Category: weather

Back to the grind – 28 September 2026

Posted on by Zogman

Back from a quick holiday to Jersey that we both enjoyed.

I made a suggestion to Scamp while we were on our short break. We really do need to do some tidying around the house, especially in the living room and we both agreed that it needs a fair bit of work. Today we took the first steps to do the first clean up.

I tackled a four shelf cupboard that has been sitting in a corner for almost as long as I can remember. It holds a load of stuff, but to be honest, has outlived its usefulness. Shelf one was the hard one. I knew it would be and most of it is now in a black bag ready to go to the skip.
Tomorrow we should be able to cut through the remainder of the clutter, and after that we just need to disassemble the frame. Some of the contents will stay, but not nearly as much as we had.

While I was starting to empty the cupboard, Scamp was working her way through music books galore, more cookery books than we have looked at in years and magazines, I was amazed at the amount of foody magazines that really should have gone ages ago. We were both working and making changes. It’s amazing just how much in this house is simply clutter.

I got out for a walk in the afternoon in the sunshine while Scamp was deciding what dinner was going to be. I got a few shots over at St Mo’s and the best one was a deep pink Antirrhinum trying to squeeze its way through a wooden fence. That was PoD.

Tomorrow will hopefully be much like today, but with a bit more effort from me at least. There are more plans for other areas on the ground floor that also need tidying!

Hazel Nuts – 20 September 2026

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Today it the first day I’ve seen Hazel Nuts on a tree, in Scotland.

Ignoring the “Fnarr, Fnarr – Oo er Matron!!” group, I’m talking about the seeds of the Hazel tree (Corylus avellana). We don’t get all that many growing around here, so this was a great surprise to me. Hopefully it’s the beginning of more trees round our local pond.

There wasn’t much to do today, with sunshine for a short while, closely followed by rain showers. We didn’t go far, and relied on getting things done at home.

I did manage to get a walk around the pond, and that was where I found the Hazel trees. A very few people out walking. Just a usual Sunday.

PoD went to the Hazel nuts.

Tomorrow I may go out and get my hair cut. That would at least mean I’d achieved something, if I’m successful …!

Four wheels on my wagon – 18 September 2026

Posted on by Zogman

Well, actually eight wheels if I’m going to be pedantic!

Scamp and I drove up to the town centre to have a blether with Isabel. Costa was cool as usual with the chance of a gale blowing through it at any given moment. The place was crowded as usual on a Friday with weans and their parents. Spoiled screaming toddlers wanting things, any things, just wanting! Scamp seems to be able to zone out these annoyances, but I can’t. One day I might manage to work out how she does it. Anyway, we stayed for the usual hour and a half in this cold cafe before Isabel felt she had to go for a walk round the shops. She went one way and we went another.

Scamp and I were looking for a reasonably priced and a suitably sized cabin case to take on holiday, when we get round to going on holiday. The cases seem to come in three sizes: Small, Medium and Enormous. I was looking for a small, but ended up with a medium. One of the new fangled eight wheeler cases that everybody seems to have these days. After some research it seemed that the one I chose could be squeezed into an EasyJet frame. However, I don’t think it would fit in a Ryanair frame. I think an empty is the size that Ryanair would countenance. So, we think our bags/cases will fit. All we need now is a holiday to go with them.

It was a dull day today, with lots of showers and squally rain. In the afternoon I went for a walk to the shops to get the requirements for tonight’s dinner which was a very old favourite, Cod and Prawns with Fennel and White Wine. It’s a bit fiddly to make, but once you make it a couple of times it all becomes fairly simple. Today’s was very nice, even if I say so myself, although Scamp thought the cod needed more salt. I couldn’t see it myself, but I knew there was salt and pepper in the mixture. Sometimes that changes the taste for you. Strange but true.

It was good to get out for a while, even if I didn’t get any photos. Instead, I found a photo from earlier in the and after some jiggery pokery, it became a new photo. Funny that 😉.

Tomorrow we’re intending to go dancing at Brookfield.

Dancin’ – 17 September 2026

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Tea dancin’ and not a spot spilled!

We drove to Glenburn for the tea-dance. For once there were quite a few already there already waiting for it to begin. We had a blether with the usual suspects at their usual table before the dancin’ began.

