Category: weather

It rained today – 26 December 2015

Posted on by Zogman

IMG_2986- blog--360Well, this is going to be a short entry.  It was raining when I got up this morning, just before 9.00am and at 7.43pm it’s still raining.  It has not stopped raining in all the intervening ten and three quarter hours.  That about sums up today.  I did a bit of watercolour painting this afternoon.  I also did a bit of reorganising of the painting room.  Didn’t do any boxing despite this being Boxing Day.  Feel sorry for all those folks in the north of England who have been flooded and flooded again.  It must feel like groundhog day to them.

Hoping for some dry weather tomorrow.

Don’t cross your legs – 24 December 2015

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DSC_4649- blog--358Scamp thought I wanted to go in to Glasgow today and I thought she wanted to go in. It wasn’t until we were walking down Bucky Street that the crossed wires became untangled. We had travelled in on the bus and had just been to John Lewis where I showed Scamp the toy I’d like in my Christmas stocking, an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II. Apparently Santa may not have any left as a lot of boys and girls have asked for that self same thing. Oh well, never mind, I’ll just have to wait until it turns up on MBP, second hand.

Went and had coffee in Cafe Nero at St Enoch’s, then headed back up to Sauchiehall Street. Blacks were having a closing down sale and I managed to snag myself a new Berghaus jacket. Maybe not as good as an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II, but a lot more practical.

Just missed the bus home, but that’s about par for the course at the bus station and got talking to a wee visually impaired man who told me you should never sit with your legs crossed because it restricts your circulation. You won’t feel it at the time, he said, but it will get you later. I don’t know where he got that information from, but he was quite adamant about it.

Weather was mixed. Beautiful bright sun one minute, torrential rain and hail the next. Scamp says we have to blame Storm Eva for that. When I got home I slapped some paint on a canvas while I waited out the hail storm that was battering the window and then went out for a walk around St Mo’s. It didn’t rain, but the sun didn’t shine either. Managed one shot of a confused wee green shoot that thinks it’s spring. I think there are more cold winds, hail showers and possibly sunny intervals between now and then. Keep your fingers crossed ….. but not your legs!

A Delightful day – 21 December 2015

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combo bWell, at times it was delightful.  It started well, with blue skies and early morning sun.  I had planned to go in to Glasgow to get my Christmas shopping finalised.  Well, sort of finalised.  Final is such a, well, final word that I very rarely use it.  Let’s say that “Today would see my Christmas shopping nearly finalised.”  That’s a better way to put it, it leaves a bit of wiggle-room.  “Wiggle-room” is a hyphenated word that will no doubt make it into the OED next year if it isn’t already there.  Scamp kindly offered me a lift to the station so I could travel in comfort rather than sit on a cold bus for 45mins.  The kind man at the station gave me £7 change with my tickets which was a bit of a surprise as I’d only given him a fiver!  I gave him the fiver back.  He smiled and looked relieved that I’d been honest.  After all, ’tis the season and all that crap.

By the time I got to Glasgow the rain was pelting down, so I cut to the chase edited out my window shopping and concentrated on the real stuff instead.  Got everything I wanted and headed home on the first available train.  I’d phoned Scamp and she was just driving in to the station as I was walking out.  Perfect timing.

After a swift lunch, we both went to the gym, separately.  She to have a ‘facial’ me to investigate the new whizzo machines in the gym and to have a swim.  Gym looks much better laid out now.  More stuff in it and it looks like there’s more space.  A sort of ‘Tardis’ conversion then.  I’m hoping to try out the machines later in the week.

Dropped in at Tesco to spend a Tesco voucher I got when I retired, that’s almost 18 months ago!  I bought myself a bottle of Glenrothes whisky with it (Whisky was what I was told to spend it on 18 months ago).  Glenrothes appears to have nothing to do with the New Town of that name.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to Glenrothes, but the name ‘New Town’ damns it anyway.  On the way to Tesco, the sky had cleared after dumping tons of rain on us from about 11.00am and it looked like being a great sunset and the statue of Arria was catching some great light, so I took the opportunity to combine the two and take some shots of it.  You get someone to build a gigantic statue of a Roman emperor’s mother (Why?).  You put it in a prominent place overlooking a busy motorway, but you don’t tell anyone how to get to it.  That’s Scotland for you.  Shoots itself in the foot every time.  Actually it’s quite easy to find if you know where, but isn’t that a universal truth.  You have to drive through Eastfield Cemetery, park at the end and find the overgrown path to the statue.   Simple!  Such a shame as it’s a stunning piece of work, but I’ve no idea why she has four arms.  There’s probably a good punchline waiting to be heard there.

So, for once it was a delightful day.  Started well, crap in the middle and finished well.  Sort of like a crap sandwich.  Now there’s a delightful thought to end with.

