Category: weather

Your own bed – 27 April 2025

Posted on by Zogman

There’s nothing like it.

This was a day for catching up. I feel I’ve been harnessed to this keyboard since I woke up yesterday. Organising, copying and pasting. There must be an easier way to do this, but I can’t find it tonight.

The furthest I went today was a walk around St Mo’s, once the rain had e stopped, and the only photos I got that were worth posting were of a wee black fly sitting on a branch of gorse. I think it was the pretty yellow flowers that drew me to it. Anyway, that was PoD

Dinner tonight was a slice of salmon each, pan fried with a few peas, carrots and potatoes. (No tomatoes, Scamp!).

A bit Thank You to Scamp for planning the previous week’s holiday and for coaxing me into it. (I didn’t really need very much coaxing!)

Tomorrow I’m booked to see the Optician in Larky. Oh what fun!

It Rained! – 26 April 2025

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The last day of the holiday and it rained.

We amended yesterday’s plan and drove down through Glencoe to the Green Welly at Tyndrum. Stopped there for a late breakfast / early lunch in the restaurant. Scamp had a Roll ’n’ Scrambled Eggs and I had a Roll ’n’ Sausage – Lorne sausage to be precise. Both were rated excellent. Mine was thick and cooked medium rare, just the way I make it myself. Obviously a classically trained chef, like myself. Then it was back in the car and on into the rain again.

I remember a teacher at school telling us how he always drove through Glencoe with the Speed Limiter set to just below the legal limit because near the ski lift there are so many places for polis cars to hide. With that in mind I did the same today and found it’s much better than having Cruise Control. I’ve never liked the SL, but today it worked for me. I think CC works for motorways, but SL is better for normal roads.

After driving at a maximum speed of 50mph, when we reached the M9 motorway it felt illegal to be travelling at 70mph! It was a drag of a run down from the Green Welly. Not a lot you can do but keep in the tyre tracks of the car in front. At least Glencoe has an interesting backdrop.

Today there was the Devil o’ the Highlands Footrace, a challenging 42-mile trail ultramarathon along the West Highland Way in Scotland, from Tyndrum to Fort William. The race features a scenic route with 6,500 feet of ascent, mostly on trail. At least that’s what it says on the Running Life blurb. I don’t have a clue what all that means. Scamp watched them running their races while I tried to keep the Wee Blue Car on the black and between the white lines.

PoD was a last look over the Caledonian canal to the Nevis Range. Hopefully we’ll be back again, some day.

Things I’ll remember:

  • The number of bends from Crianlarich to Callander.
  • How slow it is to to drive at 20mph through Callander.
  • How scenic Scotland is when there’s nowhere to stop and take a photo.
  • How miserable it is to drive in drizzle
  • How good a roll ’n’ sausage or a roll ‘n’ egg is when you’ve had nothing since yesterday.
  • How great the feeling is to come home to a warm house.

 

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.

 

Is this summer? – 24 April 2025

Posted on by Zogman

It certainly feels like it. Long may it continue, but the weather fairies say the weekend may be wet. We’ll see, they’ve been wrong before.

Today we decided on a less stressful morning. I quite fancied driving a couple miles north to Loch Langaig. It’s more like a lochan, than a loch. It sits high above the road and collects water from the surrounding hills then passes it through some gentle falls down to the sea. It’s position muffles the noise of passing traffic with only the sound of the burn breaking the silence

When we got there, today, a girl was erecting a bell tent beside the loch. Then she started carrying seats, tables, a cake tin and a bottle of champagne. I wandered off to look for possible photo opportunities round the other side of the loch. While I was away, the girl told Scamp that she was building a picnic for a couple who had been married today at daybreak on Quiraing. She asked Scamp if she was “ ‘One of the ‘Easterhouse Girls’ ” I could imagine Scamp’s hackles rising and her replying “Provanhall, if you don’t mind!!” However, Scamp kept her cool and Alex, the girl, explained that she knew Jackie.

While I was off scouting out potential photos two French (?) blokes appeared one with a camera taking the same photo you see here, the PoD. I won that game, because I had already taken the shot and I had a bigger camera. They wandered off round the loch and started climbing up to the rock face at the top.

Then the wedding party arrived. Man in a suit and lady in a floaty white dress followed by a photographer who beat both the French bloke and me, because he was toting about four cameras on various slings over his shoulders. Some folk just like to show off.

At that point, we headed back to the house because we were going to Hungry Gull for lunch; Scamp, Jackie, Murd, Jaki, Mairi and me. Star attraction though, was Grian the smiling boy. Food was great and the draft Spidermonkey IPA I had was lovely, and so was the Kombucha drink Scamp had.

With lunch over we went back to sit in the sun in the little sunspot at the house. Soaking up every last minute of a busy, but also relaxing day. While we were there, I say the first two swallows this year! I’d already heard the first cuckoo earlier in the week.

Tomorrow we’re homeward bound.

Going to the big city – 23 April 2025

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Today we drove to Portree. The big city.

The potholes seemed to be worse on this side of the road and the traffic was almost as bad as yesterday. The road surface coming in to Portree from the north was even worse than on the way up.