The usual two waltzes to begin with. First circuit of the day was a ‘getting to know your feet again’ sort of thing. When the second waltz was called, my feet were becoming used to this ‘complicated walking’ as Jamie Gal used to call it.
Next was a Cha-Cha which I managed to body swerve. Then, the first of the sequence dances. To close the first half, was the ‘Rhumbumbumba’. A line dance that the teachers demonstrated before encouraging the class to join in. It had to happen. Stewart and Jane were desperate to show it off and I believe most of the dancers on the floor had already tasted this ‘dance’. The other thing that I noticed was the distinct lack of men taking part! A House of Bamboo finished off the first half, and it was tea time.

The second half of the afternoon was mainly handed over to sequence dances. They are good because most people know them or are learning them and by the second dance of the set they are comfortable dancing them. I think we were on the floor for most of the time.

We left soon after that in an attempt to avoid the homeward bound drivers. Actually it wasn’t bad, especially because we were avoiding the Kingston Bridge with its snarled up traffic by driving along the M8 the M74 and the M73. It’s not the fastest, but at least the traffic moves at a decent pace.

I think it rained all the way home, in fact I think it rained all day today. Scamp cooked a lovely piece of cod with roasted potatoes and long stem broccoli. I really enjoyed it.

PoD was an apple, a James Grieve apple from our small apple tree. I’ve found them to be more ’tart’ that last year’s, but still perfectly edible.

Tomorrow I think we may be going to meet Isabel for a blether.

An afternoon to myself – 16 September 2026

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It’s not often I get an afternoon to myself, but I had one today.

Scamp was off to lunch with the rest of the Witches. Two or three hours of blethering seemed to fit the bill for them. I read for a while, a new book for me, Deception by Alan Parks. So far it’s a good read.

Other than reading and struggling my way through Wordle (I scraped a poor 6 today), I didn’t do much, although I did go for Scamp’s meds and watched the clouds rolling over the Campsies. Every time I thought I’d go out for a walk, the rain would threaten and although I’ve been pretty lucky with the wet stuff, I didn’t want to push my luck too far.

I did have a look at getting a new roller cabin case, because the old one I’m using now, the one I took to Hazy’s, is just about falling apart. I’ve had it for about 12 years now and it really needs replaced. The problem is that I really want to have a look and a feel at the case, because, as Scamp will tell you, I’m not all that careful with these things. I might have a look later in the week.

Today’s PoD went to a couple of wee daisy-like flowers that grow quite happily beside the step in the back garden. One is white and the other is pink. I’ve always called them daisies, but I’m told their proper name is Erigeron. They looked quite happy in their place beside the steps.

Tomorrow we may go dancing if the weather fairies are correct. For once I’m quite looking forward to it.

 

Umbrellas – 15 September 2026

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It was a cold day today. There was a gusty wind blowing and also I hadn’t bothered to wear my rain jacket. At my age, I should have known better.

I went out for a walk in the afternoon. It was just going to be a short walk round St Mo’s pond and I was sure I could get round without getting too wet. There wasn’t much to see on the walk, but the occasional light through the trees gave enough interest for a few shots. It wasn’t until I was heading back and passing the kids playpark that I saw the Umbrella. Probably a child’s toy umbrella that they’d dropped into one of the swings on the way home. Anyway, there wasn’t anyone around so I took the opportunity to take a couple of shots (or 33 to be more exact). My favourite one, and PoD, was the one you see here.

When I got home, three different letters dropped through our letterbox. Three different letters from three different people who were giving the details for Scamp’s procedure which is now booked. Why we need three different experts to each send slightly different official letters, I don’t know. I can only say that we’re definitely going now.

I did a bit of sewing today. An old peg bag that holds clothes pegs had fallen apart a few weeks ago and I’d promised to fix it. Scamp had repaired it years ago and it worked well until a different row of stitching on the other side of the bag fell apart. I set to this afternoon and stitched both sides (Belts and Braces!). Hopefully that should keep it in good working order for a few years.

Scamp is out with The Witches tomorrow and I’m tidying up my room.

Work, Work, Work – 14 September 2026

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Scamp was determined to get rid of rubbish today.

Two sweeping brushes, two bags worth of assorted rotting wood, one cardboard box, one kettle and a few odds and ends. It all went into the council skips and a few went into the compactor. Once it goes in to any of those, it’s gone for good. I think we were both pleased to see this junk go.

