Category: weather

A lazy start to a warm day – 28 June 2026

Posted on by Zogman

Not nearly as warm as it was down south.

The weather fairies had warned us of gusty winds and they were right. I think Scamp did two lots of washing, something that wouldn’t be allowed on a Sunday in stricter times. We didn’t go far. One of those occasions when a walk in the park was made more pleasant with a bit of a breeze.

I went for a walk in St Mo’s in the afternoon not really expecting any insect life in the winds and wasn’t surprised. What I did see was a snail crossing my path. It seemed to lose the grip on the dusty soil and rolled over its shell, then just continued on its way, as if nothing had happened. There’s a moral for us all there somewhere.

At lunch we watched Victoria Derbyshire go full “Laura K” of a couple of unsuspecting politicians. That was a nice line in sarcasm, Ms D! Laura would be proud of you.

We had a single chicken thigh in the fridge, but with the addition of a handful of prawns, some chicken stock and and a handful of rice I managed to stumble through the making of a Paella that really did taste good. My best for a long time.

We watched the Austrian GP in the early evening and saw some crazy driving. Not the most riveting race we’d ever seen, but it had its moments.

Spoke to Jamie in the evening and heard about the ‘heat wave’ they had been having down south, and were glad we had that cool breeze keeping our temperatures down. Even poor Vixen was looking for somewhere to lie low and cool down.

I’m hoping to get a lift to Glasgow to get my hair cut, if Scamp will run me to the station. Other than that, no great plans.

Dancin’ – 27 June 2026

Posted on by Zogman

For the first time in ages, we drove through some busy traffic to go to the dance class in Brookfield.

There were only four couples taking part and the topics were mainly quite easy, easy enough for me to manage them. We started with House of Bamboo then the Feta Foxtrot, The Britannia Waltz, The Salsa Gibraltar (which was new to us and not a real salsa), the Electric Slide (which I ‘Elected’ not to take part in) and we finished up with the Bossa Nova. Quite a full dance card.

The heat in the hall was quite stifling for a while, even with the front door and back door open. The floor was a mess. It looked as if some folk had been dragging chairs and tables across it and leaving a bit of a mess. I’m sure the teachers will be putting in a complaint.

It as raining when we came out of the dance class. I was glad to have brought my rain jacket and Scamp had her umbrella. More busy traffic heading back to the city. It must be something to do with the school holidays starting. However, by taking a few shortcuts we managed to avoid a lot of the traffic.

The weather at home was quite clammy and generally uncomfortable. Hopefully tomorrow will bring a cooler breeze. Scamp was doing a bit of weeding in the afternoon and I took the opportunity to ask her how I needed to go about changing my old credit card for the new regime. The way she explained it, made it look simple. I expect it is in reality. I just need to put it into practice now.

I went for a walk in the afternoon and got a fair amount of photos. My favourite was a combination of three shots of wild geraniums, merged together in Photoshop. After a struggle, I got it working and it looks pretty good.

We have no plans for tomorrow as far as I know.

Weather & Friends – 26 June 2026

Posted on by Zogman

I said yesterday that were should expect ‘Thunderbolts and Lightning’. It arrived this morning.

I’d heard the rumbling in the morning and thought nothing of it because we often hear aircraft noise from Glasgow Airport which is quite nearby, but this morning the noise didn’t disappear, in fact it seemed to be getting louder. I didn’t actually see any Thunderbolts or Lightning, but the constant rumble of the the thunder coming and going wouldn’t let me get back to sleep. Then it appeared to go on its way and we heard no more … for a while. We had shopping to do and Scamp had lists to prepare, so we concentrated on that. We had guests today. John and Marion were coming to us for lunch which was the reason for the preparation.

It was a slightly cooler day than yesterday, but after we’d filled our shopping trolley, paid for it, driven back home and found places for it all to go, it didn’t feel all that cool. Scamp was in charge of the food today. I was doing the hoovering. Not so much skill involved, but a fair bit of work lifting rugs and moving the furniture as well as the hoovering.