Portree itself was absolutely mobbed. People everywhere.We parked in one of the few parking places up near the nursery, then we walked into the town. We couldn’t see any of the shops we remembered. No butchers, no clothes shops, not sure if there was a bakers, but plenty of shops selling cheap tourist tat for not cheap tourist prices. We walked round the town twice before agreeing we would just head back to Staffin.

Scamp filmed some of the queues outside Storr, but the worst place was where a herd of Highland Cattle were being photographed by numpties who had just parked their cars in the road to record this spectacle. I counted half a dozen cars abandoned on both sides of the road so eejits could take photos. We drove home shaking our heads.

We drove back to the house via The Slip. It used to be a great place to walk and take photos. Many’s the time I went fishing for mackerel or lythe there from the rocks. That was before the fish farm arrived and collapsed. That same fish farm’s collapse also led to work stopping on half a dozen industrial unit next to the slip. Now it seems that dozers and cranes haul materials from one part of the site to another … before hauling it back again, giving the impression that work is being done. Another wasted opportunity.

Our mood changed when we visited Grian and his mum in their house. Thankfully Jackie was driving. You just couldn’t help but smile at this wee boy. Even I got a smile from him!

Back at the house I took some photos of the sheep and lambs on the croft as well as Murd’s old tractor.

Tomorrow we may be going out to lunch.

Driving to Fort William – 21 April 2025

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On Thursday, Scamp suggested a few days in Skye might clear up my problems with photography. Did I want to drive or take the bus? I jumped at the chance to drive to Skye – in two stages. First day would be from Cumbersheugh to Fort William. Second day would be Fort William to Staffin.

  • Weather was drizzling rain for most of the way.
  • Stopped at The Green Welly for a comfort break.
  • Saw a train of old carriages pulled by equally old double header diesel engines.
  • That stop also gave us a chance to get the give the sat nav the coordinates for the B&B
  • Sat nav got the wrong road, but Scamp remembered where we should be going.
  • The B&B was the same, but the owners had changed.
  • Went to The Lochy for dinner. Fish ’n’ Chips and Scampi ’n’ Chips.

Hoping to head for Staffin tomorrow morning.

Wet – 18 April 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Not a very bright and cheery day.

Such a shame after yesterday which started out wet, but brightened as the day went on, today was just dull and wet all day. Plus, as I’m writing this, it’s still raining.

Scamp was out in the morning to have coffee and a blether with Isobel. I was back home trying to work out how approximately 100 pieces could fit into the Lego tree. It almost worked perfectly. Of the 100 odd pieces, only one disappeared somewhere. It may be lying on the carpet upstairs, but I don’t think so. Whoever designed this Thing must have had a very clever and very twisted mind. It all works exactly as the instructions describe, but why make it so complicated? Still, it’s fascinating!

By the time Scamp got back, I’d just finished the tree trunk section, complete with two flexible vines that twine round the tree, and was starting the table that holds the flower pot. Another hundred odd pieces! I think that’s all done now and the next stage is to create the ‘stones’ that fill the pot, then deciding whether it’s going to be a tree in leaf or one with blossom. I’ll probably make both, I think.

Scamp wanted a birthday card written and posted by 4pm and after sitting for at least two hours, I thought that might be a great opportunity to stretch my legs because it looked like there was a short dry spell coming.

I walked over to Condorrat and posted the card in the afternoon and as it was still dry, I walked round St Mo’s – just one circuit, not wanting to tempt fate. The weather stayed dry, but I wasn’t impressed with today’s photos once I got home. So, for the first time in ages, I kept today’s photos and instead, posted one of yesterday’s as PoD. It’s a shot looking up at the South Portland Street suspension bridge in Glasgow, with the sandstone entrance behind it and the ill fated Virgin Hotel in the background. Three photos for the price of one!

Later in the evening, I watched and actually enjoyed Gardners’ World. It’s sometimes a bit dull and has too many little video pieces made by folk who just want to tell you how wonderful their gardens are. Time wasters, that’s all most of them are. Today had only a few of those, with the presenters doing the interesting stuff.

Tomorrow is Saturday and we don’t have a dance class because the teachers are still off sunning themselves in some foreign clime. Instead, we’re hoping to do a bit of reading in bed. We don’t have any plans for the day as yet!

A day in the Toon – 17 April 2025

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Bus in to Glasgow in the rain to meet Alex. Scamp was meeting an old friend from work, for lunch.

Thought I’d be smart and get an earlier bus, only to find there were multiple roadworks on Cathedral Street and I ended up getting to the bus station at my usual time, 12 noon.

We did our normal walk down to a Nero, any Nero really and after a wee blether we took a walk down Buchanan Street heading to St Enoch’s Square, now that the rain had abated. We took a detour through Princes Square for Alex to take some photos of the escalators. I covered that shot, but I wasn’t interested. In the winter with the decorations and the Christmas tree, it’s a good place to photograph, but not in the middle of Spring. We walked on through St Enoch’s Square to see a new bit of graffiti on the Clyde Walkway and to photograph it. It’s on Flickr if you’re interested.

