Not such a good idea...

Unusually of late, I was awake by 7am this morning. And by 8am was listening to the weather report of wind and rain sweeping across the whole country. If you didn't have it yet (we didn't) you'd be getting it soon.

I had a good an idea. Why not pop out now and feed the swans? I had some wholemeal bread I'd already ripped to little pieces, so couldn't change my mind and make toast instead with it...

And so, before I'd really thought it through, I was up, clothes over my PJs (hoped I wasn't in an accident) and out the door in the dark. When I got to the duck pond, I realised, of course, that this was a Silly Idea. It was too dark to take photos, certainly any action ones (still trying to get a good flying swan).

Half the swans were at the other end of the pond. Another car pulled and a woman got out with two bananas. She was holding them - they weren't passengers. I asked her if she was going to feed the swans. Not meaning with the bananas, this was understood. I hope. But she was not so silly. She was parking and walking into town.

As she walked near the pond, the swans at the other end spied her, and I could hear the thrashing, whacking, splashing, thudding sound of 30 swans flying towards me as I was fiddling about getting my camera out of the boot. I rushed round to take dark blurry shots (with last night's camera settings) of an amazing sight. Total failure. A man walking by saw me and said, 'That must be a good shot!' I was too busy sobbing to put him right.

I walked round to the other side of the loch - my plan was to get them to fly to me. But I had a wander up the hills a bit until it got lighter. It was beginning to drizzle. I had my hood up, and my camera was wearing my hat. There were joggers and dog walkers - I was not alone in my silliness. And my plan to get them to fly to me did not work, of course, because I was ready for them. They cruised, in a line, at a leisurely pace, refusing to rush.

Went back round to the car and there were a few swans on the pathway. I tried my new trick of using the twisty viewfinder screen to get down low. I know now that you have to be on manual focus for it to take the shot you intend. I got dizzy bending double and then straightening up all the time. I had to lighten this considerably. And dodge out the swans a bit more. You can see the chapel ruins on the hill.

Back home, with bagels. JR is much better. Just what sounds like the cough of a lifetime smoker (she's not) to get rid of now. Think I'll rest on my laurels with the swimming until the New Year. The home cinema beckons this afternoon - no need to wait too long till it gets dark. Perhaps with Maltesers.

How come toasted bagels are too hot to handle but toasted bread isn't? This has been puzzling me for some time.