Category: St Mo’s

A lazy day – 22 September 2024

Posted on by Zogman

We’d agreed on a lazy day today.

No dinner parties. No evening dances. Just a lazy day, perhaps with a walk if the weather was agreeable. That’s almost exactly what we did.

After catching up with yesterday’s blog we settled on doing as little as possible today. The weather was dry, but cold. The wind especially was bitter cold at times. However, I did take myself off with a nice heavy jacket and a camera to grab some photos. Scamp gave me a large polythene bag, just in case I came upon more brambles that we could freeze. That was useful, because I was sure I’d find some of the black fruit. Came home with a PoD, 220g of brambles and purple hands from the juice of the fruit.

PoD turned out to be a photo of a bloke walking his dog down a local lane. I’ve always liked that view through the trees to the mysterious opening at the end of the path. The autumn colours helped too, even if they are totally fictitious … as is the man. I blame AI!

Came home to a table set for dinner, thankfully just for the two of us. Dinner was a steak (Medium rare) for me and a salmon fillet for Scamp. Both with veg and potatoes. The remains of Friday’s Tiramisu for dessert.

We watched a recording of the Singapore F1 GP and later spoke to Jamie. Just catching up on what’s happening down south. More stories about the diabolical deeds of British Telecom. Not the best communication company in the UK by all accounts. Thankfully we are now rid of them for good.

Tomorrow we are hoping to go to Larky. Scamp has an appointment for an eye test and I need a new pair of reading glasses. I might take a camera with me!

The party’s over – 21 September 2024

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Last night’s dinner party, that is.

The first stage of clearing up was to switch on the dishwasher and leave it to do its work for an hour or so, while we disassembled the bit oval table and turned it back into a circular one. Then all the cups, plates, bowls and cutlery had to the put in the proper places again. That took most of the morning.

The next part of the clearing up was getting the cases up into the loft. That cleared a bit of space in the spare rooms. Not a lot of space, I grant you, but every little helps.

While Scamp was watching Gardener’s World, I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got a few photos. Not as many as I’d hoped, but it was a really dull day. What I did find was a lot of bushes loaded with big brambles. Much bigger than what we usually get. Probably due to the amount of rain we had at the start of August, coupled with the warmer weather we had at the end of the month. I may go out tomorrow to see if I can get some more.

By the time I came back, it was time for an early dinner before we got ready to drive to Brookfield for the monthly dance. Traffic was heavier than usual when we drove west, but we still arrived just ahead of time and easily got a table. Although, apparently that table was earmarked for those and such as those. Jane was warning everyone who came near that we had to leave two seats for Les and Sandra who are friends of the teachers. We don’t fit into that category. I know my place.

The dance followed the usual format with a couple of ballroom dances interspersed with a couple of sequence dances. It’s all pretty formulaic as most dance evenings are, I suppose. They are also nights when you get to talk to people you haven’t met in ages. We danced a fair bit, but were glad when the Last Waltz was announced, at least I was glad, because my feet were sore by that time. One good thing I did was to bring a can of zero alcohol, Brewdog Elvis Juice. One of the better low alcohol brews. Scamp was also testing a new idea, ‘Wine in a Tin’. Her’s was not alcohol free, but was a can of 19 Crimes red wine. Very neat and easy to carry.

We left as about half of the room was dancing the last waltz and the rest were tidying up and leaving. Another good night at Brookfield and a lazy drive home with very little traffic on the road at just after 11pm.

We watched the qualifying for the Singapore GP with its usual thrills and spills. Surprised to see Verstappen on the front of the grid again.

The PoD was a branch of red hawthorn berries.

Tomorrow we’ve voted for a lazy day after two busy ones.

Here, there and everywhere – 19 September 2024

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That’s how it felt. We seemed to be here, there and everywhere.

I was driving Scamp to the train station this dull morning to catch the train to Glasgow. Then I was going shopping for the ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner with Crawford & Nancy and June & Ian (I don’t know why Crawford comes before Nancy, but June comes before Ian!). Once the shopping was done I came home and had my lunch. I had most of the items on my list.

After lunch I lay down on the toilet floor and squirted more silicone up into the offending joint and almost choked on the vinegar smell from the silicone. For the second time in a week I remembered to put on the disposable gloves before I started using the sealant gun. If you don’t, it’s a messy job getting rid of the sticky silicone. Hopefully the joint will be sealed now, at least temporarily, although it will need a plumber to repair it properly.

