Another improving day – 22 February 2024

Me, that is, as well as the weather

A fairly late rise, but I didn’t, in my heart of hearts think I was fit enough to go dancing today. Not for myself, but I didn’t want to spread it to all the other dancers at the tea dance. So it was decided the we wouldn’t grace the dance floor today. I think we were both in agreement about that.

We had a morning call from Hazy and talked about Jamie’s house improvements as well as Neil’s antibiotics and of course the Ninja Tilly who ambushes ‘monsters’ in the bedroom. Good job Hazy hadn’t realised that Scamp and I were still in bed, tucked up and warm without an attack cat anywhere nearby.

I spent most of the morning writing up yesterday’s blog post which I chose to forego yesterday to get a good night’s sleep instead. I’d left myself a list of bullet points that would help me to flesh out yesterday’s wee stories.

I took a walk round St Mo’s in the afternoon and spooked a deer again. I’ve a feeling they are going to start banning me from walking through the woods. Or accuse me of being a stalker – a deer stalker, or is that something different? I also stalked a couple of innocent swans in the pond and one of the shots got PoD.

It was cold again outside with temperatures dropping down to single figures. I was really glad to get back to the house for a heat.

Dinner tonight was my all time favourite – Mince ’n’ Tatties. Scamp made it and there’s some left for, probably Saturday, when I’m hoping to make it into Spaghetti Bolognese (without the tatties, obviously.)

I made a decision on ON1 Photo RAW 2024 tonight. It has to go. There are only minor improvements compared with last year’s 2023 version. The examples and tutorials use carefully selected photos that work well with ON1. Real world examples fail miserably. I’ve issued my request to be refunded the cost of the software well within the required 30 days. I almost feel like Alex with his changing camera collection. Sorry Alex!

Today’s prompt was Chestnut and I used an old (2018) photo of mine with a couple of chestnuts in it. Not just one chestnut either. Instead I give you two. One still hiding in its shell and one that has extricated itself from the spiny green cover. I used to love chestnuts or ‘Chessies’ when I was wee. Baking them in the oven after soaking them overnight in vinegar which allegedly made them invincible. Don’t try it, it doesn’t work. Carefully drilling a hole through the middle and passing a string through, knotting it at both ends to keep it secure. Then the excitement of smashing the opposition’s ‘chessie’ with yours. However, it was usually my specially hardened chessie that cracked first. Great fun when you’re six or seven.
Now I keep them over winter in our cold greenhouse and plant them in the parks in the spring to grow into chestnut trees.

Watched The Apprentice later. Is that program meant to be real or a comedy? Where one contestant couldn’t work out how to use a measuring tape.

Best Wishes to Simonne who is travelling to Trinidad tomorrow to visit her dad. Say Hello to Jaime for me please, Simonne. Hope your sister untangles the red tape.

We might do lunch tomorrow with June and Ian.

Cold – 29 November 2023

The outside temperature this morning was two below zero.

Scamp was going out to meet Isobel and I was staying home with the intention of going over to St Mo’s to get some morning photos. I had a couple of ideas that I wanted to try.

I did get the photo I wanted, but, as usual it was a different one that got PoD. The winner was a photo of a piece of Oak Moss in a tree. I’t’s called Oak Moss, but it doesn’t just grow on Oak trees and it isn’t a moss. It’s a lichen. It was a once round the pond walk this morning, because the temperature hadn’t lifted by much and I was glad to get back to a warm house.

When Scamp arrived we had a plate of the lentil soup she made yesterday. We had bought rolls yesterday and hadn’t got round to eating any of them, so I had the idea of warming them up in the oven while the soup was warming in the pot. The heat from the oven did warm the rolls and also crisped up the outside skin of them.

We needed some fresh fish for tonight’s dinner and we also needed crème fraîche and white wine. The wine was for cooking with, I must stress that ;-). We walked to the shops to get the requirements and I was glad I’d got some photos in the morning and could just walk home. I was making Cod and Prawns with Fennel and White Wine. It’s a favourite in the house when we can get fennel, because it’s just not the same without its aniseed taste. Tonight it could have done with some extra salt I thought. Scamp said it was only the fish that needed salt. We can never agree with food!

