Category: Trees

Visitors – 5 September 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Visitors means tidying up, hoovering (or Dyson-ning) and maybe some dusting. So it was today when we realised that Jamie & Simmone were on their way to Scotland.

Scamp was off to FitSteps and I volunteered to hoover the stairs and the downstairs area. You forget just how much clutter there is in a house until you have to tidy it up and remove all the dust and paper. I know now just how much Scamp does in the house, while I’m swanning around pretending to be useful. But we know all that work will be short lived because I’m plain lazy.

With a bit of the work done and a space created in the back bedroom that could almost be described as “liveable in”, I changed from ‘cleaner mode’ to ‘shopper’, and went to find the articles on my shopping list. Meanwhile Scamp ‘Sorted the House’. I think that means she undid all the work I’d already done and made the house look like it was made fro humans to live in. I just let her get on with it.

Late in the afternoon the travellers arrived in Cumbersheugh and we could all rest for a while and hear about their plans for the weekend. They were coming up to Scotland for a wedding. Two of their friends were getting married on Saturday up north, near Oban. They had finally met Andrew, our business man and part-time comic.

Dinner tonight was Spinach & Chickpea Curry. I’d been the first person to make it a few months ago. Made from a book that Scamp had bought for me and a mine of useful information. It took a bit longer than I’d anticipated, but although it was a wee bit hot, it was almost as good as the first one I’d made and also tasted quite like the one Scamp had made too. I like it when a plan comes together like that.

I gave Simonne my A6500 with the kit lens a new SD card and a quick explanation of the vital bits and pieces she’d need as she was going to be photographer for the wedding. She seemed to understand most of what I was saying and, because she’d used an old Nikon before, had a fairly good knowledge of the basics of photography.

After that it was early bed for the travellers who’d driven about nine hours to reach Bonnie Scotland and were tired out. Tomorrow was going to be another long day, I feared!

PoD was a bunch of acorns hanging from a low branch on an oak tree I passed on the way to do the shopping. Not very inspiring, but at least I had something done.

Tomorrow will be an early rise for all. Then, when the youngsters drive up to meet the rest of the wedding party, we might go back to bed for another forty winks.

Walking – 29 July 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Today, we went for a walk around Colzium estate, but before that I had to face the ladies who like my blood.

It was time for my annual review at the health centre and the first stage of that is to give a sample of my blood for testing. Not something I look forward to, but I guess it is better getting it over with as soon as possible. So I was up fairly early to get it done.

After that the day was our own. After lunch we discussed what to do and where to go. I voted for a walk round Colzium estate in Kilsyth. It’s a fairly short circular walk with offshoots you can take if you’re feeling fit or if you feel the real need for exercise. We stuck to the easiest route we knew we could manage and had a pleasant walk up almost as far as the Tak Ma Doon road, a narrow, twisty road that’s not bad to drive in the spring, summer and autumn, but not in the winter especially if there is lying snow or ice.

We crossed the Colzium burn near the top of the estate and then walked back down the other side. There is usually a quite photogenic waterfall under the wee, old, bow backed bridge near the top, but there was very little water going over the ‘Falls’ today. We thought we’d stop in at the cafe for a cup of coffee on the way back to the car park, but found out that it closed at 3pm. It was now 3.15pm. Never mind, we went for a walk round the Walled Garden instead. It’s a bit overgrown now and really need a bit of TLC, but the flowers and trees are interesting. It also gave us a chance to have a seat. It’s easier coming down from the top of the estate, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Lots of butterflies again today in the walled garden, gorging on the Buddleia flowers.

When we walked down to the car we crossed another bridge over the same burn and I spotted two little saplings growing out of a crack in the bridge parapet. That made a decent PoD with plenty of out of focus ‘Bokeh’ to create a backdrop.

Not far along from that we chanced to meet one of Scamp’s ‘Witchy’ friends. Not real witches, you understand, just a nickname. Stood talking the family and then drove home.

Dinner was pasta with thin slices of bacon, a tin of tomatoes and a couple of frozen spinach balls thrown in for good measure. It seemed to go down well.

Watched this year’s final of Masterchef – The Professionals. We are always amazed at the lengths these couples go to to create their sugar and chocolate presentations.

Tomorrow I’m intending staying at home while Scamp is hoping to go out with the ‘Witches’.

In the Ancient Woods – 16 July 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Today Alex and I went for a walk in the woods.

Special woods, these were the ancient Cadzow Oaks. They are estimated to be nearly 800 years old. Many have fallen now and some have been vandalised, but a gallant few are still alive and producing leaves and acorns.