By midday most of my work was done and although Scamp gave me an opportunity to have a half hour in St Mo’s if I wanted to cool down and get some photos, I didn’t really feel the need. I was sure I had a possible photo from yesterday that I could use, and that’s what I did. What I did want was a long cool shower and a chance to get out of my tee shirt which was sticking to me.

John and Marion arrived in the early afternoon and we had lots to talk about, especially our trip to the Queen Elizabeth hospital. There were children to talk about, young and old. There were photos to see. Where would we be now without mobile phones? Lunch came and went without any problems and we talked some more, although the thunder returned and brought buckets of torrential rain with it. Thankfully it didn’t last long. Then it was time for the visitors to leave and our time to start the cleaning up. The dishwasher did most of that work and we settled down to read for an hour or more.

PoD was yesterday’s photo I was re-using, of lunchtime outside the GoMA (Gallery of Modern Art) in Glasgow. We’ll let it be a secret between us. Nobody will know.

Tomorrow we return to dance classes and I know we’ll be jealous of the teachers’ tans after almost a month cruising the Mediterranean.

 

Out to meet a doctor – 25 June 2026

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Not just any old doctor, this was a consultant who worked in the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

We had to be there for 10.00am this morning. To make sure we got there with some time to spare, we got a taxi from the house to the hospital. It made sense to us because we wouldn’t have to worry about connections and one less thing to worry about is a bonus.

He wanted to speak to Scamp, not me, although he was happy for me to be in the room. The last consultant we saw, in Dundee, was efficient, went through the tests and answered our questions.

Today’s consultant went into a lot more detail and explained everything we needed to know without talking in “Topsy and Tim” language but not using too much technical language. We had a chance at the end of his tests and note taking to ask questions and he answered everything well. We didn’t feel he was trying to bamboozle us which was a complaint we had about the Dundee doctor’s explanations. I think we both went away feeling much better about the whole thing.

A coffee in the visitors’ cafe helped us get things sorted out in our heads and also gave us time to discuss between ourselves what we thought of the morning.

The hospital is a beautiful building, but we were both amazed at how noisy it was. Maybe I should rephrase that to “The hospital will be a beautiful building once it’s finished” It made us wonder how staff could work in a hospital that felt as if it was still under construction. It’s 11 years old and still needs maintenance.

We got a bus from the the hospital to Glasgow Central Station which is looking a lot better than it did a couple of months ago. Than we wandered along to Paesano. Since I wasn’t driving, I could have the luxury of a glass of wine with my lunch, Scamp had Prosecco instead.

We walked up to Buchanan Street Bus Station and after a few minutes wait, our bus pulled in.

All together an interesting day. I think Scamp is feeling better about the whole thing and will be looking forward to see what is going to happen in the next month or so.

PoD is a view looking up to the ceiling of the hospital and hopefully will give you an idea of its complexity.

Tomorrow we are expecting John and Marion for lunch. According to the Weather Fairies, we should expect Thunder and Lightning (“Very, Very Frightening) too. Oh yes, and rain!

A Sunny Day – 24 June 2026

Posted on by Zogman

Another day of blue skies that belied the heat that would come later.

Scamp was out at midday, meeting the witches. I don’’t know why we men can’t do the same thing. Cup of coffee and a blether just to set the world to rights. It shouldn’t be difficult, but apparently it is.

Later in the afternoon I did as I had told myself and drove up to Fannyside looking for some flying beasties, but there were none to be seen. There were, however, a herd of Highland Cattle in a field next to where I stopped. They really are scary beasts when you see them up close. Thankfully there was a strong fence and gate that separated them from me. I got a few photos of their shaggy faces and one of them made PoD.

As I was driving home, I got a message from Scamp, telling me that the Witches Coven had flown home on their broomsticks. That was perfect timing as I was just heading down the motorway and home.

By the time I got home, Scamp was already settled in the folding chairs in the garden, soaking up the rays. It was that time of day when the sun is sinking a bit, but the air is comfortable enough to wear Tee Shirt and Shorts. We sat in the garden discussing our day and making plans for what we should to the garden. As I’ve said before, we need to move some of the heat loving plants to the front garden and the ones who prefer shade, to the back. Scamp is an expert at this.

