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Posted on by Zogman

Dancin’

Today we drove to Brookfield after I’d spent about £1,000 on half a tank of petrol!

Well, it certainly felt like £1,000 when I was half filling the tank. However, we were passing through the Straits of Glasgow where your speed is limited to 40mph for quite a few miles. We managed to avoid most of the potholes and all of the mines. The 40mph restriction kept the fuel usage fairly low, but I wouldn’t want to drive like that all the way every day.

Again, we weren’t the last folk to arrive at Brookfield, although we were among those who were given the evil eye by the Teachers.

The order of dance was:

House of Bamboo – A 1958 song by Andy Williams. Just a bit of fun.

Britannia Waltz – A waltz made up by the teachers that I haven’t mastered yet.

Tango Sereda – A tango, obviously, that we’ve both almost managed to get working for us.

Quickstep – A quickstep that I don’t think I’ll ever master. It seems to change every week!

Blue Angel Rumba – I’m getting there, but it requires pushes and shoves by Scamp to remind me of the steps.

Sally Ann Cha-Cha – A silly wee dance where the leaders get a chance to shout “O!” at the end of each sequence with the option to high-five anyone nearby.

An energetic morning for all concerned.

As usual there were new roadworks on the way home with neither workmen or vehicles to be seen. Talked a good game but no work being done. Time wasters, all.

I did take a walk in St Mo’s in the late afternoon after Wordle et al had been conquered.

Scamp made dinner tonight, a prawn risotto. Long time since I’ve had it and it was a nice surprise.

Something is still wrong with the SSL in Namecheap. I’ll need to find out what tomorrow. More time wasted.

Off to bed now. No real plans for tomorrow.

Catkins in the rain – 23 March 2026

Posted on by Zogman

The first day of rain in a week. I’d hoped the dry weather would have lasted longer, but we’ll take the dry week and say “Thanks”.

Scamp was out in the morning for coffee with Shona. I stayed home and left the ladies to their discussions. When Scamp returned, I decided to risk a walk. I was barely out the front door when the raindrops started falling. It’ll be fine, I said and walked over to St Mo’s, but the rain kept coming and by the time I was halfway round my walk, I turned back, but by that time my Rab jacket was quite wet. There was nothing to do but get home as soon as I could. By the time I got back, I had to do a complete change of clothes. However, I got today’s PoD which was a trio of Catkins on a branch.

Dancing tonight was the Blackwood Waltz again. I think a few of us were tired of it, but that was all that was on the menu for tonight. I couldn’t concentrate on it and eventually was ready to walk away. Scamp did her best to keep me right, but heart just wasn’t in it. Eventually we were released and we could drive home.

A parcel arrived for Scamp when she was out. It was two bunches of flowers, very well wrapped and secured. I know her big day is not until tomorrow, but I thought it a bit unfair to stick strictly to the day before she got to open the parcel.

Tomorrow, Scamp is in charge. She can choose what we do and when.

I wasn’t at my best today – 12 February 2026

Posted on by Zogman

I wasn’t at my best today.

A morning in bed and I was feeling a bit better, with Scamp being my nurse. Just an ache in my back that Paracetamol worked wonders on.

We were due to go to John & Marion for lunch and it seemed a shame not to go. We had Salmon with crumbled breadcrumbs, Tender Stem Broccoli, Baby Potatoes and a thin slice of orange. Pudding was Bramble Tart, with coffee and water for Scamp.

We got a surprise Save the Date card from Ross and Chris for their wedding on 7th November 2026. Scamp was delighted and so was I. Two great guys, we’ve watched Ross grow into a lovely man and I have no doubt that Chris will be any different.

There are no photos today, because we discovered this afternoon that Jaime passed away today after a short illness. An hour or so later I got a message from Val to say that his wife, Jeanette passed away last week. I hope they both rest in peace.

Out for a walk – 26 October 2025

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I decided I’d go for a walk around St Mo’s again.

Before that, I had to go round the house, changing all the older clocks because it’s only the newer, digital clocks that can auto adjust to Daylight Saving Time. I always remember the mnemonic Spring Forward and Fall Back.

Walked over St Mo’s hoping to find some inspiration. The lighting was good with the low sun creating great textures on the grass and the trees. A little gentle use of warm yellow lighting back home helped greatly. It would have been even better if the clouds hadn’t started massing, but I was quite happy with the final result.

Spoke to Jamie in the evening which felt a bit strange with Scamp being in Aberdeen, but I gave him a disjointed description of our October holiday. I found out that Ori, Scamp’s favourite dog of all time was going away to live in Canada with Simonne’s sister. He wouldn’t be alone as there was another of Jaime’s dogs going with him. I hope they both enjoy their new home. Hope it’s not too cold for them, after being used to Trinidad’s warm weather.

PoD was more of the man-made channels in St Mo’s pond.

Scamp returns tomorrow and is determined that she’ll get the bus home from Glasgow.

Thunder, and torrential rain – 14 June 2025

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Of course it was! It was summer in Scotland! What else did you expect?

We had been well warned by the Met Office and they got it right. During last night we got heavy, thumping rain, but thankfully no thunder or lightning. The rain tapered off during the day, but we weren’t going out, we’ve been caught like the before and got a soaking. Instead we stayed at home and read for a while, just because we could. No dancing class today, because the teachers were off on a Mediterranean cruise. They call it working, but we know better.