By then, Scamp was probably on her way to meet Mags for lunch in Cumbersheugh town centre, having got an express bus from Glasgow. At last, the clouds were clearing and the sun was shining.
I was on my way to meet Fred for a coffee in Tesco. We spent an hour or so, Fred and I, setting the world to rights. Something we haven’t done for ages. Then he unloaded a few books on to me. The only thing about Fred is that he tells you almost the whole story of the book as he’s handing it to you! You don’t really need to read the book then! With the book exchange complete, we parted ways, he going to get his meds and I was going home. Tesco coffee is awful! Worse than Costa!

After catching up with Scamp, and hearing about her day, I went over to St Mo’s to see if there were any flying beasties worth photographing. Almost right away I found a Black Darter, but it was well named. It darted this way and that and wouldn’t settle. I let it have its way and waited until it trusted me, then I got a few photos of it sitting on a horsetail plant. That was PoD sorted.

Dinner tonight was Fish Fingers, Egg and Spaghetti. Then it was time for me to start the prep for tomorrow’s dinner party, Chicken Tagine. I’d made it fairly recently, but this time I had all the ingredients. It took a good hour and a half to get all the prep done and the cooking completed. It looks exactly like the last one, but just not as sweet. I think it will do the trick. I’m just doing the main with Scamp making the starter and dessert. My work is done for now.

Tomorrow more prep and more cooking probably.

The Messages – 17 September 2024

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Today we went for the messages, but just for a bit of fun, we went to Morrison’s in The Fort.

Before that, Scamp was out early checking on her roses and cut three flowers which are now sitting in front of me in a vase on the coffee table. With the light in the morning coming in the front window they were easily a possible PoD.

It’s surprising the difference in prices between Morrison’s and Tesco. It’s also surprising the different range of food and drink in the two. If we had the time, we could buy half our shopping in one store and half in another, but we’d probably spend more on petrol driving between them. We got a really cheerful checkout girl who managed to wangle a free bottle bag for us because we’d bought six bottles of various alcoholic beverages. Try getting that in Tesco!

We drove home and after a quick lunch, Scamp started cutting the grass in the back garden. I volunteered to cut the front grass, but forgot that I’d then have to clean the mower. A fly move by Scamp there. Before I got inveigled into doing any more gardening I went for a walk in St Mo’s.

About halfway round the circuit, I had a wee problem with the zoom lens. It had managed to put itself into manual mode ( it should have been in ‘autofocus’ mode). I couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong this time. There were no benches to sit on while I puzzled it out, and the big boulders beside the path aren’t the most comfortable seats, but I did resort to them for a while, but could find no solution. The standard lens was working fine and so was the camera, so the problem was with the zoom lens. When I got home and checked the settings, I found the solution to the problem. This next paragraph is for my benefit.

If the camera goes into Manual mode, move the zoom switch to No 3 position and hold the button down for 1 second. That should fix it. The No 3 position is programmed to switch between manual and auto and it requires a press of 1 second to switch between them. Now remember that for next time ya daftie!!!

There, that’s me telling myself off!

Back home Scamp was making dinner. Fried potatoes and fish. The fish had come from Morrison’s today and was lovely. Scamp had opened a bottle of wine so we had a glass each to go with our dinner. A glass of wine on a Tuesday? The sun must have gone to our heads.

PoD did turn out to be the three flowers. The pink one is Gertrude Jekyll the rose bud is the winter colour for Lady of Shalott and the warm yellow one is a fully out Lady of Shalott. They were too good to miss.

Tomorrow is to be as warm as today in the west, so we probably won’t be heading east, but we might go out for a spin.

 

 

A Green Jacket – 15 September 2024

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Today I wanted to settle this rain jacket search for good.

We drove to GO Outdoors in Coatbridge and although I tried on a few jacket, none really felt comfortable. Eventually I gave up and we drove over to Tiso in Glasgow. Again I tried on a few jackets and eventually settled on a Montane 75D Goretex (no, I don’t know what that means either, but it sounds good) jacket that didn’t tick all my boxes, but it did tick enough to be the best one I’d seen at a price that I could afford. Eventually the search seems to be over. The old Famous Blue Raincoat need have no fears. It won’t be thrown out. After I’ve repaired the pockets and given it a good wash in Nikwax to reproof it, it will go back on the peg.

With the deed done, we went home via Lidl for some ingredients for tonight’s dinner which was Jamie & Sim’s Coconut Curry, and a bottle of Hortus Gin.

