Category: St Mo’s

I want to go back to Tenerife – 23 November 2015

Posted on by Zogman

comboToo much ‘footering‘ today. There’s a good Scottish word for you ‘Footering‘. Just messing around without getting anything done, that’s footering. I had hoped for some dry weather in the morning so I could get out and get some photos, but from early morning it was drizzly rain.
Eventually I got myself organised and went out for a walk with the Oly to St Mo’s in the rain.

I’d seen the armchair yesterday and set it as my target today. Strangely, the weather was ideal for what I wanted to do with the chair. I wanted it to look grungy and it does.

I came upon Mr Grey hunting in the pool and started stalking him. Unfortunately he was watching me all the time. I got a few shots of him, but wasn’t happy with them at all. It was only when he flew off I got a decent shot of him.

I went to the gym and the pool in the afternoon. It looks like the gym will be out of commission for the month of December and that’s only a week away, so for a month it will be swim only and the pool will therefore be mobbed. Let’s hope it’s worth it in the end.

Salsa tonight was Sacr and was brilliant. It looks like we will be getting him for the next two weeks too. I’m looking forward to it.

A Lesson Learned – 22 November 2015

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DSC_4359- blog--326Learning from the lessons of yesterday, we were up and out fairly early today to make the most of the good light. Drove to Colzium House in Kilsyth and went for a walk around the gardens. It was pretty cold and we were both well wrapped up. Heavy jacket, scarf and fingerless gloves (thanks Hazy – I kept meaning to tell you how useful they were). I think we both enjoyed the walk and it was good to see some of the autumn colours still showing through, although the trees are looking quite bare now.

Home via Lidl to pick up some veg for the dinner, then I started to unhook the old dishwasher from the water supply and the drain. That took minutes to do, but wrestling it out of the tight space it was in took a lot longer. I couldn’t work out what was holding it in place. Surely the joiners hadn’t screwed it in to the side panels when they were fitting it in with the new (ten year old) kitchen. No, it was nothing like that. It was a strip of the vinyl flooring that had become caught on the underside of the dishwasher and was locking it in place. Anyway, it’s out now and waiting to be taken away on Tuesday.

Later I went for a walk around St Mo’s to get some shots in the last little bit of good daylight. Nothing very interesting to see although I did manage to startle a couple of deer, but they were too quick for me. Caught sight of Mr Grey and grabbed a few frames of him to add to my collection.

The rest of the night was spent getting Flickr up to date. It is now. Weather station shows -0.3ºc tonight. Winter is here.

A dull day, but a lot done – 30 October 2015

Posted on by Zogman

DSC_4329-Edit- blog--303For the second day, I only have one photo to show for the past nine hours. Up at about 7.00 hungry for food after yesterday’s stomach upset emptied me out. Porridge and tea helped to fill the gap. Then it was off to the doc’s to get my flu jag. I’d been planning to make apricot croissants for Scamp because they are her favourite in Cafe Nero. Simplicity itself to make. Just ready made croissants (although I could have used puff pastry), a tin of apricots and a packet of ready-made custard. They worked perfectly first time. That must be a first for me.

I finally managed to work out how to connect the DVD recorder to the Virgin Tivo box so that I can download a set of programs to disk. Quality isn’t great and they will have to be recorded in real-time which is a bit of a pain, but it can be done on what would be down-time for the Tivo.

Went to Cotton House for lunch and then when we came back, I grabbed a half hour in St Mo’s to get today’s only decent shot.

Almost ready to go out to see Randy Newman at the Concert Hall tonight. Looking forward to it.

Good news and bad news – 20 October 2015

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comboI waited in all day, well, until about 3.00pm.  DPD were due to deliver my new phone between 4.00 and 5.00 and they are always on time.  I realise they are not the best company to work for, but for once there is a delivery company you can rely on.  I know this is probably means that my next delivery will be late, but so far they have been faultless.  Anyway, I went out for a walk about 3.00 knowing that I could be back for the delivery.  It had been a beautiful morning with lovely golden light.  By the afternoon, it had deteriorated into cloudier skies and a temperature that was dropping.

