Northern exposure...

A fairly hum drum day (chores, Tesco order, weekend planning) till 5pm and we set off for South Queensferry to rendezvous with LeeAnne for Operation Painting Handover and Chippy by the Forth :-)

We'd only been driving on the A9 for five minutes when the heavens opened and I mean a real cloud burst.  We've never seen rain like it!  A terrifying experience as our view out the windscreen was completely obliterated.  The traffic had no choice but to slow to a crawl.  It really was like Hollywood rain!  This sort of rain usually lasts a few minutes but this seemed to go on and on. 

Finally we were out the other side and into blue skies and sunshine.  As we drove past Stirling the roads were bone dry!

Picked up our chippy dinners in South Queensferry and met LeeAnne in the car park at the Forth rail bridge.  We found a bench with a view and enjoyed our al fresco tea.  Put Lola back in the car as we ate as she was desperate to help us demolish our chips.  

Once we were done, she rejoined us just as a group of tourists from the Far East passed us and they were completely fascinated by Lola.  The way I was sitting I kind of had my back to them so wasn't really aware of their intense scrutiny till they'd gone, but David and LeeAnne and Lola had their full gaze for a good 10 minutes.  Hilarious.  If I'd realised I would've offered to let them pat her but she was intent on the bit of sausage I had kept for her so would have slobbered all over them!  

We went for a short wander.  After the rain we'd driven through we couldn't believe what a lovely evening it was.  20 degrees and sunshine.  The bridges looked fabulous.

We watched a guy on a jet ski for a while (see extras).  He was tearing up and down the calm water at speed.  Heart in mouth stuff.  By the time he'd finished his water tricks we'd given him a personality and decided he was a bit of a dick bloke.  Poor guy is probably perfectly lovely! lol

After a reasonable gap, LeeAnne popped to the ice cream shop and returned with scoops of Orkney ice cream for us all.  Toffee and Orkney fudge and vanilla for me.  Absolutely delicious!  And a flake!  What a treat to be sitting there in the sunshine, by the Forth rail bridge, the sun shining on the water and great company :-)

David took Lola a final wander before we headed off.  While he was gone LeeAnne and I spotted a massive removal van reversing onto the pavement and curiosity got the better of us.  As we got closer David and Lola came towards us from the direction of the truck and said there were five giraffes in the back.  He wasn't lying!  (extra pic). Apparently they are part of Edinburgh Zoo's Giraffe about Town art trail.  Well we know where at least one of them is! 

Gave LeeAnne the painting for her client and the daisy painting she loves (I've traded that for some of her skills :-) then we said our farewells and headed home.

About 5 minutes from home the blue sky disappeared and we found ourselves under a very ominous rain cloud once again.  Another cloud burst (but thankfully shorter than the first one) so we ended the evening as we started.

Returned to the news that three more people we know have covid.  That's six in a week.