Strangest thing though, when I was walking upstairs to photograph the sketch for posting. I always do it under my daylight bulb, anyway I was singing a line from a Roger Waters song ‘Four Minutes’. Listen to it and you’ll see why I mention it.

I’m rushing to get this posted before the month changes …

… It’s posted with less than a minute to spare, now I can finish it.  The day did brighten up a bit and later in the evening I went to the door and stars where shining in an almost clear sky.  I don’t think it will last, more clouds, more rain predicted for tomorrow.  I think tomorrow we might go shopping in the morning and Scamp has plans to have coffee with June in the afternoon.  I have a final sendoff planned for Inktober 2021.  It wasn’t my favourite Inktober, but I got all 31 sketches done in time.  That’s good enough for me.