Tomorrow we are hoping to go to the Queen Elizabeth hospital to find out if they have any suggestions for a cure for Scamp’s problems.

 

It was a HOT one – 23 June 2026

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There was a blue sky with gentle mist running across the Campsie Fells this morning and that usually means it’s going to be hot.

And, it wasn’t wrong. The temperature was rising all morning with a great many warnings being issued to stay indoors if you can. That’s what we did after we’d opened all the windows..

Later in the afternoon, I drove down to Tesco to get some fruit and to pick up the meds for Scamp and myself. By then it was lunch time and we watched more horror stories splashed with red to impress upon us that it was going to be hot. We weren’t at the actual Red Warning and, spoiler, the temperature didn’t actually reach the Red Warning level. I think the weather fairies were a bit disappointed.

While Scamp was doing some washing, I was hanging pictures. About a year and a half ago we painted the bedroom and this was us just getting round to putting the paintings back up again. Sometimes life does seem to go quite slowly when you’re both retired!

Photos back in their places, I went for a walk in St Mo’s, looking for dragonflies because the heat really does bring them out. It was definitely Shorts and Tee Shirts weather. Got quite a few dragons soaking up some rays while Scamp sat in the garden and read. I was exhausted when I completed my usual circuit of the pond and a couple of beers helped cool us down.

In the evening and after dinner we took turns at watering the garden. One doing the front garden and the other doing the back. It’s a really relaxing task, watering the garden with a hose. Something to do with the susurration of the water hitting the leaves of the plants, I assume.

PoD went to a dragonfly which clung to a dried reed and stared straight at me, or at least that’s what it felt like. As is often the case with dragonflies, I wonder if it’s sizing me up or I’m sizing it up. I really don’t want to know the answer!!

Scamp’s hoping to go out with the Witches tomorrow. I may find somewhere calm to go.

Keeping up with business – 22 June 2026

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In the morning we drove to Falkirk to sign some pieces of paper.

In fact we had to sign six different pieces of paper each. In the end I was beginning to get writer’s cramp! Still it was worthwhile and we felt a lot better after it was done.

After all that writing we thought we deserved a coffee, so we drove to Morrison’s for a coffee each. Scamp suggested we also have a cake each to celebrate. Her’s was a teacake and mine was a jam doughnut. Then we simply loaded up a trolley and pushed it back to the car. But not before we stopped to have a look at a trio of ceramic garden pots. So, we added them to the car boot and headed home.

It was just beginning to drizzle with rain as we were leaving the car park. It had been threatening to rain all morning so we were prepared for it. A totally different day from yesterday.

By the time we got home we had driven out of the rain clouds, but the skies were still heavy with more rain. We had lunch and decided what our next job was. It was mainly planning. Deciding which plants needed to move and which ones would stay. Also we were beginning to see which ones preferred shaded areas and which wanted to be in the sunshine.

Later in the afternoon I went for a walk in St Mo’s. Not a long walk, just a chance to see if there were any interesting insects appearing now that the weather was improving. There were a few dragonflies scudding round the pond, but the most interesting one was a Scorpionfly. It looks like a Scorpion with wings. Vicious looking with what looked like a sting in its tail, but harmless to humans (or so say’s Mr Google).

Scamp was going out tonight to a dance demonstration. Not Ballroom Dancing, more modern dance. She and the rest of the witches were going to cheer the girls on.  Also, as promised, the rain disappeared and the sun came out!

PoD went to the Scorpionfly, by a long way. High on the checklist was a Heron. A rare visitor now to the pond!

Alas, Keir Starmer’s job has come to an end. He resigned today. I admit I wasn’t impressed by him, but I almost felt sorry for him today.

We have no plans for tomorrow … yet!

Fathers’ Day – 21 June 2026

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It was so good to feel the sun on my back today. What a difference a couple of days makes.

Spoke to Hazy in the morning and discussed books, little foxes and general garden stuff. Also having to keep the curtains closed to stop the room getting too hot. Hope you managed to get some sleep during the afternoon, Hazy.