I saw the sun today – 20 December 2015

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combo bToday we woke to sunshine.  Real sunshine from a blue sky with little pink clouds.  After half an hour, the pink clouds had turned gold as the sun rose a bit higher in the sky.  Amazing.  It didn’t last of course.  An hour later the rain was torrential – but the sun was still shining!  It wasn’t a sun shower though, the rain went of for a full 15minutes without relenting and the sun still shone.  Then, just as the sun disappeared behind the grey clouds we’ve become accostomed to, the rain stopped.  Strange weather.  At least the rain stayed off for most of the day after that although the clouds stayed, always threatening more of the wet stuff.

Since Scamp had done most of the cooking yesterday for J&M, I though it was only fitting for me to ‘recycle the dishes’ as they used to say in the Fairy advert (other washing up liquids are available).  Most of the heavy lifting had been done last night by the dishwasher, it was just the garlic encrusted pans and trays and the bowl that had contained the marinade (garlic) that formed the bigger part of today’s work.  It didn’t take that long really and I felt better for doing it.

After lunch I made the decision to risk getting soaked in the hope of getting some photos over by St Mo’s.  I was just walking over to the pond when heard a loud croaking above me, and there was my old friend Mr Grey, flying in for his own lunch.  I stalked him for a few shots from the relative cover of the Scots Pine wood, but I really wanted to get some photos of him taking off and soon I got my chance.  I thought I’d got some decent shots, so set off to annoy the deer.  The deer must have heard me coming because they were all hiding.  I did find some deer hair on the ground.  I remember deer hair from using it to tie fishing flies – many moons ago.  No blood, so are the deer moulting, casting, whatever it’s called when they lose their winter coats in this strange warm, dull, damp climate we live in now.

Daylight was fading so it was time to head for home.  At the wee pond, there was Mr Grey again, so I got a few more shots of him flying off to the middle of the big pond where he knew he would be safe from my depredations.

Such a (Mr) Grey day.

A Better Day – 18 December 2015

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combo wAh, this was a better day, relatively speaking.

Added another layer of acrylic to my painting while Scamp went shopping this morning.

After lunch, she went swimming and I went for a walk which almost turned out to be swimming as I waded through enough puddles to test my new boots to destruction, but thankfully they (and I) survived unscathed.  It rained all the way on my walk from Auchinstarry to Dumbreck and back along the canal.  There was very little to see today on either path, but I did catch an interesting conversation near Auchinstarry Marina that could easily have been misconstrued from the evidence of a single still photo!

When I got back and had dried out I added some more daubs to the now overloaded canvas, but I’m getting the feel for where I’m going with it now.  Impasto with acrylic paint is great fun to apply, but the very devil to remove.  I think I’d rather just chuck the canvas away rather than try to scrub it down.  It reminds me of colourful artex!

I’m hoping to have a go at the first draft of my 2016 calendar tonight.

I think it’s still raining.

The morning after … – 14 December 2015

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAGot in late last night (well, this morning actually) and didn’t get to bed until about 1.30am. As a consequence, we didn’t rise until after 9.00am. There was no need to rush because it was dull and rainy outside.

Later when Scamp had her Gems Christmas party, I vamoosed to the gym for a swim. That’s one of the great luxuries of being retired, being able to go the gym when it’s quiet.

Tonight was the last salsa class of the year and as usual it was great fun. Just a mix of dancing and games – daft games. Jamie G had provided us with far too many goodies and it would have been churlish to not have partaken of some of them.

Today’s POD, in fact the only photo I took today was starlings sitting in the tree outside the house indulging in their tuneless singing that they always produce on dull days. Maybe they’re fed up with the rain too.

Perf – 9 December 2015

Posted on by Zogman

combo bToday we went to Perth. Not Perth, Australia, but Perth, Scotland. Rather than drive there, or bus there, we decided to train. It was a lousy day. Dull, wet and windy. The train seemed to be a great idea and the trip north was very comfortable. I don’t know why they built the railway station so far out of town. Maybe the town centre was meant to be near the bus and rail station, but someone decided that a mile or so further down the road was a much more sensible situation for a town centre. Not to worry, the walk would do us good.

The main reason for the trip was to get more coffee and a Chrissy Prezzy for me. I was allowed to choose it, but after we got home it had to go to Santa until the 25th. After the purchases we went to The George for lunch: Fish & Chips (x2). It was lovely. By the time we came out it was just after 1.00pm and you could already see it was getting dark. I got some photos of some statuary near the river. After that we fought through the wind and rain on our way back to the station, only to find out we had a 45min wait for the train. A 45min wait on a metal seat next to a couple of joiners who were building a wooden box about two metres long by one meter wide by two metres high. I think it may be a waiting room, a new concept in Perth Railway Station. Even the dismal 1950s bus station waiting room is luxurious compared to Perth Railway Station’s waiting facilities: a metal bench that seats four. Food for those waiting is catered for by a drinks vending machine and a chocolate vending machine – superb! The station does have a sign saying ‘Welcome’, but that’s where the welcome ends.

Thankfully the journey home was quite excellent. Just under an hour for the entire journey from Perth Railway Station to Home. Scary though. Not the journey, but the amount of water that was passing by the windows of the train. So much water. Flooding everywhere from Perth to Stirling. It’s then you realise how lucky we are to live on a hill.