It’s not a long walk from the cafe in the country park to the oaks, and it’s all downhill to start with to cross the Duke’s Bridge over the Avon Water, but then it’s a drag of a walk back up the other side to the oaks themselves. However, it’s worth the walk. It really is. It puts me in my place every time I see them, amazed that they are still standing, still producing leaves and acorns after about 800 years. I sat for a while today just looking at these giants, and some of them are giants, imaging how the landscape would have looked back in the time of Robert the Bruce when the trees were just saplings.

We had been hoping for the sunny skies the weather fairies had promised, but although the skies were clear in the early morning, by the time we got to the oaks, we were treated to a white sky and the very occasional break in the clouds.

Strangely, Alex and I took exactly 45 photos each today. Not a great score, but enough for us to need another coffee back at the cafe to sustain us. After that I drove back home, via Motherwell to drop Alex off at his house. He suggested Glasgow for our next outing, all being well. I think I agree with him. It’s been about a month since we’ve been. There will surely be something new to photograph.

Scamp made Carrot & Lentil Curry for dinner. It was a bit salty, but will improve and settle into itself in a day or two.

As regards yesterday’s computer disaster, the laptop and the desktop computers are linked with iCloud Drive. The laptop is almost back to normal, but the desktop is hanging by a thread now. One nudge in the wrong direction and it will be curtains. So I’m afraid I’m going to bite the bullet and buy a new one. I’m intending going in to Glasgow this week to ask one of the ‘Geniuses’ at Apple for their recommendation, but I know it will be a case of don’t fix it, buy new.

PoD was the remains of a fallen Cadzow Oak with a live Beech tree behind.

Tomorrow I’m intending to drive to Falkirk tomorrow to pick up some coffee from “Henry’s At Home” my go-to place for decent coffee beans. Meanwhile Scamp is hoping to pick up her repaired bracelet, also in Falkirk.

Now that’s better – 13 July 2025

Posted on by Zogman

A slightly cooler day. Much more like what we expect in Scotland in July.

I wasn’t feeling great in the morning and ended up having toast and tea for lunch while Scamp had her usual Sunday fry up. After a pretty lacklustre Laura Kuenssberg offering we allocated each other jobs to do in the garden

It may have been cooler, but there was still a lot of work to be done. Scamp was determined to get both the front and the back grass cut and I let her get on with it after I’d moved all sixteen plant pots out on to the path to allow her a clear run with the mower. I also evicted at least twenty slugs from their previous living quarters under the pots, then rehoused them in the bushes in front of the house.

The sweet peas have been growing at an astonishing rate and really needed some extra support. The wind was getting strong too, so I cut and tied some bamboo canes to prevent the sweet peas from getting broken. I know they aren’t as delicate as they seem, but wee bit extra wood and twine wouldn’t do any harm. They now reach almost 2m in height. Scamp thinks we will need to pinch out the growing tips to force the growth into the body of the plant. I think she’s right.

With the tasks and the front and back grass successfully cut, we could rest for a while. I still had to find a PoD and walked round St Mo’s to see if there were any contenders. The first thing I saw was a curved and twisted bunch of sycamore seeds, probably not this year’s growth, but almost definitely last year’s. That was PoD, but further into my travels, I came upon a Clouded Border Moth. Tiny little thing smaller that a 10p coin. First time I’ve seen one or even heard of one. Must look out for them.

Dinner was a demo by Scamp of the best ways to make an omelette. She did her’s one way and I did mine as directed. Both ways worked and both were different. I’ll try to repeat the exercise this week.

Spoke to Jamie and found that their temperature yesterday was almost exactly the same as ours, about 400 miles apart. It’s a strange world. I think they might be considering buying an air fryer. I know Scamp says they are bulky and probably not much use to us, but it might be interesting to hear their opinions if they do get one.

Hope the temperatures continue to drop gently for a few days and that there is some rain, both for England and Scotland. The gardens need it.

 

Shopping – 10 April 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Today we went shopping in Stirling, just for a change.

Drove to Stirling and parked at Waitrose, then went for a walk through the town. Coffee and a wee bite to eat, plus we bought a couple of dresses for our friends’ one year old grandchild. After that we walked back to Waitrose and spent lots of money on some things we may never use, but a lot of the things we will definitely use and even more on things we’ll drink. I don’t need to go into details about what we bought, do we? If you really want to know, tough!

We drove home, and as the wee Blue car had been struggling in the heat of the sun, I turned the air-con into ‘Cool Mode’ and after a couple of misfires it kicked in and we weren’t melting in the sunshine anymore. So nice to have air-con when you really need it.

