Having a look around!

I got a comment from Lee {after moaning about life in general} to ask if had 'looked around', which started me thinking.

How often do people stop in their tracks and really look around them? I live on the edge of the city of Glasgow, and even as a child, when I visited the city centre I would often not only look at the people and the shopfronts around me but I would also look UP at the buildings - many of which were covered with statues and sculptures and artisitic details - which one never saw unless looking up at the buildings. Many of these old city centre buildings were constructed around the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when Glasgow was a very prosperous city. The Merchants of the city were making huge profits and spending their money on their town houses and ofiices and stores within the city. I know that a lot of this money wa made on the misery of others - the slave trade and the tobacco trade being the main 'money spinners', but the legacy they have left for the people of Glasgow is wonderful. There is a lot of new building going on in the city nowadays, and I have to say that a lot of it, while perhaps being "exciting" to the builders and architects and financiers - are not very inspiring for the rest of us. The developments along the River Clyde side for example. After years of the river being hidden from the general public by the Shipyard buildings [ necessarily high to contain the ships being built] what do they do when they knock the old buildings down? - Build new blocks of tiered flats, right on the riverside, which are even higher! They are also constructing a new road bridge across the river to link finlaystone with Govan, just east of the old carriage tunnel route, and it is neither high, nor does it have anyway of opening, therefore there will be no chance for any large boats [or boats with high masts] being able to pass underneath. The reason that the Kingston Bridge was built [in the late 1960's] so high above the water was to allow the passage of comercial ships underneath! Maybe they will develop the upper part of the river, as a marina ype area for pleasure craft??? [Doubt it] Many major european cities which have large rivers flowing through their centres, have many areas filled with both commercial and pleasure craft. Why is our city river empty???

Enough moaning! The last couple of days have been very spring-like here, and I have even sat out in the garden for an hour or so in the sun - reading and drinking coffee. [Ok I was wearing a jumper, but I did not need a jacket - especially in my little garden suntrap!]

The daffodils and crocuses which I planted last autumn are all showing above ground - the lovely purple of the crocus gleaming like amethysts and the bright yellows of the different daffodils just starting to peep through their protective covers. Time to get the cameras dusted off again............ bye for now.

Suki asleep

Suki asleep
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Suki in her favourite position-SLEEPING.
This isa catwhich spends approximately 22.5 hour perday sleeping. She spends the rest of the time, eating, grooming, watching birds out of the window, and a VERY SMALL amount of time outdoors [in winter - too cold for her I think!]
Still there is something comforting about having a sleeping cat in the room with you while you work - I suppose it is a trust thing. Plus she seems to make the place look 'warm'!

Sphinx Sukicat.

Sphinx Sukicat.
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This is my very relaxed cat Suki in one of her favourite positions - sphinx copying on the dining room table, while I am working on my laptop! She has really been enjoying the fact that I have been at home most of the time since New Year! Some one toask for foodatany hour of the day, instead of just the evenings!

Have YOU recovered from the 'festive Season'!?

I wrote the following in January but obviously forgot to upload it, so it makes sense to pt this up before I write anything else!

Well, the Festive Season must be over because the television, the papers, and the shops are full of adverts and programmes, and books, etc on HEALTHY LIVING, DIETING, AND EXERCISE! If you are lucky, you only have a few pound to shed after a bout of excess over the Christmas and New Year periods! If you are unlucky,you have suddenly realised what everyone else has seen 'creeping up on you' - that you are extremely over weight and unhealthy. However until there is a little light that goes on in your head and a little switch gets flicked over - all the prompting frokm other people does not do any good. You have to decide for yourself and inside yourself that you have to change the way you live. Even if it is just a small simple change like trying to take a walk every day - IT WILL HELP! Bigger changes will create bigger changes but snall steps will eventually get the same result - like the hare and the tortoise, I suppose. I would rather be the tortoise and win in the long run than be the hare who looks like he is winning, but who gives up halfway through and ends up losing the race.


I was at a couple of gigs which my friends in the band THE VAGABONDS held - one on Boxing Day and one on New Years Night [1st Jan.2006] and took a few photographs. At one point during the New Year gig Sandy and a friend had decided to 'have a laugh' and did a quick 'change' in the back, and came back on stage as 'Mick Jagger' and 'Ozzy'. It did make everyone in the place almost double over with laughter! They are a great live band and if you ever get the chance to see them perform, take it. They have a regular spot every Thursday night in the Scotia Bar in Glasgow from 9 p.m.[ish] but it is very cramped in there so they do not do the 'full' over the top 'show' but it is still usually excellent. They cover a wide variety of music with Rolling Stones covers some of their favourites.

Happy New Year 2006

Well - Happy New Year to one and all.

Personally I have not had that great a'festive season' the reason being that the company I worked for was liquidated by the 5 directors on the 21st December and my job was made redundant! So I was out of work AND owed two months wages (as well as redundancy payments and lack of notice payment) three days before Christmas! Nice christmas present from the directors. It is also quite possible that I will not get any payments for quite a few months yet! Didn'y make for a Merry festive season!

I had family and friends for Christmas Lunch as usual, it just meant that I couldn't be as generous as I would have liked when it came to presents etc.

However I have my health, my family and my good friends as well as my faithful cat [ who is at this precise moment sleeping on a cushion on the table and obviously dreaming about chasing something].

The new year dawns with me thinking that this is a good time to change my direction slightly - perhaps startup in business myself! I will be looking into this in the near future.