St Andy’s Day – 30 November 2015

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combo-bThe last day of November!  It started with rain, as have most of the days recently.  I had a full agenda today with a trip to Glasgow quite prominent.  I’d decided to go on the bus, thereby saving money since I had all day to go, shop and come back before dinner time.  Scamp was out with Gems singing in the afternoon, so the day was my own.  I wrapped up well and headed off to the bus stop, then remembered that the timetable changed earlier this month and I was now five minutes late for the bus.  Did I dare try to become one of the 700 who daily park at the station, or did I drive in to Glasgow, park in the exorbitant Concert Hall carpark and pay a king’s ransom for the privilege?  A dilemma.  I opted for the train.  Hey, it’s Monday.  Some folk will probably be having a long weekend and not going to work, so the carpark won’t be crammed full with people parking on the verges, in the turning circles and in the flower beds.  Strangely, for once, that’s exactly what happened.  Hunners of spaces.  Well maybe not hunners, but enough.  I got a space easily.  Even better, I got my ticket walked on to the platform and the train appeared.  As if by magic.  Sometimes things just happen for you.

By the time I got to Glasgow the sun had come out, the rain had stopped and the day was looking good.  Dandered through ‘The Toon’ and got what I was looking for, just the essentials.  I also saw some things that I’d like, like a new SSD (not to be confused with an S T D which is a totally different thing … or so I’m told) for the Mac.  Shh, don’t tell The Mac, it’s meant to be a surprise.  It might be its Chrissy Prezzy.  I saw a Sandisk 480GB one for £99 in Maplin and almost bought it, but decided to check on-line to see what price I could get it for there and to read some reviews.  As I thought, Amazon had one for £73.  Same make and same model.  It’s now on the shopping list, along with a new battery for the same unibody device.

In Glasgow I wandered around St Enoch’s Christmas Market.  How much longer will we be able to say ‘Christmas‘ without breaking some EEC law?  It’s ludicrous that we have to change our traditional names because we’re frightened of upsetting some group or other.  Moves are already afoot to change Easter holidays to Spring holidays because it offends some religious groups.  Doesn’t ‘Spring’ holiday offend Wiccans and Neopagans or some other nature loving group?  You can’t win.  Just leave it as it is and if other groups don’t like the word, then they don’t have to use it.  Simples!

Got some photos in and around the St Enoch area.  I’ve been watching the light on the new underground station there and the way it contrasts to the old St Enoch building with the clock tower.  Most impressed with the steel and glass structure.

Quick cup of coffee and a granola from Laboratorio Espresso and got the train home.  Overall a good day, greatly helped by the unexpected ease of parking at the station and by the glorious sunshine.  The down side was having to scrape the windscreen of the car before going out to Salsa tonight.  Oh well, you can’t have it both ways.  I much prefer the clean cold to the miserable rain.

The day that the rains came down – 29 November 2015

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ComboThis was yet another day of torrential rain.  We are certainly making up for the Indian summer we enjoyed in September.  Or, maybe it’s just the monsoon season!

Just before lunchtime, the clouds parted, the sun shone and the rain dried up.  I put a pair of wellies on and went for a wade around St Mo’s.  There wasn’t much wildlife in evidence, but the bright directional sun did light up a few things.  The usual clichés like raindrops on oak leaves and see through birch leaves.  The snow on the Meikle Bin gave an interesting landscape shot that looked better in mono than in colour.

After lunch we watched the Andy Murray building the foundations for his startling win which would seal the Davis Cup win for Great Britain.  We should have been watching the final Grand Prix race of the year, but BBC switched the sports round at the last minute and it was only Scamp’s skill with the Tivo box that saved the day … again.  Pity it was such a boring race.

Not long after I got back from my walk, the rain returned with the wind for a while.  The wind is predicted to reduce during the night, but unfortunately the temperature will reduce too and leave us with the prospect of ice and snow tomorrow.  That may make life interesting for Jackie who is staying with us for the next few days and travelling to Embra by train.

Just a Friday – 27 November 2015

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combo2Drizzly rain all day today.  Sorted out the hazel problem first thing.  It was actually sorted last night, well the programming was sorted, it was just the putting into practise that needed to be done today.  Made some bread after that and kept back a pizza sized piece for my dinner tonight.  Scamp was going out for her retirement lunch so it was just dinner for one.

Scamp’s radio which she uses in the mornings wasn’t working and although I had jury rigged a solution of sorts, I decided to get her a new one for the five working days she still needs one for.  First I took her to the restaurant and then I went for a swim.  No gym today, my ankle is too sore.  The pool was brilliant.  Much warmer than the pool in the hotel in Tenerife!  Took in a trip to the sauna and the steam room too.  One girl in the steam room was complaining that there was a lot of steam in the room, she thought it should be dry.  The OTHER   fitness centre she went to had a hot room without all that steam.  I explained to her that the sauna was next door and this was a steam room.  Her next complaint was that the seats were too hard.  Why didn’t they have cushions.  Apparently OTHER fitness centres have soft seats in their hot rooms.  I left her to her complaints.