Scamp and I went for a walk to the shops in the morning. Scamp was in charge of the fruit and veg for tonight’s dinner. I was in charge of getting the ice cream. Walking back to the house I just knew I was over dressed for the day. Shorts and Tee shirt would be better than jeans and a jersey.

And so it was that in the afternoon I went for a walk in St Mo’s and got a photo of some ‘Big Daisies’. I never did know their proper name, but my mum always called them ‘Big Daisies’ and that name stuck. One of those photos made PoD.

Scamp and I sat in the garden when I got back and discussed what we’d like to do with the front garden to improve the colours. We didn’t come to a conclusion as we couldn’t quite agree on who had the best ideas.

Today was Fathers’ Day and I was allowed to have anything I wanted for dinner. I settled for Mince ’n’ Tatties. Scamp makes the best mince and tatties anywhere that’s why I chose it as my favourite. I had extra cabbage and beetroot too. (Sorry Jamie)

I spoke to Jamie later in the evening and heard about the open gardens plots that are opened to any gardeners in the vicinity. One of today’s groups actually had a live quartet playing in one of the gardens. That’s an idea for you and Simonne for next year, Jamie.

Tomorrow we’re off to Falkirk in the morning to do some signing and shopping. Hope it’s a bit cooler.

 

 

Flowers and Beasties – 20 June 2026

Posted on by Zogman

I was just looking through my June catalogs today and out of 20 photos in the month of June, 16 were of plants or insects. I think I need to get out more.

Last night we had planned to go to Edinburgh today. We were going to do a part of the Water of Leith Walk. We’d looked at the maps and checked the weather and everything seemed to be fine. We agree to get the train to Croy this morning then get another train to take us to the start of the walk. Continue along the walk then rejoin the road to Edinburgh after that. Unfortunately, we slept in and by the time we’d had breakfast it was realistically too late to do the walk. Maybe another day.
Then we read today’s news that a topless man was wandering around the streets of Leith with what looked like a knife in his hand. I’m glad we slept in today.

Today’s walk took me over to St Mo’s in the sunshine. I was looking for dragonflies, but there weren’t any about. There were plenty of damselflies, mainly Common Blues, but none of their big brothers and sisters. I settled for some Blues, but the PoD went to a Flag Iris with a snail sheltering under its leaf.

Dinner tonight was going to be fish & chips from Condorrat, but in the end we settled for a home-made version which was very, very good. Excellent fish made by our resident chef. Although I must admit that my culinary skills were called upon to ‘Flip the Fish’. I think that was what improved the taste of the fish.

For the first time in ages we got to sit in the garden with a glass of something and a good book until the clouds crowded in. Not a bad day after yesterday.

No plans for tomorrow.

Rain again – 19 June 2026

Posted on by Zogman

What a day. Rain started yesterday and seemed to continue all through the night.

Thankfully, it stopped about 5pm tonight. I was beginning to look for suggestions on how to build an arc. Not long after the 5pm turn off, the sun shone for the first time in about a week, the wind dropped and there was a lovely skyscape.

We drove up to Costa in the town centre to meet Shona. Scamp and her had a lengthy discussion around Ben. It seems that he is beginning to string sentences together now and is communicating for the first time. Long may it continue.

Isobel joined the group and got a chance to catch-up. Shona stayed for a while but had to go shopping. Isobel stayed to read for a while before it was time for her exercise class to start. We just went home to get lunch.

In the afternoon I put my rain jacket on and drove to The Shops and brought back some fruit and a bag that contained my new jeans from M&S. They fitted perfectly. Just the walk to the shops and back from the carpark and the walk to the house and I was soaked.

As I said at the start, the rain continued until 5pm before somebody turned the water off and it has remained that way until now. I hope I don’t mess things up now by saying that.

By the way, the PoD of two bees is actually yesterday’s photo. No way was I going out in the rain just to get a photo of two bees!

I believe there is football on tv tonight with Scotland playing Morocco. Please don’t let it get into double figures for the foreign team!

No real plans for tomorrow, but Edinburgh has been mentioned.