Kirsty’s dance class was down to three couples or two and a half if we’re going to split hairs because one of the girls doesn’t have a partner but Kirsty stepped in to complete the three couples. We danced the Quickstep to begin with, breaking it down into three stages, then joined the three together to form the complete dance. Scamp had a bright idea of raising the tempo and we almost managed a full track at near typical Quickstep speed. I was impressed that I only really made one mistake.
Next was a reprise of the Tango and I know we’re going to argue a bit about the steps in this dance, but a variation that Kirsty put in seemed to simplify it. I could be wrong, and I usually am, but I’m sticking to what the teacher said!
Next was a simple new waltz that felt quite like our “Baby Waltz”. It was was easy and we managed it without difficulty, so we were told to do the Waltz Nioli instead. We finished up with Rumba One, a sequence dance we can do quite well. That was a full dance class today and a good reprise for those who are going to a ball at the weekend. We joined too late to get a ticket, but I don’t think either of us were all that interested.

Watched an episode of “Shetland” and became more confused about who was doing what to whom. Great series.

Tomorrow Scamp is booked for lunch, this time with Denise. Her son flies helicopters, real ones! I’m intending writing to Alex and hopefully to Val.

A walk in the woods – 15 October 2023

Another bright day that really deserved to be appreciated from outside the window.
A bright day, but a cold start. When I was making the breakfast it was 2.1ºc. That’s kind of cool, too cool for my liking. However the heating had kicked in and the house was warm. Thank goodness for the Hive.

We decided on a walk in Colzium estate in Kilsyth. My reason for wanting to go there was to see the colours of the Acers, but I was a bit disappointed by how few of the trees were showing off their colourful leaves that usually brighten this month. However, all was not lost because one tree at the top of the main avenue was a burst of colour. I grabber a couple of photos, one of which was vastly over exposed, but back home one touch of the computer keyboard and it became PoD. The washed out colours came back as did the detail in the leaves. Technology can be amazing when it works.

We walked on round the Big House and up the drive to the Tak Ma Doon road, then down through the trees to the main path that follows the Colzium burn up to the wee narrow bridge at the top. On the way I got another interesting shot of one of the many waterfalls the burn splashes down on its way to the more gentle stream through Kilsyth itself. I got one good shot of the waterfall and three that the camera thought were more interesting, Shots of branches and leaves. The first shot, the one I took, not the camera is available to peruse on Flickr.

We crossed the bridge and walked down the other side of the burn to the road at the bottom. There’s a cafe on the other side of the burn and we went there for a coffee each and a cake to share. There were two big family groups who had nabbed all the seats, but we weren’t bothered. We walked further down and found a whole line of unused seat on the rise above the bandstand. A perfect place to look out over the estate and enjoy the coffee and the cake and a chance for a selfie!

When we were walking back to the car we met a bloke who asked if I’d taken any good shots. Then he told me he’d spotted a kingfisher beside the Colzium Burn where it runs through a park in the town. He admitted that he hadn’t brought his camera, but I will make sure I take mine the next time I’m in Lidl!

Back home, lunch was tea and toast for Scamp and Brie, Apple and Honey on brown bread. Our own apple too! Lovely and probably much better for us than the usual Sunday fry-up.

Scamp was desperate to cut the back grass, so I kindly let her, then John next door knocked on the door and asked if he could borrow our strimmer. His had broken down halfway through strimming his front grass. I didn’t mind, because I’d volunteered to strim our back grass and that would put off the inevitable.

Unfortunately, John brought the strimmer back and I gave in and strimmed the edges at the back garden. Then I cleaned both the mower and the strimmer and gave them a liberal spray with WD40 and put them away for the winter. It’s unlikely we’ll get another chance to cut the grass this year.

Dinner tonight was Sea Bream with Potatoes, Peas and Sweet Corn. Perfectly cooked by Scamp, of course.

Spoke to Jamie later and discussed plans for next week. All seems to be in order down south and the pair are still keen to get some serious walking done. We’ll just watch!