We drove up to the local garden centre for lunch and a chance to look for some cheap plants. For once, Scamp was more interested in getting a new plastic shed for the garden. We did see some possible contenders, but nothing that was exactly what she was looking for. Lunch was the same for both of us. Quiche with Black Pudding. Scamp said her’s was fine, but I wasn’t impressed. Too dry and with big chunks of black pudding. Nah! Not my idea of lunch. Worse still was the fact that Scamp had asked for Peppermint Tea and was given plain ordinary tea. She couldn’t be bothered to change it. I had black water in a cup. Allegedly it was black coffee. Well, at least they got the ‘Black’ part correct, but there was no coffee taste.

I think it must have been change-over time at the garden centre, because there were lots of ‘bargain’ plants that were just reaching the end of their flowering time while the new plants hadn’t arrived yet. We did have a wander through, but for once we didn’t buy.

Back home, Scamp was determined to chop up some flowering plans that needed more space. She was hoping for a few clumps from the polyanthus plants, and that was what she got. She’s a determined lady, and when she sets her mind to something she gets what she started. I was more interested in filling up the pots of seed potatoes. Hopefully they will be big enough to eat by Christmas.

The weather had been threatening all afternoon and by the end of play today the rain came. Probably a good thing, because a good day’s soak will wash the plants in.

PoD was a shot from yesterday. I think it was a Four Spotted Chaser.  Almost black with a bit of yellow on its back.

No plans for tomorrow.

Dancin’ – 12 September 2026

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Back in the old routine.

Today started with a drive through the rain to Brookfield. One of those strange days when the weather couldn’t quite agree whether it wanted rain or sun and in the ended opted for both … at the same time. Heavy rain showers and rainbows at the same time. But we weren’t there to gaze at the weather variations. Oh no, the teachers had a new ‘dance’ for us Rhumbumbumba! A silly name for an equally silly piece of nonsense. We danced it twice an by the end of the second repeat, I was lost. I’ve a feeling the teachers are going to push this piece of nonsense for all it’s worth. Not impressed!

The next dance was the Butterfly Jive. No butterflies were injured in the making of the dance, but it was much more sedate than the Rhumb…. We did kind of remember it, Scamp says it’s been around since 2024 when we last attempted it. I vaguely remember it and had a go at it with Scamp leading.

Next up were variations on the Quickstep. I don’t claim to be able to do it, but at least I can place my feet in roughly the correct places for the music without tripping over myself … well, almost. By the end of the session I was beginning to understand how the figures went together.

Stewart and Jane were determined to get us up on our feet again for yet another session of Rhumb… etc, but I sat that one out. If you want to involve yourself in a line dance, search YouTube for Rhumbumbumba. It appears to be all the rage! Good Luck.

Drove home in the rain but made good time for a change, taking almost the same time getting home compared to the time we took to get to Brookfield. Forty five minutes each way.

Back home I made a watered down espresso coffee for Scamp. She wasn’t impressed, but said it was much better with Drinking Chocolate added to it. I’ll take her word for it. I think I’m coming to terms with the new machine and getting good results from it.

Today’s PoD is a wee flower from the garden a blue flowered Polenium.

No plans for tomorrow.

Into the distance – 8 September 2026

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Tuesday morning and we were visiting Ninewells hospital in Dundee.

It was a sunny morning with a mist over the River Tay.

We took a taxi to the hospital where Scamp had an MRI and CT scan this took over an hour. Time for a quick coffee and then a meeting with the consultant and the surgeon.

Forty five minutes later we left with a positive state of mind.

A spot of lunch and the bus home.

Dundee Day one – 7 September 2026

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This afternoon we took the local bus to Cumbersheugh town centre and then picked up the Ember bus to Dundee.

We arrived in Dundee just as a downpour blew in over the river. Luckily we didn’t get too wet on our walk to our hotel for the night. Dinner was ok, just ok. Watery chilli with no heat in it. Actually the rice that accompanied it was the high point for me. Scamp had Fish ’n’ Chips which was much better than what I had.

We had been warned that there was a large group arriving in the evening, so we took the warning seriously. A bus load of people arrived just as we were leaving after our dinner. There were only two lifts in the hotel and one of them wasn’t working. You can imagine that we weren’t impressed. Heavens knows what the rest of the foreign visitors thought of this hotel.

I could list all the things that were wrong with the place, but I won’t. All I would say is that we aren’t going back.

It wasn’t Dundee’s finest hour.