chemikal

Sunset was pretty spectacular tonight. Must have been taking photos at the same time as @Mr Frost

Not the best lockdown weather we have had in the last two months! Quite enjoyed it on the walk to the local shop for supplies (mainly liquid based) as it has been quite a while since we actually had proper wind & rain. Half an hour ago a flock of Starlings descended in the garden. Never seen so many in the garden at onetime. The parents were digging for worms and feeding the young ones. Some were at the bird feeder and some drinking from the water dish. My wife said ‘Alfred Hitchcock’ which alerted me to the bird frenzy. Nice to see some blue sky after the grey.

A military plane was doing laps over the house today. Local news reporting it was a training exercise.

Usually commute about 100 miles a week and realised I had not been out in two weeks. Decided to do something about it and cycled to the Cathkin Braes mountain bike course. Blew the cobwebs away but my next visit won’t be on a fully ridged bike! Avoided the red routes but going to take the full suspension bike next time. I was chased by a dog and the owner was really apologetic. I stopped to chat (at a safe distance) and said not to worry and thanked them for bringing a smile to my face and reminding of my daily commute as I get chased daily in Linn Park! The views over the city are stunning. Even sat in the garden for a couple of hours despite it being just over 10C as when it was out the sun packed a punch.

I know what you mean for different reasons. It is depressing that a beautiful place is limited to those who play because they like golf and can pay the annual fees. If it wasn’t a golf course then it would have been taken up by housing which is worse. That is crap if groundsmen remove birds nests but it wouldn’t surprise me. In Williamwood I saw birds that I’d never seen near my house. Anyone care to let me know what this one is? I also inadvertently intervened in nature by saving a baby grey squirrel from being picked off as it scurried to dense trees and being chased by a crow. Ran towards them and the clapping scared the crow away. When I’m walking on the golf courses I do think of the Michael Douglas scene in ‘Falling Down’. I hope this never happens.

Posted this before but @Mr Frost asked for snow below 200m in Scotland in May. Photo is from 1995 (Thanks @CatchMyDrift for reminding me of the actual year) and it is probably 25 years ago to the day. Snow and trees in full leaf does look odd! Might look at the archive charts to confirm the date. Decided to have a wander round the local golf courses while we still can. Amazing views from them all. First is from Linn Park Golf Course looking north. Photo from the same position a few days later is of my sister in Queens Park waving at me from over two miles away. Next is Williamwood Golf Course which is at the end of our road. Seems like a different world on our doorstep. Today we went to Cathcart Castle Golf Course. View is looking west. If you have any golf courses near you then I recommend a walk if it is permitted. Golf will probably be one of the first outdoor sports that comes back so take the chance while you can. Please don’t walk on the greens or play in the bunkers!

If it was like for the rest of the summer then I’d be happy. I know it won’t. Oh well. Enjoying watching the birds in the garden despite having to remove our bird feeder as a rat was dining on the dropped seed below it. Another great sunset this evening with Venus shining brightly.

The sunset from last night and the sunrise from this morning. Went for a walk in the farmland near Clarkston this morning and so glad we can walk to there in 20 minutes. We wouldn’t have walked there in normal times.

Just add to the sunset photos from this evening. Looking north towards Ben Lomond. The other photo is looking north from Linn Park Golf Course on Tuesday. I was delivering our cleaning products to friends on Tuesday on the motorbike via the city centre, west end and then over the Erskine Bridge to Houston. Managed to get the journey filmed via my GoPro. The city & west end footage is so strange. So quiet. Might post a clip if I can remember who to use the editing software! I could get used to this current weather. Even better today without a strong easterly wind.

Started to clear here at sunset as alluded by @NUT The photo of Ben Lomond was taken from our house on the 30th of March. Doesn’t look that different this week. Enjoying have a camera that has a proper zoom function that actually zooms and stays in focus. I was planning on painting a wall today but the really stained glass windowin cold easterly wind combined with laziness prevailed. Hats off to you folk further east who are bearing the brunt of this. You are taking one for the team like we do with the rain!

Dank cycle to work. Not to do any work but remove the keys from the key safe outside the shutter & front door. Don't think I will go back to work for a while. I like to be prepared in general and when I saw this situation unfolding I bought a jigsaw. I find them relaxing to do and when it is combined with a map then even better. It is now sold out via Amazon so glad a bought it 10 days ago! It The jigsaw is a 1000 piece Ordance Survey map of central Glasgow. Thought I'd bring an old jigsaw out to test run it as I haven't done any since we got our cat Florence. Wish me luck! My sister in law Emma Pollock is on the Robin Ince (side kick to the scientist Brian Cox) show Cosmic Shambles 'The Stay At Home Festival'. One of our other artists Malcolm Middleton (Arab Strap) is also playing a live set. Starts in 15 minutes at 8.30. You can also catch up with the show later or view older episodes. https://cosmicshambles.com/stayathome/live

I’ve been working from home since Tuesday. The only thing I can’t do from home is our online shop orders but funnily enough no one is buying records & CD’s. Thankfully we don’t have any albums being released until after the summer so impact on us could have been worse. We have had to postpone gigs for a few of our artists and the venues have promised to reschedule when this is all over. Hopefully these venues will still exist in 6 months time. I have friends who own bars, venues & record shops who have had to close their doors. I’m sure we will get through this but worry for my friends & family. Positives. By the end of April my front & back garden will be looking the best it has looked ever. Fences, decking & shed will all be given a spruce. Negatives. The cat has no idea why I’m in the house so much. Not getting the usual quality daytime sleep when we are at work. She seems slightly moody. I usually cycle to work so hopefully I won’t pile on the pounds so decided to cycle over the Eaglesham Moors on Wednesday to keep fit. Wind farm photo are of Whitelees. Stopped just before Eaglesham to take photos of Glasgow. A sheep took umbridge at me stopping to take photos.