PoD was indeed the first shot of the day, the beautiful colours of the Acers. The prompt for today was “Dagger”. I drew a Dirk, a Thrusting dagger, Wikipedia calls it. It’s Scots name is Sgian Dubh, meaning Black Knife. This sketch is loosely based on my own Sgian Dubh which I only wear with highland dress at weddings.

No plans for tomorrow, although clearing a bedroom will be on the cards I fear!

A Toy off the Rack – 6 October 2023

A new, well, nearly new lens.

So, I slept on it, as I said I would, and decided to add the Sony 85mm f1.8 to my armoury.

Scamp was out in the morning to go to her FitSteps class. I phoned WEX in Glasgow and asked the lady to put the second hand Sony 85mm f1.8 lens aside for me and I’d be in to collect it in the afternoon. When Scamp returned from her class, just over an hour later we drove in to Glasgow.

First we went to John Lewis to have a serious look at fridges, freezers and fridge-freezers, the trio we’ve been mulling over for the past week. I don’t think either of us was fully committed to the idea of a combined fridge and freezer. If one part of it breaks down, does that mean the other half dies with it? Scamp seemed reluctantly resigned to an undercounter freezer and separate fridge. The two of them were sitting beside each other in the JL basement, like Tweedledum and Tweedledee. We were really looking for a Goldilocks fridge. The ones on show were either too big or too small and she wanted one that was in the middle of the height range. Eventually,Scamp spoke to an assistant who very helpfully went away and returned with a model number for a fridge that was indeed the nearest thing to a Goldilocks. Now we need to find a picture of it, or better still, somewhere that has it in stock, because JL in Glasgow didn’t have one.

Feeling we were another step forward, we left JL behind and walked up to WEX, checked the lens I’d play tested yesterday and paid my half of the money. Of course I immediately knew that I’d made a mistake as the Buyers Remorse kicked in, but I just ignored it. I had a toy off the rack.

Coffee in Nero on the way down a Sausageroll Street that was being chopped up, dug up and generally destroyed in ‘improvements’. They’d even cut down most of the trees. Sometimes I fear for the sanity of these urban planners, other times I know they are all just morons.

I had a look for a new raincoat to replace my old faded blue one that’s not as waterproof as it used to be, despite being proofed regularly, but didn’t find anything that impressed me. Heavens some of them only had two pockets. TWO? What use is that to me?

Drove home and that was when the rain started and it’s still raining. It doesn’t look like I’ll get a chance to try out the new toy until at least Sunday. Heavy rain predicted for tomorrow.

Today’s PoD was one of my regular shots of the changing face of Glasgow. It seems that every month there is another change to the skyline. Some are for the better and some are not. I think the call it progress, but I’m not sure. Anyway, after a bit of jiggery pokery again, I had a photo that looked interesting.

Today’s Inktober prompt was “Golden”. It’s my wedding ring which, over the years, has been chopped off my swollen finger, soldered back together and then chopped and soldered again to make it slightly smaller to stop it from falling off my finger. It’s definitely Golden.

Tomorrow rain is predicted, lots of it. We may go out for lunch and not discuss White Goods.

A change of destination – 23 August 2023

I’d intended going for a walk with Alex along the Forth & Clyde canal and we did start the walk, but then had a change of direction

We both agreed that the weather wasn’t playing fair with us and those big black clouds weren’t allowing any directional light through, so instead of ploughing on, we walked back to the car at Auchinstarry and drove to the Kelpies instead.  The further east we went, the more sunlight we saw.  We were definitely going in the right direction.

The Helix Park, where the Kelpies live was mobbed.  Not so the carpark you have to pay for. Only foreign visitors were parked there and a couple of photogs (us).  Most of the locals, and by Locals I mean, mean Scots would rather squeeze into a tiny space in the free carpark and then walk a mile to the Kelpies than pay a few quid to park right next to them.  We were the odd ones out.  Alex paid, I drove.

