It was a wet day. Far wetter and duller than we’d hoped we’d get. But we were so fed up with looking out at rain that we drove over to Stirling to see if it was any better there.
Actually, it was better. Certainly not as wet as Cumbersheugh. We had half intended to do some shopping in Waitrose, but there were queues for every parking space and people just crawling round hoping against hope that they’d be the luck on who could nick a space that someone was coming out of. It never happens that way. It’s always the car you’ve just passed that moves and it’s the person behind you that nabs the space. We gave up and drove to the multi. £2.50 to park all day at weekends. I could probably have burned that amount on petrol cruising round the Waitrose car park.
We walked in to Stirling itself and the rain was definitely lighter. Coffee with a panini each and a seat at the window to boot. For once – right place at the right time. Fed and watered Scamp went off to wander the aisles of M&S while I went to the Made in Stirling shop where they sell old lenses and even older cameras. I wasn’t buying today, just taking in some retail therapy. I also found some interesting mountain paintings. Very minimalist. Just two colours it seemed at first, black and white, but on closer inspection there was a whole palette of subdued colours. Must try that some time. I’ll add it to my list of things to do when I’m not taking photos.
I met up with Scamp in the Thistle Centre as agreed and we also agreed that we would forego the retail pleasures in store in Waitrose and just go home. Drove up to Tesco to pick up my pills that today’s email had said were waiting for me, but the pharmacy was closed for lunch. So we drove home.
Later in the afternoon I did get my meds and next door in Tesco I got a bottle of Drambuie to add to my evening whisky to make a Rusty Nail. I even got money off!
I finally hung up my sodden jacket in the boiler cupboard where it could drip and dry in peace over night, while Scamp and I could have a cup of white tea for Scamp and a coffee for me.
I sold my Samyang 18mm f2.8 lens in the afternoon. It’s a good lens, but I just don’t need it any more and the extra money I get from the sale will go to more glass!
Tonight’s dinner was Miso Pork Ramen converted to Miso Chicken Ramen to suit Scamp. It was a bit of a mess, but worth trying again some time, although Scamp isn’t very impressed with the Chinese version of soup.
We watched a tedious semi-final of Strictly later. I lost count of the number of times contestants were given a ‘Surprise’ of a video of family members wishing them well. Some of the dancing was good and some was poor. We both have a short leet of possible winners. I’m willing to bet that neither of us is right!
PoD was a photo of a perfectly good, if slightly waterlogged table outside Cafe Nero in Stirling with nobody sit-in at it! I have no idea why! 😉
Tomorrow looks like a re-run of today with more rain and less light. Roll on the 22nd December, the shortest day. After that it should get a bit brighter.