weather – Page 267 – My Photo Blog

Hoodie – 7 March 2016

Posted on March 7, 2016March 14, 2016 by Zogman

Today I gave in and bought a hoodie. It was another cold grey day. We did have an hour of sunshine around midday but that was it. In the morning we walked to the start of the dunes saw a strange (artist’s?) house with lots of icons on the walls. Just begging to be photographed. Next door was what we think is a nudist hotel. High industrial looking metal walls and a name that hinted at naturism. We must go back and investigate.

Once I’d decided to bite the bullet and go for comfort over fashion, we walked half way into town and had a look in lots of shops, even venturing into Zara!! Couldn’t find what what I wanted at a sensible price (€85 for a hoodie? I think not). With that in mind we walked back to our local shopping centre and got one there. Not in the shop where the Indian woman asked “You like it. You not going to buy?” “Eh, naw”. Finally got one. A bit dearer than the Indian one, but from a much more pleasant seller. The squeaky wheel doesn’t always get the grease. Just been to the Rambutan restaurant for dinner and it was great. Not the best hotel in the world, but the food is exceptional.

First day of Spring? Nobody told the weather – 1 March 2016

Posted on March 1, 2016March 1, 2016 by Zogman

For the first day of Spring, the weather was really like Winter. Cold winds and even colder rain showers. Spent the morning tidying up the back bedroom for the return of the wanderers. Then in a bright spell, I grabbed the dreaded Micra boot handle and bolted it in place, joined up the cable to check it still worked (it did – did you doubt me?) and fixed the cover panel back in place. Job done. £95 for a new switch? I think not. All you needed was a 10mm spanner, a Torx screwdriver, a stanley knife, a JB00A push to make switch, a sheet of sandpaper, a hot melt glue gun, a silicon gun and some duct tape, always some duct tape. Oh yes, and some step by step instructions from a kind gentleman on the net.

Couldn’t decide what to do next. I’d considered the gym, but I needed some photos for the 365, so a walk was a better option and with a look at the sky, it would need to be a short one. Managed a dry half hour at St Mo’s. Nothing very inspiring. The Tufted Duck was keeping well out of detailed camera shot range and the Oystercatchers were just messing me about. As soon as I got the camera fired up, they were gone. Oysters in St Mo’s, who would have thought it.

Quick dash to Tesco for supplies and then home to make dinner. That’s about it. Snow forecast for tomorrow morning. Thankfully I don’t need to be up and out in it. If it’s photogenic, I may take the camera for a walk. As Scamp is fond of saying, it all depends on the weather.

Four season in one day – 23 February 2016

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Zogman

The day started with a swim this morning. No gym, just some water relaxation. It seems to have helped my back and still gave me some exercise. After that, Scamp and I went for lunch and I took myself out for a walk while she was making the final touches to her packing for HER holiday. The light was beautiful today with the occasional cloud giving a bit of shadow detail on the hills. For once (whisper it) the Tamron behaved well. As Scamp suggested, maybe it too just wants to be out in sunshine.

When I got home, it was time to drive to Glasgow to pick up Jackie. Beautiful sunshine when I left home, blizzard conditions on the motorway ten minutes later, then beautiful sunshine five minutes later.

It is Scotland after all.

Stirling in the Rain – 20 February 2016

Posted on February 20, 2016 by Zogman

Stirling in the rain is like anywhere else in the rain, it’s a bit dismal. We’d only come here because we couldn’t face going to Glasgow again, we’d been to Embra yesterday and let’s face it Hamilton, Airdrie and Motherwell are pretty depressing. Not as depressing as Cumbersheugh, but nowhere is really. We couldn’t be bothered going far, but wanted to get out the house for a while and Stirling would be better than anywhere else within the 30 mile limit we’d kind of set.

When we got to Stirling the rain actually stopped for a while. Did some shopping, Scamp got some Euros to celebrate Big Davie Cameron’s Battle for Britain. Nah, she got them for going to a sunny place next week. I’m not going, I’m not invited. This is a girls only do. I’m going to stay home and paint and maybe fix the battery in the Mac Book Pro. I might even go out a run in the car, but not to Stirling and not in the rain.

There was a break in the clouds when we got home and I ventured out to St Mo’s to get some foties. Got soaked on the way back, but that was ok because I had a few shots in the bag. Well, to be pedantic, the photos were on the card, in the camera which was in the bag.