I think we were both looking for ‘people shots’ today and anything just that wee bit unusual. A different angle or something that took your fancy, really.  I was trying to get more photos of people, something I usually avoid. Today I’d break my rule. We had a quick lunch and then split up.  I tried a few shot of barges on the Forth & Clyde canal, that same Forth & Clyde we’d rejected back at Auchinstarry as a bit boring with too much flat lighting.  It’s amazing what a difference a few miles makes. After a couple of hours of shutter clicking we were done and headed home. Alex to Motherwell and me to Cumbersheugh after I’d dropped him off at the train station.

Back home it was Carrot & Lentil Curry for dinner made by Scamp.  Not as hot as it sometimes is, but it will improve tomorrow, I’m sure, but if it stays the same as today’s, I won’t be disappointed.

A run through of the Outside Spin again tonight and I was much more confident about it.  Still not so confident about the Cross Basic in the Cha-Cha, but after a heated discussion I’m beginning to see that Scamp is probably correct in her description of it. We may get a chance to test out both tomorrow if we go to the tea dance.

PoD turned out to be a ‘people photo’ from The Kelpies.

Tomorrow there’s a tea dance and we may go to it.

 

 

Trieste – 19 June 2023

Beautiful city. We both liked the architecture of the elegant buildings.

Things to remember:

  • Hundreds of yachts in the marina.
  • Diver working round the rusting pier.
  • Architecture.
  • Statues.
  • Walking down into an underground carpark to get the elevator to take us up to the Cathedral and Castle.
  • Beautiful cathedral.
  • Wedding.
  • Sparkling paintwork inside.
  • Castle reminded me of Blackness – same shape.
  • Panini with Bresaola and Brie for lunch in a street side cafe – D
  • Vegetable Club Sandwich – S.
  • Walking back to ship.
  • “Eataly” Italian restaurant.
  • Another wedding!
  • Strange looking yacht in the bay.
  • Nonna’s for dinner.
  • Pizza was overdone.
  • Show tonight was like a school show.

Visitors and the repair man – 17 June 2022

Visitors always means lots of work.

It was raining. Real straight down soaking rain. It looked like it was going to be one miserable day, weather wise at least.

Crawford and Nancy were coming to dinner tonight. We’d already discussed the menu and allocated tasks. Scamp was off to Tesco in the morning and my first job was to clean the toilet. With it sparkling I began hoovering downstairs, all of downstairs. That’s when the problems started. I don’t hoover that much, I must admit, but even I noticed the extra whine the machine was adding to Dark Side of the Moon on my earbuds. It didn’t look as if it needed emptying, but I did it anyway. That made no difference. I took off the top filter (its got two) and it was clean. Tried again, but the noise was still there. I removed the bottom filter, which I’d never done before, It was mucky, but not sufficiently to cause the noise. Then I found the tried and tested solution. I turned up the sound on my earbuds and Pink Floyd took the noise away!

I know, I know, that didn’t really solve the problem. I changed machine to the little hand held machine, but it wasn’t really as efficient as the plug-in one. Eventually I worked out a plan of attack. I took off the earbuds and listened to the noise (not Pink Floyd!). It was coming from the motor behind the bottom filter. Removed the filter and switched it on. The noise was still there, but louder now. So nothing to do with the filter. Maybe it was the beaters … and there was the problem. There was a big wad of gunk blocking the outlet of the beaters. What looked like a piece of orange netting had become tangled at the outlet and was trapping all the dust and assorted gunk and building up a gunk-block. Once I’d pulled it out and put everything back in place the hoover hooved again! The netting looked like part of a bag of tangerines we get from M&S. Tiny wee thing that caused all that bother. The rest of the hoovering was completed in jig time.

By that time Scamp had returned, loaded with far more than she’d intended buying, but better too much than too little. While I was removing most of the detritus that collects on the dining table/computer stand, Scamp prepped the shallots. Twelve of them to be topped and tailed and skinned. I think she was thinking twice about the main course! It was coffee time, so we sat down and decided on the next job allocations. I was on bread making duty and working exactly to the instructions. Also, I gave in and made the dough in the mixer. While I was doing that, Scamp was using her new mixer to make some Viennese Shortbread. Once my dough was proving and Scamp’s biscuits were in the oven we started on the dusting. I did one side of the living room and Scamp did the other. It was a case of many hands make light work and soon we were done.