The day just sort of dragged its feet all afternoon and then late in the afternoon we heard the first rumbles of thunder in the distance. The rumbles got closer accompanied by a couple of louder bangs, then only rain to remind us that it wasn’t quite finished with us yet.

Dinner tonight was divided between two eateries. Scamp wanted a small fish supper with pickled onions. I chose chicken chop suey with fried rice. Each were produced from two different shops and both were deemed delicious. On the walk home I did catch a few heavy drops of rain, but it didn’t come to much.

The PoD came from a short dry spell in the garden and is a Polemonium Scamp recently purchased. I like the shape of the flowers which remind me of Aquilegia flowers, and the little yellow stamens catch the eye of passing insects.

Watched another episode of ‘GOLD’ on iPlayer. Quite an intriguing story although, how true to life it is, I wouldn’t like to say.

Hoping for a drier day tomorrow, or at least a less wet one.

Remembering Dancin’ – 3 May 2025

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Today for the first time in ages, probably more than a month, we drove to Brookfield for a dance class.

Quite a big class. At least half a dozen couples ready to strut their stuff … and us, almost ready. Willing too, in as much as, willing the big hand to go round the clock one and a half times and set us free … or maybe that was just me. Ok, enough with the ellipses, lets get started.

We started with Scamp’s absolute favourite, the Tina Tango danced to Shivers by Ed Sheeran. That was us hooked. From there we went into a Foxtrot, not just any foxtrot, the Gershwin Foxtrot. The one we both liked. Much better that those chopped up foxtrots Jane invents in an attempt to make things ‘easier’. This was the full strength one with the “Continuous Hover Cross”. Don’t let anyone convince you that it’s a ‘lot less bovver with a Hover’. It isn’t, at least not with this one. However, after two lessons from Jane and one set of instructions from Stewart the whole thing was becoming possible. Not every time, but at least half the time. It’s a really elegant dance and one both of us like.

Next up was a Blue Angel which we first learned with Kirsty, in fact, one of the first things we learned from Kirsty. Now it’s just a wee easy dance, then it was very complicated.

Next was a Viennese Waltz. You know the one it’s just continuous spinning, first one way, then the other with a bit of straightening out to prevent the participants throwing up or spinning into a wall. What one of the dancers a long time ago called “A Burly Roon”!

We finished with a Mayfair Quickstep danced to “500 Miles” by The Proclaimers, which was appropriate because it felt like we’d danced 500 miles today!

Drove home and risked the lengthy roadworks at the Barrs factory, but we didn’t have to wait too long to get through, then we found a parking space outside the house. How convenient.

Scamp wanted part of the old blackcurrant bush chopped down, so I took a saw to it and cut out a fair chunk of the diseased bush. Hopefully that will open the bush to the air and possible encourage new growth. Later in the afternoon I planted three potatoes in the fancy two part pot. I’m intending to plant the remainder tomorrow or maybe Monday.

PoD went to a lovely pink Aquilegia flower I photographed, growing beside the path when I was going over to Condorrat to get dinner which was a Special Fish Supper with two Pickled Onions (one each).

No plans for tomorrow, but temperatures are set to fall. There is even a chance of snow in the north. Brrr!

The start of the long drive home – 25 April 2025

Posted on by Zogman

A great week of weather and family had almost come to an end. Jaki had brought Grian to say bye-bye before we left. One last wave from the end of the drive and we were off. Heading south on a cooler day than the last ones, but probably better for that. Scamp filmed the hoards at Store and I tried to avoid most of the potholes. You can never avoid them all, but if you miss the majority, you’re doing well.

PoD was a photo of Ben Nevis from Neptune’s Staircase.

Things I’ll remember from today:

  • Feeling that summer was over when the clouds rolled in.
  • Filling the tank at Portree almost to overflowing.
  • The drive over the Skye Bridge, feeling like we were flying.
  • Climbing up the hill after Cluanie with no cars in front of us.
  • Going out for a walk up Neptune’s Ladder with Scamp before dinner.
  • Disappointment with the Chicken Tikka Masala served to us by what might have been an Indian family.
  • Wishing I’d had Scamp’s Fish ’n’ Chips!

Tomorrow we are intending to have breakfast in Morrisons, do some shopping in Fort William and driving home.

 

Over the Sea – 22 April 2025

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After breakfast we said goodbye to our B&B host and also to Fort William for a while and we pointed the blue car north for a couple of hours. We had agreed to stop at Eilean Donan for a comfort stop. For the first time in ages, we had to pay to park at the castle also known as the Biscuit Tin, because it is on more biscuit tin lids than any other. I think the charge was to help pay for the massive car park that had sprung up in the last couple of years.

  • Lots of decent patient drivers.
  • Lots more crazy drivers driving at 30mph on the A82.
  • Coffee at Broadford when we were on Skye.
  • Saw a bloke sitting on a seat at the back of his truck in Broadford.
  • Looked like a home made job.
  • On the lookout for potholes all the way to Staffin.
  • Got caught on two potholes just before we would have turn off.
  • Drove down to the slip and went for a walk.
  • Busy place now. New buildings where the old slip used to be.

Ham, Cabbage and Potatoes for dinner. Hoping for a lazy day tomorrow.