Made chicken and prawn pasta with rocket pesto, and made it better than that tasteless Brown’s concoction. If they want my recipe I’ll sell it to them. Had a first attempt at chicken pakora tonight. It tasted ok, even Scamp agreed. Maybe veggy pakora tomorrow, but deep frying in a wok on a gas hob is a bit scary.

Weatherwise it’s such a lovely day – 18 February 2016

Posted on February 18, 2016 by Zogman

We’ve had just about everything flung at us today. Woke to a light covering of snow and temperature of 0.6ºc. Soon after that the snow melted and the rain started. No wind thankfully, for a change. Went to the gym and had a quick swim. I went on the VR bike to start with and cycled on Elba. I now know how Napoleon felt. What a place to be stuck on. Every hill seemed to be about 1:4 and it was constant uphill after uphill. I kept wondering if there was a button on the bike that would let me have a 360 degree view, like Google Street View. I’m sure somebody will be burning the midnight oil somewhere inventing it. If not, then they should be! I was totally knackered after that and did some easy treadmill stuff and some arm exercises because my legs felt like jelly. The worst thing is, that was level 1. Heaven knows what level 4 is like. I don’t think I’m ever going to find out.

When we came out it was still raining, but the sun was shining too, a common occurance in Scotland. It’s what we call “Summer”. This wasn’t summer though. The wind would have cut through you. After lunch I made a Thai Green Curry paste and watched the sleet battering against the window. I kept waiting for a break in the weather to let me get out and get some foties, but every time it looked promising, five minutes later something wet was falling from the sky again.

I eventually gave up and went out in the car to Tesco. The black clouds in the west looked ominous but the sun in the east looked promising. By the time I got to Tesco, hail was drumming on the roof of the car. I decided to sit in the warm and the dry and wait it out. I waited and waited and then there was a respite from the hail and I got to the shop nearly dry. When I came out, it was snowing – large fluffy flakes of the stuff and underfoot was treacherous with slush. Drove home and by the time I got back the snow was off and the sun had come out again. Went down to Broadwood Loch and got some photos of the ducks and geese.

Four seasons in one day? Oh no, we get much, much more than that in Scotland.

By the way, the Thai Green Curry was very nice. Needs a bit of tweaking, but then doesn’t everything?

Forty Three Years Ago – 17 February 2016

Posted on February 17, 2016 by Zogman

Forty three years ago today the weather was much the same. There was snow on the ground and it was cold. Two young folk, one 22 and one just 18 repeated their vows and became man and wife. How their lives have changed.

Today we took it easy. We had intended going to Edinburgh, but it being the middle of the week and with the prospect of more snow on the way, we decided to cut our losses and go to Glasgow instead. Rather than suffer the long bus journey through the wilds of Moodiesburn and Muirhead, I offered to drive. We eventually got parked in the third carpark we tried, despite the electronic signs telling us that there were spaces in the other two (they lied). Walked down through town me looking at a couple of cameras on the way, but still undecided which or even if I’d buy if it came down to it. Just like a girl can never have enough shoes, a photog can never have enough cameras. Decided on Browns for lunch and were mightily disappointed in the lack of flavour from both our meals. It’s feels like they have a reputation now, so they don’t have to try so hard. I think we’ll try somewhere else next time, but it’s a shame when it was a celebration meal and we rejected a few good restaurants before opting for Browns. Maybe it’s something to do with the name “Browns”: ordinary, nondescript, boring. Sort of sums it up really.

Went from there to the Art Store and picked up a couple of small Pink Pig sketch books and a wonderful bargain of a watercolour box reduced from £79 to £25!! Unfortunately, as I guessed, the Art Store is closing for good at the end of the month. According to one of the assistants, “the company is kaput”. Short term bargains for artists, but long term loss for art in Glasgow. They will be sadly missed.

After we came home, the weather brightened up and I managed an hour in St Mo’s just walking in the snow taking shots mainly with the 9mm. Some of the results are above. No plans for tomorrow, it all depends on the weather.

Snow – 13 February 2016

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Zogman

It snowed today. We were meant to go to Embra, but we decided it would be better to stay local. We finally agreed to go for lunch to Vecchia Bologna, yes, I’ve mentioned it before. Anyway, we drove through a bit of snow to get there, had lunch, went to Waitrose and then drove through a full scale blizzard to get back. No matter how bad it got, you just have to keep repeating “The holiday is booked, The holiday is booked …” That gets you through a lot of stuff.

