An uninspiring day from start to finish, well, at least until the time I write this. Weather windy, cloudy and with occasional rain. Hmm and not due to improve tomorrow either.
Down among the ferns at St Mo’s.
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Just a cross made from two twigs with a catkin between them.
Overhead blossom.
Went to Embra today. For once it was cloudier there than it was when we left home. Thought I’d get some coffee when I was there at my favourite wee tea and coffee shop. His tea is always excellent and he’s always got something to say about the world in general. Also, he’s the only person I know who still sells by pounds and ounces. Unfortunately, his coffee was dire. I got a half pound each of Columbian and Mocha. Tried them both when I got home and they were as bad as each other. Nothing has beaten the Bean Shop in Perth yet for consistently good coffee. Thomson’s Old Brown Java is quite good, but not as good as the Bean Shop. Today’s was the worst ever. I’ll stick to his tea in future and give his coffee a miss.
While Scamp was out at the choir concert, I struggled with Hazel. Not you Hazel, but Hazel the usually excellent Mac organizational tool. Normally, it’s simplicity itself to write a little script to get some stuff done. Tonight was a nightmare. After working for over an hour, I gave up with the script half written. I’ll have a little glass of Laphroaig tonight and tackle it again tomorrow, or the next day.
This blackbird comes to the same perch every evening and sings his heart out. Such a brightener some days. I see it as a reward for the mealworms I provide for him.
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I decided that today was the day for getting the bike out and getting some exercise and some photos of course. It was good to get away from the roads and on to the paths for a change. It’s no fun cycling on the roads these days. Today I cycled along the canal to Kirkintilloch, well almost. Got a few shots, yes, still testing the lens, still not sure. Anyway, as usual, I learned a bit more about the world as a result. To be exact, today it was Biology that was under the spotlight:
I noticed the white butterfly with the orange spots while out cycling today. Nearby there was another plain white butterfly. What I didn’t notice until tonight were the two variegated winged insects above and below the Orange Tip. After checking with Mr Google, I think I can say that they are female Orange Tips and the one in the middle is a male.
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Went for a walk along the old railway from Auchinstarry this morning. Everything seemed to be going well until I saw a young deer and tried to get a shot of it. The VC on the 70-300mm Tamron that usually holds everything rock solid seemed to be acting up and CAUSING vibration rather than removing it. The resulting shot is here. Click to enlarge. Shutter speed, as you will see is 1/400 which, combined with VC should have been enough to avoid any camera shake.
After further investigation, I discovered it was the focus motor that was causing the vibration, not the VC unit. Even worse, it was not happening all the time. It’s one of the most irritating defects in machinery, the occasional problem that you simply cannot be sure of replicating. I’ve never seen any lens do this before and was a bit worried, even although the lens is still under warranty. It would be a real pain to have to be without it for the three weeks or so it would take to send it back to Tamron. I’ve checked with Mr Google, but nobody seems to have had this problem, or else, if they did, they’re not publicising it. I’ll be checking on it every day now, but I’m sure it will get worse instead of getting better.
I saw these pink blossoms when I was on my way home. I liked the little floret bottom right and cropped down to it.
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Blue sky with occasional white cloud. No rain on the horizon today.
I disturbed this pheasant this morning and he conveniently ran into this little patch of green.
Up and out early today to take Scamp’s car for MOT. It passed!
Went to Livingston to get a new case for the hols. Lunch at Wagamama in L. Just enough time after we came home for a quick stroll along the Luggie. Not a lot to see, but enjoyed the walk. After all the rain, the Luggie was running quite high. Should have taken the tripod and got some moving water shots. Will do next time … maybe.
I just wanted to isolate one fairly well formed flower against the backdrop of blue, then I saw the spider and my picture of the day was sorted!
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WorDs FaiL mE
I know how he or she feels.
One of the great things about the D7000 is the fast burst mode mode. I manages a few shots in burst mode of this wee acrobatic and very suspicious bluetit feeding on the peanuts. It was taken in between the heavy rain showers that were the mark of the day. Such a shame after yesterday, but not unexpected.
I am constantly amazed at the acrobatics and contortions these wee birds perform while feeding.
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Since it was the May holiday today and the weather was looking good, we had decided to go to Troon for the day. It was sunny and breezy with blue sky and just a little cloud. Booked a table for 2.00 in the Lido. Been there before and I thought it was OK, Scamp thought it good. Went for a long walk along the beach to watch the kite surfers and to let me get a few shots. By the time we reached them, the wind was dropping, but I got a few shots. Walked back and sat watching the crowds on the beach for a while. Amazed that some folk still go down on the beach and make sand castles with their coats on. That’s how you can tell Glasgow folk!
At 2.00 we walked in to the Lido only to be told that our table wasn’t ready. It’s always the same at the Lido. This restaurant should be renamed the “just a wee minute”. Five minutes later we were told our table was ready “Just exactly on time” our waitress said. Not by my watch dear! Tiny wee table stuck in a corner with overhanging bar glasses right by our heads. Meal was good enough, but they really, really need to work on their time management.
Stranger on the Shore
Just one lad, standing looking out to sea. One of those container ships parked in the firth.
Kite surfer reaching at Troon with the mountains of Arran in the background.
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A procession of walkers rounding the headland at Troon today.
Woke up this morning to rain, but feeling a lot better than previously. Thank goodness. Probably a lot to do with the effects of Benylin, sensible advice from Scamp and the fact that I had a flu jag way back last year some time. Anyway, I’m not counting my chickens yet, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
We drove in to Glasgow today to get some essentials. Driving rain all the way in and most of the time we were there. On the way back the rain dried up and the clouds lifted a bit. Of course, by the time we got near Cumbernauld, we encountered “The Cloud” again. Even that didn’t keep the rain for long and although the clouds lifted again, we didn’t really get any sun. Didn’t expect any. Let’s hope for some tomorrow.
Raindrops on … Pansies
Ok, it should have been Raindrops on Roses, but the pansies were flowering and the roses weren’t.
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I think I’m getting the better of the lurgi at last. We both decided not to go far today, so it was lunch at Vecchia Bologna. One of the few places I’d risk spaghetti bolognese without any fear of acid reflux later, and it proved itself again. Menu is going up in price again, but not too much. It’s still a favourite Italian restaurant, no matter what the menu price.
I spent the rest of the day trying to get my WD My Cloud to work again. After two restarts and two restores of OS, it seems tonight as if it’s working, but I’m whispering this. We’ll see better tomorrow.
Still life. It’s just one step away from the dreaded ‘flowers’. However, I was quite pleased with it. I’m impressed with the versatility of the 70-300 lens.
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I had planned to get up early and go for a walk this morning. How wrong I was. I just couldn’t shift myself, I couldn’t even bear to was my face in the MayDay dew, so it’s another ugly year for me. I took the opportunity to lie in bed and try to sleep off this cold or whatever it is. I eventually got up just after mid day feeling a bit better. A shower helped too. Since it was cool, but not too cold, I went for a walk round St Mo’s. No deer and no Mr Grey – maybe they have the lurgi too!
Three ferns making their impact on the forest landscape.
Needles from the spruce trees looking a lot more like pine needles now.
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