A cup of coffee and a piece ’n’ cheese and beetroot – possibly an acquired taste, but it works for me. Scamp had a piece ’n’ jam instead (and no beetroot!). Then the chairs came out and we sat and read for an hour in the front garden. I’m on page 58 in the book, Hazy. I can see what you meant when you said it was strange! The good weather isn’t meant to last past the weekend, unfortunately, but it we’ll make the best of it while it lasts.

I took myself off to St Mo’s later in the afternoon and walk round the back of St Mo’s School and on to the shops. We needed mushrooms for tonight’s dinner, which was Bacon & Borlotti Beans. It’s become a staple now, Jamie and Simonne! Scamp substituted Spinach for the recommended Kale, and it was fine.

Watched the semi-final of The Apprentice with its usual array of gormless would-be millionaires. It has become so formulaic now it’s lost a lot of its fun element. I’ll say it again “We may not watch it next year”, but we will, all things being equal.

PoD was a close-up of some Larch needles. The Larch being one of the few conifers that loses its needles in the winter.

Tomorrow Scamp is intending to go to FitSteps in the morning and I have some correspondence I may need to catch up with.

Off to Larky – 25 April 2024

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Driving up to Larky this morning to get my annual eye check.

It was the usual rigmarole, reading from the charts and assessing brightness differences between the green and red panels. The “Is it better with … or without? … With or without?”. Then the hated spot the white light test.The outcome was that I’m slightly more shortsighted than I was last time. I’ve to go back in a week to have some checks on my eye pressure done. It was a new optician who looked as if he’d just finished secondary school, but that’s probably just a sign that I’m getting older!

I’d managed to break my old sunglasses earlier in the week when we were in Sunny Dundee and Scamp encouraged me to “get a DECENT pair”, ie not a pair of Poundshop ones. I bought a pair from Boots and they worked well, They would have been perfect to cut out the glare from the drops the optician had put in my eyes today if I’d brought it with me! The glasses were in my raincoat which was in the house.

I’d driven us up to Larky, but Scamp was driving us out into the countryside because I couldn’t see to drive. We went to Chatelherault for a walk and a bite to eat afterwards. It was a lovely afternoon and warm when we were in the sun and out of the wind. We walked over the Duke’s Bridge to the Cadzow Oaks and sat under one of the ancient trees. Then we walked back to the cafe for a coffee and a scone each.

Scamp had to drive home because I still wasn’t safe to drive. I know she doesn’t like motorway driving, but there wasn’t really any other option today and she managed perfectly well.

Later in the afternoon I walked down to the shops via St Mo’s to get some chicken for tonight’s Paella. It was on the way to St Mo’s that I got today’s PoD which is, I think, some apple blossom from a low branch of a tree.

Back home and after dinner, I managed to work out how to get Lightroom to automatically apply lens correction when importing photos. I realise this will mean nothing to anyone reading this, but it has been bugging me for a couple of weeks now and I was one click away from fixing it last week. However, finally I’ve found the answer until Adobe ‘improve’ the procedure. I’m going to put a link at the bottom of today’s post to remind me!

Watched another two episodes of Death in Paradise – Series 1. One of the best nonsense programmes on BBC. Ok, the accent isn’t quite proper Caribbean and the acting is a bit wooden, but it’s easy, relaxing watching. So much better than the last series.

Tomorrow we’re back to normal again, hopefully. Scamp’s intending to go to FitSteps and I’m maybe going to have a quiet hour reading.

Link: Automatically apply lens correction when importing photos.

 

An early rise – 13 April 2024

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Not an enforced wakening, just neither of us could fall back asleep, so we agreed to have and early breakfast instead.

We were up and dressed just after 8am on a day that seemed to throw everything at us. Rain, hail, sunshine and a strong wind were the main factors in our weather and they cycled throughout the day.

We chose to drive to Stirling to go to Waitrose for ‘The Messages’. Maybe an odd thing to do on a Saturday, but we needed some essentials and we were fed up with Tesco, so Waitrose was probably a better option, besides, they do a good, fairly cheap packet of tea. We had half intended going for a coffee in Stirling, but the opportunity didn’t arise, so after we’d packed all the bags into the car, we just drove home, unloaded them and had lunch.