Built a lens tester to check that bloody Tamron. Results are inconclusive. I think it’s back focusing, but I’ll need to re-do it in better light. Basically I don’t think I care any more. It’s not doing what it should. I’ll send it away to Tamron and get them to check it. If that doesn’t make it any better, I’ll drop in and the camera down the stair and claim it on insurance – only kidding Mr Insurance Man (Fingers crossed behind my back).

It’s flooers today for a PoD (Photo of the Day if you hadn’t worked that out). I don’t know if the greater the number of flowers, the greater the depth of ennui. If so, I should have switched to wide angle and photographed the whole bunch. Hoping the snow stays until tomorrow when I’ll go out and get some black and white snowy shots. Tonight I had a bottle of Adnams Broadside. Thank you Jic for introducing us!

A day of ups and downs – 11 February 2016

Posted on February 11, 2016February 11, 2016 by Zogman

combo b A sunny, cold start again. This time it started with the mercury not quite managing to crawl above the zero line. To use less prosaic language, it was about -1.5ºc at 8.30am. The good, cold weather stayed most of the day.

Scamp went to arrange a spring holiday for us. I went to meet Fred as the world needed setting to rights again. After we both returned, I thought the world had indeed been set on its axis again, then Scamp told me that the travel agent’s phone and internet wasn’t working and even worse, the holiday she was going to book was no longer available. Fred and I had spent over an hour and a half making sure everything was sorted and then BT steps in an screws everything up.

Bean soup for dinner. Which begs the old joke: “I don’t care what it was, I want to know what it is now”

Tomorrow we were going to Embra, but it looks as if we are going holiday hunting now. Hope BT have got their act together.

Today’s photos are the results of my recent painting.

Heading East – 6 February 2016

Posted on February 6, 2016 by Zogman

We tried to go to Falkirk today, but got as far as the outskirts when we met the traffic. Everyone seemed to want to go to Falkirk today. We didn’t. We turned and went out over the Kincardine Bridge and drove to Culross. It was a short visit, because as soon as we got out of the car the rain came on and it was bitterly cold. Up until then it had been fairly bright with no sign of the wet stuff. I took some photos around the pier and jetty at Culross but Scamp was looking really cold and miserable sitting around waiting for me, so we headed back west again and went to Milano’s for lunch.

Not much else to report about the day other than there seems to be a morons convention going on next door. Mostly it seems to revolve around them trying to talk. They seem to have mastered shouting, but are failing to understand the technical aspects of controlling their sound level. I think the bloke’s dog is teaching them, but it’s an uphill task and may be beyond him.

Another sunny start – 4 February 2016

Posted on February 4, 2016 by Zogman

Ho, ho, two sunny mornings on the trot! This morning I got up and patently ignored the little pink case with the borked Nexus 7 in it. Had my breakfast and headed off to Glasgow to return a pair of shoes. I had that feeling when I left the shop two weeks ago that the purchase was a mistake. I was right. No amount of wearing them about the house would convince me to accept them into my shoe library. Nope, they were duffers as far as I was concerned. I’d hummed and hawed about them when I was in the shop, but as soon as I left it, I knew it was a mistake. Oh well, the return was made without a hitch and I left feeling so much better. On the way back home I made the decision to get the bike out, pump up the tyres and head off for a gentle run in the sun.

The run transpired, the sun didn’t. By the time I was leaving the house, the clouds had rolled in from the west and rain was threatening to dampen my high spirits. However, I was suited and booted (as the lady in the Apprentice said) and I was off. Not a long run, I’d decided, just a gentle breaking in expedition into darkest Tipland. It used to be an open cast mine I think but later it became a tip and even later, recently in fact there has been a lot of test boring on the site. I may be wrong, but I get the sense that it may eventually become a housing development. It will have a fancy name, the houses will be ‘chicken boxes’ and about ten years or so after they are occupied someone will start a petition to get samples taken from the ground. Those samples will confirm the people’s fears that there is methane gas exuding from the ground. If only they had listened to me, I could have told them. But for now, it is usually a good place to see deer in the winter and a great place for damselflies and dragonflies in the summer. No deer today and the damselflies are still in the nymph stage, busy catching water beetles and minnows, unaware of the changes that will come soon in their lives. So it was photos of trees today. That’s ok, some of the trees made interesting shapes and there was almost a bit of form to the sky, almost. Lightroom helped there. After that it was cycle home, have a cup of coffee and dream of warm summer cycling days to come. DV.