low key fun

I realise I sound like a past-it pensioner when I report that I much preferred a recovery run round Inverleith Park and a walk through the botanics, to the kerfuffle of the C5 the day before. It was another of those Baltic-but-sunny wintry days and I took a bag'o'bribes along to coax some interaction with the locals. (Bread, nuts and worms.)

First up was a dipper swimming enthusiastically in the murky waters of the WoL. I took many photos and only one of them borderline worth posting. Marvelous bird, but not coming ashore for photos. Next up a lugubrious heron, perhaps mourning the dearth of Earthy and the wholefood scraps sent directly into the foodchain.

Mary always has a strong sense of what we are doing and in which direction. She instigated a clockwise (from above) perimeter of Inverleith but I was distracted at the pond and we had something of an unplanned stop to chat with the duckies. The bread came out and the far more sprightly b-h gulls made sure the mallards got not a crumb. Only when we got home did I realise the pics taken were far better than I thought; and you can clearly see the pretty red eyeliner and matching beaks of the gulls.

The rest of the park and our run there, was unremarkable. I was very much looking forward to the Botanics which shows my motivation to be photography, rather than running, as the latter is not tolerated in the gardens. Even though the winter sun made for good photos it was so cold and there was so little in flower we were through and out the other side slightly faster than I had planned. 

It didn't help being a Sunday: there were too many of the public, which frankly lowers the tone! I coaxed a squirrel over and it was quite prepared for the usual nuts-for-photos price of admission but then a child and other visitors stood all over the available light and we were forced to walk away empty handed. Although it looks bright the sun was falling below the tree line and there was precious little that was still well lit. A quick scoot round the rock gardens then out at Inverleith Row. And we even kept our duvet jackets on for the next half mile until re-bagging them once warmed up again. Mallards on the WoL on the way home but really we were more looking forwards to lunch by then.