We were getting there. So was the weather. The rain had gradually tapered off during the morning and the sun was thinking about shining. I took some time out to go for a walk in St Mo’s while Scamp rested from her labours with a book. Not a lot to see in the park, but I did get a photo of a Ringlet butterfly which became PoD.

Dinner tonight was:

Starter – Melon with Parma Ham and Orange.
Main – Chicken Cacciatore and Jersey Royals
Dessert – Mojito Posset

Absolutely brilliant dinner. That posset was really good, and the little shallots in the cacciatore were worth the effort, Scamp.

Lots to talk about afterwards and, of course, drink was taken. However, more restrained than usual on these occasions, because Nancy was nominated driver for today and both Crawford and I are driving tomorrow morning.

We got to bed just after midnight after a good day with good friends.

Tomorrow, up bright and early to go to dance class.

My Medical Monday – 17 February 2020

Not one, but two doctor’s appointments today. That’s just greed, I know.

The first one was in the town centre at 9.10am and I was there with plenty of time, despite seeing the only space in the carpark disappear, stolen by the white car in front of me. Drove round to Tesco carpark and got a space almost at the health centre. Retinopathy Clinic for the first appointment and it was an easy one. Two photos taken, one of each eye and that was it. Plenty of time to get to the next one, just along the road. Time for a coffee in the better of the two Costa shops in the TC. Better, but still not good. Was served by a former pupil who gave me a suspicious second glance, still not sure I was who she thought I was. Her name badge said Amanda, and an hour later my memory filled in her second name.

Second appointment was a bloodletting after the aborted one a couple of weeks ago. This one was done with the expertise of a practised phlebotomist. Soon I was on my way again and instead of going straight home I drove to The Fort to get EE’s opinion on my phone which seemed to have lost its ability to connect with 4G. The assistant did a refresh of the network settings and after an hour or so it started to work again. Bought the last A4 Seawhite sketchbook in Hobbycraft and drove back home for some real coffee, courtesy of Hazy’s Christmas gift. This one much nicer than the Columbian which I found a bit sharp. Thanks again Hazy. Then on to some drawing. Yesterday’s PoD asked for a basket and I chose a hanging basket with strawberry plants in it. It hangs at the back door and really does produce strawberries, albeit quite small ones.

Lunch was bacon and eggs and then it was time for today’s sketch which was a selfie. Done in front of my shaving mirror. According to some it’s a good likeness while others say I look like my dad. That’s a compliment.

Went for a walk over St Mo’s and was amazed at the height the water in the pond/loch had risen. It must be up by over 15cm after a night of torrential rain. Today’s PoD is of the boardwalk and the new loch. Double the coverage it was yesterday. Dinner was yesterday’s Chicken and Chorizo stew and it tasted much better today.

Out dancing and I was initially paired with the teacher!! Oh dear. Then one of the other ladies was free and she and I danced for the hour. Waltz and Foxtrot and I only trod on her toes once!

Back home and it was time to go and pick up the sisters. Finally with June delivered, and a natter with Scamp, I had a small whisky and went to bed. A long day, but a lot done.

Hoping to go to Hamilton tomorrow for lunch if Scamp’s cold is better.

The port for Oporto – 19 June 2018

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAfter breakfast we joined the queue to exit the ship and get in another queue for the shuttle bus that would take us to Oporto.  You see, we weren’t really at Oporto, we were at Leixões which is the port for Oporto which isn’t actually called Oporto when you’re in Portugal, it’s called Porto.  Right, glad we’ve got that sorted out

The queue to exit the ship was long and twisting.  Just as we were beginning to see daylight, we joined another queue, coming from the opposite direction.  Twenty minutes after joining the queue, we exited on to the dock.  Then we had to go out through the beautiful terminal building and saw the extent of the queue for the bus to Oporto and immediately decided to go to Leixões instead.  I’d like to tell you it is a pretty little fishing village, but it’s not.  Apart from the cruise terminal building, it’s an ugly sprawling concrete town with two things to recommend it.  An enormous Lidl and a beautiful beach.  We visited both.