The delivery arrived on time, but unfortunately, Vodafone had omitted to supply a sim card for the new phone.  The person I spoke to in customer services knew that I have an iPhone 4 at present and it has a micro sim card.  I presume he also knew an iPhone 5 needs a nano sim, but didn’t bother to send the nano sim with the phone.  Instead of emailing this time, I phoned and navigated the telephone menu under the flag of ‘thinking of leaving Vodafone‘.  Phone it up for a laugh.  The lady on the recording changes to a sad voice when enunciating that option 😉  Got a very pleasant man who said he’s send me a new nano sim by first class and should arrive tomorrow.  It was only later when I was talking to my son, I found out that you can just take the sim in to a Vodafone shop and they will cut the sim down for you.  Why could nobody tell me that?  Vodafone, you are losing me fast.

The photos were a bit more interesting today, because the light was better.  Have I said that “It’s all about the light”.

Unsettled – 11 September 2015

Posted on by Zogman

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For the last ex-work day this week, I was up and out by 7.20 to wander St Mo’s.  Took some old bread to feed the ducks, but they didn’t seem all that interested.  The swans were happy to snap up their allocation, but the ducks raced halfway across the pond, then just sat there watching.  Look ducks, coots and sundry waterfowl, this is just any old bread, this is Marks & Sparks bread.  Ok, have it your own way (or don’t actually), but the seagulls will be mobbing in a couple of minutes for it.

No deer, and the light just wasn’t what I wanted this morning.  I can’t explain it, it just wasn’t right.  Yes, it was bright and directional, but I didn’t find it creative.
I got a few shots of a spider on its web and another of backlit leaves.  My third one is one of a flock of birds that kept flitting across the trees.  The rest of the shots were deleted.  The images from both the Nikon and Oly are taking up an amazing amount of space on the drive and I have to be more exacting in my attempt at reducing the amount of junk photos on the drive.

Scamp thought I was looking a bit fidgety and took me out for a coffee at lunchtime.  I have to agree that I was a bit restless this afternoon.  That’s what happens when you don’t get the photos you wanted in the morning!

Larger versions of today’s pics are available for viewing on my Flickr account.  All photos copyright of Donald Campbell and are digitally watermarked and therefore are not available for use by anyone except me.  If you wish to use them, please contact me in the first instance by using the comment section on this page.

Monday Blues – 24 August 2015

Posted on by Zogman

Have you ever had one of those days when you just don’t feel settled from the time you wake up?  That’s how it was for me today.  I just couldn’t settle down to do anything.  I was a fidget!

Eventually I went out for a walk late in the afternoon and finally got some stuff done.  It was still a bit breezy, but I got some insect pictures and some flower pics too.  Instead of using the 70-300 lens, I used the much more reasonable and useful 105mm macro.  Horses for courses, that’s what it’s all about.

Salsa as usual, but boring dance moves.  Couldn’t get interested.

Tomorrow WILL be better

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Formula 1 and a walk in the park – 23 August 2015

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DSC_3412- blog--235If yesterday was a lazy day, today was even lazier.  The ‘highlight’ of today was watching a boring Formula 1 race from Belgium.  After that, I took a walk to St Mo’s where I startled a deer in the chest high grass, not twoDSC_3445- blog--235 metres from me.  Unfortunately it was a young deer and as the grass was thick as well as chest high, I couldn’t get a clear shot at it – with the camera.  No animals were injured on this deer hunt.  I walked to the small pond and found not one, but four common hawker dragonflies circling the pond edge and occasionally dogfighting above it.  All were too quick to catch.  Well, I did catch one on camera, on the wing, but the image just wasn’t good enough to post.  I may go out tomorrow if the weather is good (unlikely it seems 🙁 ).  I didn’t feel like chasing the deer today, so settled for a few flower shots and one of a hoverfly. Difficult shots to get as it was warm but very windy.  More frames than normal ending up on the cutting room floor.