After lunch, inevitably it was time to empty the wardrobe. I hadn’t realised I had so many pairs of jogging bottoms. ‘Athleisure’ I’m told is the modern description. I knew I could probably hire a stall in The Barras Market to sell all the surplus tee shirts I have and also sweat shirts with stains on the front, but Joggy bottoms? Some of them, possibly all of them, have to go. Once I’d helped Scamp clear out the clothes, I started looking through the old record of work books from a pre 2014 life, knowing they would not be looked at again until the next spring clear out. Instead, I pre-empted that next clear out by getting rid of most of them today.. Not everything that came out of the wardrobe would be finding its way back in. The same would be true of my chest of drawers and various other glory holes in our room. Phase 2 was complete.

By the end of the afternoon the remainder of the storage areas had been emptied, or checked to see if they could simply be moved without emptying. When we were satisfied that we were organised, Scamp went downstairs for a coffee and I put on my walking boots and went for a walk in St Mo’s. It was still a wild day with strong winds and the occasional sharp shower. I went for a walk in the woods, but after seeing how many big strong trees had recently blown down I thought it wasn’t the most sensible place to go for a walk. However, I got a few shots of some Horse Chestnut trees opening up their buds to expose their big leaves and some had the candelabras of flower buds ready to open. One of those shots got PoD.

Back home the oven was on, ready to take a Charlie Bigham Tikka Masala curry we’d bought in Waitrose in the morning. It was a surprisingly filling dinner.

There was nothing worth watching on TV, so Scamp and I sat and read for a while and I had another of the instant whiskey cocktails Jamie and Simonne had given me. Tonight’s offering was Whiskey Sour which is basically Bourbon and Lime Juice over ice. Very refreshing.

Tomorrow we are intending starting Phase 3 of the grand plan, painting the remaining walls.

Huntigowk – 1 April 2024

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We had to be on our guard today, at least until midday when Huntigowk ended.

I didn’t see any gowks and didn’t end up as one … at least as far as I know. Scamp did get involved in one, though. In her word puzzle on the tablet she had to type the answers in backwards. Quite a clever catch. Wordle had nothing like that, neither did Spelling Bee. Maybe Americans don’t know what a gowk is …!

I did my usual clean up of the computer this morning, only to find out that Lightroom had got itself in a bit of fix with the photo files being in the correct folder, and the catalog being updated, but the files themselves were invisible. It’s still not fixed properly, but I think I may have a solution. Not an elegant solution, but it might work. I’m going to sleep on it and test it tomorrow. I’m just thinking, maybe Americans do Huntigowk after all.

After a couple of lovely warm days, we came down to reality with a bump today. Cloudy with the constant threat of rain. We didn’t bother going out because it appears the weather profile spreads right across Scotland and down into the north of England too. No chance to drive through it into sunshine.

We had a serious look online at a replacement laptop for Scamp’s ageing HP this afternoon. JL wanted serious money and Currys was just a shambles. Eventually found what looks like a reasonably priced laptop with a decent spec on the HP site. We’re maybe going in to Glasgow tomorrow now that the Easter holiday is over (for adults at least), to get a hands-on with the machines in JL or maybe Currys. At least that will give us an idea what we’re getting for our money.

I waxed my boots later and went for a walk which I knew would make them mucky again, but at least I’d know they started out clean. Again it was the second shot I took that became PoD. It’s the view down that lane through the avenue of trees with a couple and their dog. It’s one of my clichés, I know, but I like the composition.

Dinner was pasta with mushrooms, peppers, onion, chicken, spinach and half a tin of tomatoes. A kind of “what have we got in the fridge” pasta, but it worked. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.

Tomorrow, as I say we may go laptop hunting.

Ah! That’s more like it – 24 February 2024

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Feeling almost normal again. I’m keeping it at that. I’m not ready yet to say I feel human again!

A lazy morning today sitting in the sunshine in the living room. It had been freezing during the night and was still quite cool outside. We talked about what we wanted to do and where to go. Scamp suggested that Glasgow wasn’t really a good idea at weekends and I agreed. Her second suggestion was Chatelherault for a ‘gentle’ walk. That fitted the bill for me, so we gathered together all the things we needed for a walk and drove over to a rather busy carpark near the “Big House”. The house was the hunting lodge of the Duke of Hamilton, but is now a busy and expensive (so I’m told) wedding venue. Since a ‘gentle’ walk was to be the order of the day I suggested walking down past the steel cut out figures of William Wallace, Robert Owen and David Livingstone. Usually a good photo opportunity, if the sun is playing nice, but it wasn’t today.

The path splits after them. One route takes you to the Old Avon Bridge and is quite scenic, but you have a long slog back up the hill again. The other route takes you through the woods, high above the Avon Water and back to the car park again with the option of stopping at the cafe. We chose the second option.