Have you ever noticed that all Lidls smell the same.  It’s not a bad smell, or even an unpleasant one, it’s just a smell.  It might be something to do with the air freshener they use.  This is the first time I’ve realised that it’s there, but it is, definitely.  Check the next time you’re in a Lidl!  Water on the ship costs £1.75 for 500ml.  Water in Lidl is €0.11 for 330ml.  It might not originate from Harrogate as the ship’s water allegedly does, but it’s still water and at roughly 15p for 500ml, it’s a lot cheaper than P&O H₂O.  We bought a bottle, to see if we could get it past Gort the guard at the ship who scans everything you bring on board.  Any alcohol you attempt to bring back is seized and held in the hold until you return to the UK.

After buying our budget water, a small bottle of orange juice, which might also be confiscated (they don’t tell you about that in the shiny brochures, do they?) and a bag of cherries which were never going to make it back to the ship, we went for a beer, because it was hot.  Just over 30ºc hot. We had a beer in a beachside cafe, then a coffee and a Portuguese custard tart that was just as good as the ones we usually have in Lisbon.  When we left I asked the waiter how to say “Thank You” and found out it is “Obrigado”.

Next we went for a walk along the prom.  That’s one of the delights of a holiday for Scamp, a walk along the prom, in the sun.  We walked right to the end of the prom, watching the surfers out catching the waves, then we turned round and had a paddle on the way back to the bus.  Just got to the port gate as the bus was arriving and surprised the driver by saying “Obrigado” rather than “Thank You” when we got off at the terminal.  The Terminal is an impressive building with swirls of white concrete covered in shiny tiles.  It really has to be seen to be appreciated.  Boarding was much easier and quicker than disembark and we grabbed the opportunity to do some sunbathing at the blunt end of the ship (technical term).  We went swimming in the little kidney shaped pool at that end and then found out that there had been a medical emergency on board and our departure would be delayed by about 40minutes.  Those 40 minutes expanded to just over two hours, but with the emergency ambulance driving slowly down the dockside, some poor couple’s holiday came to an end.  Hope the woman was ok.

Dinner was with a talkative group at our table and after that, we played cards as the show was nothing to write home about, even in a blog.

Dull, dull, dull – 20 May 2018

Just in case you didn’t guess, today was a bit dull.

In the morning we drove in to Glasgow because Scamp had an appointment with M&S to spend some money. I was looking for photos. We both got what we intended to get. Scamp completed her swimsuit ensemble and I got a few photos I’d been looking for. My favourite and PoD is above.

<Technospeak>
When we got home I resumed my work on trying to figure out what was wrong with Scamp’s computer which wouldn’t respond properly to Autoplay any more. I eventually found the problem and the solution in an old post on the internet. It involved a complicated bit of deletion using the registry editor Regedit, also known as “The Hand Grenade” (what happens if I pull this little pin out?). Luckily I was very careful which pins I pulled out and nothing went bang afterwards, but what did happen was that Autoplay now plays nice. Not perfect, just nice. Perfectly may mean more work tomorrow or some other day. For now, it nearly works.
</Technospeak>

I made dinner tonight which was the complicated and not very successful Aloo Saag. Not as good as last time. The spinach sauce was too thick and there was a taste in there that just didn’t gel. I might water it down slightly tomorrow for lunch. I also baked another sourdough loaf which was slightly more successful than the first, but not as good as the last one.  Middling.  Still some work to be done on consistency of the dough and baking time.

It being such a dull day, I couldn’t even be bothered going over to St Mo’s to get more photos. I’d got the ones I wanted. This is the photo I went to take. The candelabra its twin are in an alley just off Queen Street and I’ve often wondered why these ornate lights are there in an alley that just hold dustbins. Maybe there’s a story there waiting to be unearthed. It didn’t win PoD because the group discussing The Duke (not to be confused with The Red Juke) was more interesting.

Did a bit of sketching while watching a boring Jools Holland, but I really need to do more, and before Wednesday. That may be the plan for tomorrow. Some decent sketching. Scamp’s going out to meet Isobel in the morning. Busy week this week, something on every day.