While we were on the walkway, about ten folk on a RIB screamed past on the Clyde. It wasn’t immediately obvious if it was the occupants or the RIB that was screaming, but I took some photos anyway.

All this walking and talking was making us both hungry, so Alex suggested the Willow Tea Rooms as our venue and I knew it was good, because he’d taken me there before a few years ago. We had sandwiches and I had a pot of tea while Alex had Coke. Although it’s quite posh, they do a decent pot of tea! Darjeeling, of course.

Where to go next? I’d been meaning to photograph the new(ish) City of Glasgow College and with blue skies all around now, I suggested it to Alex. He is quite an architecture fanatic, mostly older structures, but we won’t say “No” to a more modern edifice, so we spent an hour or so investigating different viewpoints and different lenses with which to capture this brilliantly white building.

I just missed the X3 from the college that would have taken me home, but too late and too lazy to run to catch it, I decided to wait for the next one. Alex’s bus came first and we agreed to meet again soon. His choice this time.

I took the next X3 past the house and got out at the shops so that I could get a pizza for dinner later in case we needed it, knowing that we could have it tomorrow if we were hungry.

PoD went to a wide angle shot of the City of Glasgow College under a blue sky.

Watched the finale of The Apprentice and agreed that the winner deserved the title.

No real plans for tomorrow, but Scamp has an appointment with Isobel. I may finish part 2 of the 3D jigsaw.

Coffee in Starbucks? NOOoooo!!! – 16 April 2025

Posted on by Zogman

Actually it wasn’t that bad!

I was driving over to Hamilton today to meet Billy Kent. He was married to my distant cousin, Margaret. Margaret’s mum and my mum were cousins, so that probably would have made us second-cousins. Margaret died about two years ago.

I got a Christmas card from Billy last year saying that we should meet up some time. He put his phone number on the card and for once I put it into my contacts. In February we had a phone discussion and decided we’d meet halfway at Starbucks in Hamilton. Unfortunately every day he suggested didn’t suit me and all my suggestions didn’t suit him. It was beginning to look as if we weren’t going to have this meeting. However, last week we did find commonality and that day was today.

Scamp and I had visited Billy and Margaret’s house for dinner many moons ago and I they had visited ours. I really think it was Covid that broke the bond between us and it was difficult to rebuild it. Then Margaret died. So, in a way, this was the rebuild beginning. Although I wasn’t sure if it was the same person I was going to meet today. Thankfully it was.

Over a couple of mugs of coffee, we just blethered like two auld guys do. Telling stories, some of them slightly exaggerated and some just stories. After an hour and a bit we were both talked out and it was time to go our separate ways. I enjoyed the experience and we said we’d do it again. I think we will.

I’d arrived a bit early and it was beginning to drizzle. By the time we were leaving, it was bucketing down. I think they were even throwing down the buckets as well as the rain.

The motorway was treacherous with standing water making driving a bit risky, but I got home ok. I stopped at M&S to pick up some things for dinner. My turn to cook and it was to be fish risotto made mainly in the oven.

Since I had some time to spare in the afternoon I re-started work on the giant 3D Lego jigsaw. The first section from last week was easy to visualise. This one, not so much. To make things more complicated, some of the parts were made as mirror images of each other before being joined together later. I’m glad there was a QR code that I could scan to see the construction in more detail. That was a great benefit. Hopefully this present section will be completed tomorrow. I should also photograph the sections as they are completed.

PoD was a picture I saw while I was building the Bonsai. It’s a Poinsettia plant that sits on the window ledge of the back bedroom. Beautiful colours that contrast so well.

I’m hoping to meet Alex tomorrow for a walk and a blether.

Out to lunch – 15 April 2025

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Taking Shona to belated birthday lunch today.

Just before midday we picked up Shona and drove the mile or so to Nonna’s at Dullatur.

The place was empty, but then it was only 11:50 and it didn’t open for lunch until 12:00.

Starters were Focaccia for Scamp and I to share while Shona had Chicken liver Paté

Mains were Scallops and Black Pudding for Scamp, Courgette Spaghetti with Zucchini Crisps. I had Penne Salsiccia

Desserts were Tiramisu for Shona and Sticky Toffee Pudding for Scamp and a pot of tea for me. Scamp criticised the Sticky Toffee Pudding and I felt there was too much cream and salt in the Penne Salsiccia. Other than that, it was fine. Service was slow, but the place was filling up by the time we left and there seemed to be only two people on the floor and possibly another two in the kitchen.

It was a lovely day. We had a window seat and a view over the golf course watching all the golfers walking and driving their golf buggies full of their golfing bats.

We dropped Shona back at her house after lunch and she was still in time to collect Ben from his carers.

Back home, Scamp was out gardening for a while and I had an afternoon snooze! Later she took me on a guided tour of the garden and I took some photos of the Stellata Magnolia which is almost in full bloom. One of the flowers made PoD.

I’m hoping to meet up with Billy Kent tomorrow at Starbucks – I might order tea, rather than a Starbucks. At least you know what’s in tea!