After a lazy afternoon I did put on the new green jacket and go for a walk in St Mo’s. At first I thought I’d made a mistake by buying a size larger than I initially thought I should get, but after a while it became “just the jacket I was wearing”. In other words, with nothing to compare it with, it was fine.

The weather in the morning was splashy showers and occasional spots of sunshine, but as the day progressed, the showers lessened and the sun shone more. Most of today’s photos had spiders in them, because spiders seem to build up a store of food for the winter months and that was what they were doing today.

The Coconut Curry was lovely and after dinner we watched the Azerbaijan GP which was a bit boring until the last ten laps. Then it just went crazy and it seems to still be going crazy with penalties being awarded left, right and centre. I’m not sure what the outcome was, now.

Spoke to Jamie later and heard about a new door for the house and looking for apple trees to plant. Good to hear that things are going well down south.

PoD was a spider on a web. Quite a typical subject for me.

I’m intending to seal a leak in the wash hand basin with silicone tomorrow. I may take the new jacket out for another walk.

Autumn colours – 13 September 2024

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Two leaves, one yellow and one red. They sort of went together.

It was a cold morning, about 5ºc when we woke and the temperature didn’t rise much. I spent the morning getting things organised while Scamp was off at her FitSteps class. I’d intended sealing up a leak in the downstairs sink, but the silicon I was intending using was solid and the only other one I had didn’t look as if it would ever solidify again. I thought I’d get a new tube in B&Q, but we were going to visit Isobel first.

Isobel didn’t look well, but she is being looked after by a succession of health visitors and nurses who seem to be satisfied with her progress. Scamp had brought her tablet with photos of the Jersey wedding and that kept her interested even if she didn’t know that side of the family at all. I suppose a wedding is a wedding no matter who it is that’s getting married. That’s the other think I’d intended doing, putting some of my photos of the wedding on Facebook. Maybe I’ll have time tomorrow. After a cup of coffee, a blether and a catch-up, we headed home, via Tesco.
Isobel had been complaining that she used to get chicken sausages in Tesco, but they don’t seem to sell them now. I found them in our miniature Tesco. Must ask her if these are the ones she was looking for.

Back home and after the sausage sandwiches, we more or less frittered away most of the afternoon. I did get out for a walk in St Mo’s and got a PoD of a couple of colourful leaves. For the first time in ages I was wrapped up in my winter Berghaus and for a while I did need it.

Hopefully going to dance class tomorrow.

More good news – 26 August 2024

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Off to see the nurse this morning.

We drove up to the health centre where Scamp left to walk to the town centre to get some English notes at the bank, only to find that the bank was closed. Today was an English bank holiday, but not in Scotland according to NLC, but what do they know, they are only the council.

While Scamp was at the closed bank, I was getting some good news from the Nurse/Sister. I’ve been taken off another of my meds. The nurse took my BP both sitting and standing and was happy to take me off another pill I didn’t need. I’m still being monitored and have another appointment to attend in a month or so, but it’s another step in the right direction.

I drove up to the town centre to meet Scamp who had sent me a message about the bank and I had sent her a message to say I was on my way to meet her. Neither message reached its target. Maybe one of the masts was down or maybe it’s just Cumbersheugh. Anyway, when we got home the messages appeared and we had lunch.

Later in the afternoon, plans were made to lighten the loads I carry on my shoulder. Two cameras is just too much to carry with associated lenses. Just for a test I took only the A6500 with two light lenses and it was comfortable for a walk in St Mo’s. That’s actually lighter than one A7iii camera without a lens. I’m beginning to think I may have to reduce the load I’m carrying on my shoulder, although the quality of the final image will suffer. At present it’s just an idea, whether I can carry it through is another thing entirely

Today’s walk to St Mo’s got me a PoD I was happy with. It was a drone fly or maybe a large hover fly on a Scabious flower head. I quite liked it, I think because of the out of focus background. The weather wasn’t exactly warm, but it certainly wasn’t cold and thankfully it was dry. More rain forecast for tomorrow.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending getting her nails done and I’m still clearing up more stuff to go to the skips.

 

 

No Dancin’ today – 17 August 2024

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Usually on a Saturday we drive to Brookfield for dance class, but today after some discussion, Scamp decided she didn’t want to go today because her course of treatment for her cystitis isn’t complete yet. I agreed with her decision.

It turned out to be a dull day. Not a lot of sunshine, in fact hardly any, but no real rain showers either. Just a dull, Scottish Saturday. The furthest we went was a drive to ‘The Shops’ to get some messages and something for tomorrow’s dinner. We usually walk there, but were going to be carrying back two message bags of stuff and I made the decision not to do that, but drive instead. After all, that’s what we bought the car for!