There is also the old paradox - when one is working one has the money doesn't seem to have the time for 'leisure pursuits', exercising, visiting friends or places further afield, BUT when one is 'unemployed' one has the time but not the finances! A catch 22 situation! Even jobhunting costs money!

FCC Voyager

FCC Voyager
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This was the Forth and Clyde Canal Society's new boat Voyager leaving Applecross in november 2005

She was specially built to celebrate 25 years of the society, and to allow them to carry more people on the canals.

St Enoch Centre, Glasgow

St Enoch Centre, Glasgow
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

A view eastwards from the John Street CarPark in Glasgow. The St Enoch Centre glass pyramid, the Edwardian buildings in the center and the newest buildings completed in 2005 at the left side.
Taken in October 2005

Stuart Nugent Clutha Vaults 2005

Stuart Nugent Clutha Vaults 2005
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Another accomplished musician who occasianlly drops in for a play at the Clutha Vaults Open Mike.

TheWorkmans Clutha Vaults 2005

TheWorkmans Clutha Vaults 2005
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This is Stuart and his daughter at the Open Mike night. Stuart often travels through from Edinburgh for the sessions.

Brian Smith - Vagabonds 25 sep 2005

Brian Smith - Vagabonds 25 sep 2005
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

My friend Brian, lead guitar with The Vagabonds, at a gig in the County Inn, Glasgow

Bob Leslie Clutha Vaults 2005

Bob Leslie Clutha Vaults 2005
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Another one of the regular singers at Sandy's Open Mike night on Wednesdays at the Clutha Vaults, Bob also performs with his band The Outfit playing his own music

Joe Mcatamy Clutha Vaults 2005

Joe Mcatamy Clutha Vaults 2005
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

One of the regular singers at Sandy's Open Mike night on Wednesdays at the Clutha Vaults

Artist's fungus

Artist's fungus
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Does anyone know WHY this is called Artist's Fungus? I found these magnificent speciments in an area of woodland next to the Forth and Clyde Canal near Cadder. It was growing on an old dead Wych Elm tree. The tops had been lopped off but they left the trunk standing thankfully as it had some superb large holes near the top which would be ideal for large nest holes - for Owls etc..

Muirshiel Sunset

Muirshiel Hills
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This makes me think of peaceful autumn evenings - the quality of the light is definately different from the summer sunsets. The sun also sets much further to the south west as well!!

The only thing which spoils the feeling of 'wilderness' are the power lines which string their way along the road side for the length of the glen up to the country park buildings.

The moorlands on the other side of the park however are wonderfull - so silent apart from birds, insects, the odd plane flying over and only occasionally the sound of other people. and yet this is only about 20 miles from the very centre of Glasgow!

Blackface

Blackface
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

I took a run up to Muirshiel Country Park last weekend - after doing some work in the city on the Sunday afternoon. I drove up the glen just as the sun was dropping down below the horizon of the hills.
This Blackface sheep in the upper Glen, must have thought I was daft - getting out of my car to take photos of the sunset! Watched me for a short time then wandered off to find more sweet grass.

My Suki cat was restless, she wanted to go out into the soft night to see who had been in the garden and to hunt for the woodmice. She is too scared to go out during the daylight – too easily seen with all her white fur. In the night she can ‘stalk’ in the silken shadows and the velvety gloaming [with street lights and security lights it is never pitch black in our suburb],and Friday night was calm, mild and moonlit.

She wears a collar with two bells, to warn wildlife and this also lets me know when she is back at the front door – she shakes her head to rattle her bells so that I will hear here and come and let her indoors. She rarely goes out for more than an hour or two at the most.

On Friday night however, about half past eight, I heard her bells outside the window AND a squeaky/screechy sort of noise – from a bird of some kind. Blackbirds often sing in the night in the spring [streetlights again] and occasionally I have heard Oystercatchers flying over at night and calling but this was different. I went outside and Suki was sitting at the foot of the bay window, but heard me come out and started crossing the path to the front lawn. I heard the noise again immediately that Suki stated to move, I looked up to the top of my newly polled* Sycamore tree straight at a Tawny Owl – only 4 metres away! It was ‘screeching’ away at Suki –as if it was giving the cat either a row for disturbing her hunting or directions on where to go to flush out the mice for the her!
(* the tree trunks are about 95 years old but have had all the branches chopped off at the top. – every year it grows small branches up to 5cm in diameter, and every Autumn they are cut off again to give a pillar effect)

I went back inside for my camera but by the time I came out the Tawny Owl had moved to the top of the street lamp, and the light interfered with the camera so that I could not get the Tawny Owl to show up on the camera at all. Suki by this time had headed out onto the pavement and was walking up the road – under the Tawny Owl’s perch, towards the neighbours gate [they have a yew tree and the dropped berries attrach the woodmice at this time of year]. As Suki moved along the Tawny Owl watched her every move – ignoring me.
Once Suki disappeared through the neighbour’s gate, the Tawny Owl flew off without the slightest sound, over my head and down the garden into the velvet blackness. Suki returned to the house about twenty minutes later, perfectly happy to go and have some munchies and then settle down for a sleep at the radiator!!

George Square, Glasgow

George Square, Glasgow
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

George Square on a glorious sunny September afternoon.

Queen Street Station

Queen Street Station
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

The canopy here looks a little like an old tiara. Nicely lit by the autumn sunshine though

Barrel patterns

Barrel patterns
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

Spotted these on my return to Glasgow Queen Street railway station from Edinburgh. I thought they made a nice pattern

Suki and her mouse

Suki and her mouse
Originally uploaded by Kindurco.

This is my cat Suki with the young Woodmouse which she had caught and brought in from the garden. It was soon put back out!!