Dinner tonight was braised Short RIb.  Similar to the Dinosaur bone and almost as tasty.

Lazy days are good too.

I see sunshine – 7 August 2015

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Yes, it’s been sunny all day. Completed a watercolour painting this morning. Not a new one really. It was one of the first ones I did in acrylic, but I always felt it would look better in watercolour. I’d done a sketch of it earlier in the week and it looked ok., Bits of the finished watercolour are good, the sky for instance, but there are other areas that look overworked to my eye. Onward and upward!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe took a walk down to the pub for lunch. Rather than the usual fish and OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAchips, I had a carvery and just a little bit too much. Scamp was jetting off on the bus to the ‘toonie’ while I walked home, then went out to annoy the deer in St Mo’s. Saw and captured Mr Grey – the heron – a couple of dragonflies a froglet (or toadlet) and finally two deer. I imagine they were quite young, because they let me get quite close and didn’t run away far when I got too close. Two little Bambies!

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By the time I got home, Scamp was already ensconced in the garden, so I set Lightroom to import the pics, and build the 1:1 previews while we decided it was Pimms o’ clock. A very enjoyable hour or so sitting reading in the sun with a Strawberry Pimms. Sometimes life is good.

Settings Sorted – 3 August 2015

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I went out today to get some photos in the afternoon. The morning was spent painting in my case and that mysterious action “tidying up” by Scamp. I got one painting completed and one sketch done. Scamp got DSC_3180- blog--215some ‘tidying up’ done, and yes, I did notice the difference. The photographs today were better than yesterday, much better. The ISO was higher, but at least the aperture and the shutter speed were what I had programmed. No deer today, but the dragonflies were out in force as were DSC_3154- blog--215the damsels and some hover flies. All in all, a successful foray into the jungles of St Mo’s. Dancing class at night and knackered after it.

 

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Sitting in the sun (without a raincoat) – 14 July 2015

Posted on by Zogman

The day started like any other Scottish summer day with drizzle then heavier rain. It didn’t matter to me because I was waiting in for Yodel to deliver a parcel for Scamp. I used the time wisely by starting another sketch from the Italy cruise. One day I will be confident enough to sketch or paint from life rather than from photos, but not today. Watercolour in the rain? I don’t think so. I wasn’t very confident about Yodel, having had a parcel just before Christmas, simply disappear and have to her replaced. However, the parcel did arrive just after midday.

DSC_2903- blog--195.jpgSince the rain had stopped and the sun had come out, Scamp decided to cut the grass. After that she wanted the gladioli to be tied up to prevent them being blown down and broken. This was my task. While doing it and getting cut to pieces on the roses that border the gladioli, I found a stray damselfly on the grass. I don’t think Scamp had mowed it with the grass, but the beastie wasn’t looking at its best. I carefully lifted it up and put it on a rosebud, hoping that it would find some aphids for lunch, but all the aphids on the roses were dead. The damselfly clung on to the rosebud and as far as I know, it’s still there.

DSC_2908- blog--195.jpgAfter the gardening, we got out the lounger (for Scamp) and the camp chair (for me) and we both decided it was Pimms O’ Clock, and had a little refreshment reading and sitting in the sun. I sat for a very pleasant hour or so before I got itchy feet and went for a safari in St Mo’s. I got a few shots of Mr Grey, my favourite is here. I also was lucky enough to get some shots of a dragonfly in the classic dragonflyDSC_2922- blog--195.jpg pose with wings out. There were a few damselflies out, but not as many as in the past few weeks. As July wears on, it’s usual to have a decrease in the numbers of damsels and an increase in the population of dragons. I don’t know if it will be the same this year with our cold summer. We can only hope that today is the start of some warmer weather.