Worst commute home of 2020. Rain wasn’t too bad but wind was minging. Wasn’t the windiest but the direction was perfect for a head wind on exposed routes. Throw in a crank coming loose and a branch lodging itself in the rear wheel buckling my mudguard....I won’t post my GoPro footage as there is yet to be a classification for the level and frequency of my expletives!

It has mainly been rain for most of the evening but in the last 15 minutes it has turned to wet sleety snow now. Temperature dropping slowly. Not lying yet. If it freezes over during the night then the cycle to work will be interesting.

The recent showers rattling through have been sleety in the heavier moments. Went for lunch at West Brewery at Glasgow Green before an live instore gig at Monorail this afternoon. Food and beer at West is highly recommended if you are in the city. Thankfully the weather played ball and got some photos of The Peoples Palace & Templeton Carpet Factory before it pished down.

Snow now settling on everything here. Took these photos as it started to come down. White lamppost v orange lamppost. Who wins? Everything white here now. Possibly the best we have had so far this winter.

March can deliver on occasion. This was in Glasgow near the Art School looking down to Sauciehall Street in March 2006. Orange photo is of the snow at midnight and our old & sadly departed cat Sasha watching it come down. Sometimes May can even deliver...I thiink this was May 1993 or 1994 at my parents house in Hamilton. Odd seeing snow with the trees in full leaf! Not been the best winter I've seen and it has been so marginal so many times. Hopefully we can see at least one decent event before some proper warmth kicks in.

Looking north this afternoon. Looked outside at 10pm and said it is basws outside. Totally confused my wife and she looked out knew what I meant.

5 hours without a post! Says someone who comes onto view and occasionally post... This is the best covering we had all week (year) on Monday afternoon. Probably 1/2 a cm before it melted. Despite living in Glasgow we have a good view north to The Campsies. I’m lucky that dogs are encouraged into our studio/office and we have had the pleasure of Dove this week. She has been great company.

I didn’t go the family get together in the west end. I had a lot of work to do around the couch... Wife went and proclaimed on arrival home ‘I’ve driven in worse that didn’t have a name’.

First viable casualty of Ciara from the house. Luckily the fence fell between the neighbours car and didn’t cause any damage. The birds & squirrels are no where to be seen as the bird feeder is not being touched. Wildlife is hunkering down and us humans probably should as well. Glad the worst of this is hitting at the weekend as I wouldn’t like to cycle in this to work!

Started off quite nice and sunny today. Activity in the morning around the bird feeders was through the roof. Never seen so many birds fighting for the food. The only visitor l didn’t see was the badger. The squirrels were there picking up the dropped seeds. The tuft of grass the squirrel is on has been caused by the dropped bird seed. Thinking of covering the whole lawn with it but I would probably have to cut it every two days in the summer! Headed to Paisley to watch the St. Mirren v Motherwell game. Surprisingly ok football given the conditions. The draw means we play St. Mirren three times in two weeks. The rain kicked in at half time and hasn’t really stopped since. Tomorrow afternoon I’m meant to be heading to the west end for a family get together. Think I might sit this one out. While the gusts may not be the highest we have seen in the central belt I think the longevity of sustained winds/rain (and those of today) will cause disruption so will not take the risk. Stay safe and enjoy the weather whatever it throws at you!

In my 2 years of cycling from the south side of Glasgow to Hamilton, this week has been up there with the worst. Heavy rain?, wind? & black ice. As @101_North says...still better than the bus! Would like to see more scenes like this from 6th February 2018 please!

I think the highest mountain in the background is Ben Vorlich. Tarbet on Loch Lomond is the village in the foreground. Photo was taken after a recent shower passed by and has left a dusting on the upper slopes. Temperature is dropping so I expect the snow line to drop if any showers come through.

It was so mild today I took the motorbike into work today. Not out of the ordinary for January but it doesn’t happen often. After years of relying on my phone camera I’ve decided to bite the bullet and buy a proper camera. Panasonic Lumix FZ330 Bridge Camera. Slightly older model but seems like a solid camera. Will do everything I need. Means I will be inflicting more photos on you all. Sorry! It is my 18th wedding anniversary this weekend and my wife booked us a 3 night break at a lodge overlooking Loch Lomond so I will have a great place to find my way around the camera. Booked so far in advance that she & I didn’t know that it now coincides with the busiest weekend of the year work wise so far...