I went out for a walk in the late afternoon. Just one circuit of the pond at St Mo’s and it was actually quite pleasant at that time. The PoD was a Moss Carder Bee, a fluffy, gingery bumble bee that sometimes has brown and orange stripes. They get the ‘carder’ name from their habit of combing material together (carding) to create a covering for the cells in their nesting place containing the larvae. There you go! You learned something today … and so did I!

I didn’t come straight home, but walked over to Condorrat to get a small fish supper with two pickled onions for Scamp and a Special (bigger fish coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried) fish supper for myself. I was shocked at the price I had to pay, but it was worth it for such lovely fish.

Nothing worth watching on TV, now that the Turkish Detective is finished, so if anyone has any suggestions of what to watch on iPlayer, please let us know.

Finished my latest book ‘Down Cemetery Road’ by Mick Herron this morning 4/5 on Goodreads. Definitely recommended to all. Now I’m prowling round Amazon looking for something else on Kindle.

No real plans for tomorrow.

Birlin’ round Stirling – 13 August 2024

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Scamp wanted to go to Stirling today, but couldn’t remember why!

Spoke to Hazy in the morning and found out about Neil forgetting his passport for travelling to Cologne and having to get his dad to drive with it to the airport. Silly boy!

We didn’t get as far as Cologne, we drove through the rain to Stirling and managed to find a parking space in the Waitrose carpark. Others weren’t so lucky. We walked in to Stirling proper because Scamp thought I need a new shirt. M&S was a disappointment in the Mens department. Very few shirts, in fact, very few of anything. Slaters on the other hand is unassuming from the outside. When you go in you’re met with a steep stair taking you up to the shop. Suits, shirts, shoes, jackets and jumpers all for men! No women’s department. Refreshing!

We stopped for coffee and a bite to eat in Caffe Nero before we went back to Slaters. I did get a shirt I liked. I haven’t tried it for size yet, but even if it doesn’t fit, I know I can exchange it for a better fitting one in any of their shops.

Then it was back to Waitrose for The Messages and as usual we came home with a lot more than we intended, but really, we expected that, it’s what usually happens. The drive home was again through the rain showers and the gathering wind.  Then when we got to Cumbersheugh the rain dried up, but not for long.  Soon the rain was hitting the window again  However, I managed to time a walk round St Mo’s well for a change and had a walk, got some photos and was back home in the dry. It’s not often I manage that.

PoD was a drone fly taking off from a Knapweed flower. Just a ‘lucky’ capture.

That was about all the excitement we could manage today. Better weather is promised by the weather fairies for tomorrow. If it appears we may go out somewhere.

 

Cutting the connection – 12 August 2024

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Heavy rain and hail during the night, but thankfully no thunderstorms.

I was off to the doc’s for a diabetic blood check. That took me out of the house and got me moving. The nurse who took my bloods said she hadn’t heard any thunder either but she’d heard on the radio that the afternoon was to a lot brighter than the morning. She must have known something I didn’t because when I was walking in to the surgery the clouds were gathering, but when I left it was to blue skies and white clouds. Things were looking up.

After lunch we did our usual Wordle and Spelling Bee and then Scamp was checking our bank balance and found that BT were taking more than usual for our BT account. After a few checks and some simple arithmetic we discovered that we were paying for at least one service we didn’t need. Long story short, we phoned BT and were shuffled from one department to another with a ten minute wait each time. Eventually when one department warned us that it was a 40 minute wait I’d had enough we gave them the nominal 10 minutes and hung up. Enough was enough. I think we’ll be cutting ties with BT. We only use the landline for talking to two or three folk and those two or three use mobiles anyway. Also with the impending change to the new digital network, landlines will soon be dead anyway. Bye bye BT.

I eventually got chucked out of the house about an hour later so that Scamp would have peace and quiet to do the ironing. I walked over to St Mo’s and got a few shots of dragonflies basking in the summer sunshine – Yes, the nurse had been right. The sun did come out and stayed out. I walked down to the shops with the knowledge that I had at least one photo in the bag.

Came home with some fruit and veg because it was my turn to make the dinner, pasta with tomato sauce. It turned out looking a bit of a mess, too many ingredients, but I’d got some chorizo in M&S and I slowly fried it in a separate pan and added it to my portion of the dinner. Still not delicious, but very nice.

The PoD was a male Common Darter demonstrating a yoga pose. I think it was downward-facing dog.

Tomorrow we may be going shopping somewhere.