I take an old friend out for a picnic

What did I predict last week about the Puffin Hunting weekend weather? Yes - storms and lashing rain coming this weekend... Puffin Hunting has been postponed again. JR is on holiday in another week and then we can go any time - not just the weekend. So we will Puffin Hunt in the first week of July, when one of those days must be decent weather. Although I'm making no predictions...

Well, I took out my 600D for a jaunt today. There have been a few things that I am used to doing, and are just not possible with a Bridge camera, and they are a wee bit niggly. Enough to make me rethink if I want to convert totally to it, which was my idea initially.

It felt like being re-united with an old friend! The weight, on my shoulder strap (not neck strap) was fine, in fact, it was reassuringly sturdy. Hmmm.

I think the tipping point was yesterday when I was chatting to the chap with the big camera and wide angle lens... and found myself trying to hide my Bridge camera...

I took my new £12 day pack out for a whirl, it being another lovely day. I packed my lunch, my special duck food, my book (Rod!) and my gorillapod, and set off. I decided to go to Ratho, as I had spotted where the bus left the other day. But Ratho buses are few and far between. Every second number 12 only goes to Ingliston. And the one in the middle, which went to Ratho, failed to appear. I was waiting there for almost an hour!! A snarky polite email will be sent to Lothian buses asking where the missing bus disappeared to. Just as well I had my iPod in and there was a constant troop of very odd passers by.

However, it was lovely when I got there. Warm and sunny, with picnic tables and seats with backs. There were several geese of varying types sitting on the grass, and they didn't budge when I came along. Didn't even budge when joggers and cyclists went by. I didn't need to bother offering them my special duck food. Actually, one of them was no weel. It was very tattered and panting. The other ducks jumped into the water when the barge came along - maybe they always get fed. The sick duck just sat. Panting. Poor thing.

I sat and read my book for a while. Actually, I didn't. I can't read when there are things to look at. But I did get a few chapters read on the hour long journey (each way) as we went all round airport park 'n' rides, shopping centres, and business parks.

And yes, a Magnum was consumed on the way home after my two hour bone-shaking bus journey!