There were a family in front of us who were with a man in a motorised wheelchair. He seemed to be making heavy weather of the first climb up through a muddy path. By the time we caught up with them he was stuck fast between two exposed tree roots. Couldn’t go forward and couldn’t go back. We offered to help them, but the woman who I reckon was the his daughter said thanks but they’d manage. They seemed to thing that if they got past the tree roots everything would be fine from there. The wheelchair looked really new, but if he kept trying forward and reverse he was going to flatten his battery. Eventually the woman said “NO! WE’RE GOING BACK!” I thought at that point the boss had spoken. In retrospect, it was the correct decision.

We said Good Luck and walked on. It was heavy going for a while climbing up through puddles, burns and mud, then the path firmed up and dried up too. We carried on and a couple coming from the opposite direction told us it was pretty muddy the way we were going. We thanked them, and noticed that they were wearing ordinary town shoes. Just near the end of the path we discovered what they were talking about. The path dropped away in a steep slope that was almost pure mud. The centre 400mm or so was fairly dry and navigable. How the bloke would have kept control of the wheelchair in that I hate to think. Anyway, the worst was behind us.

We got to the cafe and Scamp grabbed a table while I stood in a queue for 20 mins or more but got two scones with jam and clotted cream and two coffees. The last two scones at that. Paid for them and for a pot of marmalade I’d picked up we enjoyed our lunch.
Note to self: The coffee in the Cafe is excellent. This is not Costa coffee!! It’s safe to drink.

Drove home and parked, then walked down to the shops to get a couple of small pizzas for dinner.

PoD was a view looking up the hill at The Big House as Alex calls it with a heavy sky behind it. Partly processed in Lightroom, partly in ON1. I’ve decided it has its uses.

Today’s prompt was Ruby.
I thought a Ruby ring was the easiest and simplest thing to draw. Simplest, yes. Easiest? Nothing to do with reflections and refractions is ever going to be easy, but this is my answer anyway.

Felt so much better after that walk in the woods. They say that walking in pine woods is good for the respiration. Perhaps it is. Perhaps I was just happy to be outside in the air again.

No plans for tomorrow, but maybe Sea Bass for dinner!

A slow awakening, then Samba – 13 January 2024

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It was a slow climb out of the depths of sleep to the reality of morning.

It certainly took me a long time to clear my head enough to realise that it was morning. Too much to eat and too much to drink. I’m usually careful when I know I’m going to be driving in the morning the next day, but I’d so enjoyed the company last night that I’d kind of overindulged.

Once I was showered and dressed I felt better and we drove in to Brookfield in good time. Beautiful blue skies with white fluffy clouds all the way. First dance was a Blue Angel Rumba which I’m coming to terms with. Next was what, before we joined this class, was called the Christmas Waltz, but which has now been renamed the Spring Waltz. Again, I was a lost soul to start with, but I’ve grown to realise it’s not as complicated as I thought, even if it does have a Back Corté. Whatever that is.

Next was the Samba. I used to hate the Cha-Cha until I realised I could dance it fairly competently. Now the Samba is my most hated dance. It doesn’t help when one of the teachers seems to be more critical than is really necessary when ‘helping’ us. She really needs to remember that we are giving her money each week to be taught, not to be criticised for everything we do. Not the most friendly person I’ve ever met. Maybe I just have a thing about some dance teachers. Anyway, I much prefer anything in the Cha-Cha to the Hopalong Cassidy ‘Voltas’ that seem to delight everyone in the Samba. I honestly do not see myself ever dancing this in public!

Drove home under blue skies and white fluffy clouds again, just the same as yesterday and spent the early afternoon clearing up the living room and the kitchen. I went for a walk to St Mo’s later for some photos with the intention of coming home with a loaf. I actually came home with a bit more than that, but with a potential PoD or two.

In M&S I bumped (almost literally) into a former colleague who is now deputy head in Glasgow and commiserated with her because her school is being inspected soon. Right now the big news is the Post Office postmasters and mistresses who have been accused of stealing money. It wasn’t really stolen, it was a dodgy computer program called Horizon that went ‘ape’ for a while. But when I heard about those folk being accused of what amounted to theft by the investigators, I remembered how I felt when the HMI (Her Majesty’s Inspectors) came to interrogate us. These people should be ashamed of themselves.

On the way home I was watching a big swathe of pink/white cloud stretching up behind a bunch of Scots Pine trees and trying to find the best angle to shoot them from. Finally found it and that became PoD, relegating a photo of the setting sun to “almost a PoD”.

That was about it for today. Dinner was much more restrained than last night and was a pizza with a glass of wine.

Hoping to get out for walk tomorrow.