april showers

I was going to call this April Showers and non-Showers. Just to muddy the waters. The non-showers being butterflies and to an extent birds. I was in the Botanics again yesterday and hoping to see a few feathered friends, but the robins were absent, and there weren't many others. Just a fleeting bullfinch and very few squirrels. No butterflies. However the rhododendrons and other springtime flowers made up for it. The place is on fire, exploding with pinks, whites and yellows, the rhoddies dominating the firework displays. And the intermittent showers left a glaze of raindrops on the plants that enhanced the pics.

Mary and her sore knees are keen to do more cycling and swimming as well as small runs so the other day we did 3 laps of the Queen's Drive on bikes. I did each lap slightly quicker than the last and set that as a windy benchmark to improve upon next time. 14.45 (stopped to blow the snot out my leaking nose) 13.38 and 13.17. (MTBs not road bikes.) It was fun and fairly lively. Hopefully this cold will be gone soon and I can push on with harder training. 

But not wishing to overdo it we headed to Inverleith Park to do a lap or 2 then walk back through the Botanics. It was sunny between showers and we took jackets in back packs to wear while walking. We got half a mile before Mary realised she didn't have her camera. Dafty. We ran back knowing it would be boring for her not to be able to take pics. 

despite requiring an early stretch Mary's knees held up ok.

when the sun comes out even a rusty railing can look attractive.

goosander on the WoL

first major downpour just outside Inverleith, stopped under trees

 

more goosanders (geesander?) at the pond

only a very brief glimpse of a bullfinch

There were a couple of Great Tits standing in for the robin at the Chinese Garden. They were very unafraid and hopped around us asking for bread or just having a look. But moving so quickly it was very difficult to get a decent shot.

Then a large black cloud moved in. Mary had been suggesting we hit the cafe and we made a dash up the hill as the heavens opened, breaking all sorts of rules - running (not allowed!) and crossing the cordoned off area. Nobody saw us as everyone was sheltering inside. The cafe is nice but really too expensive. Since the gardens are free I suppose we let that pass. And the rain stopped shortly and the sun came back out highlighting the raindrops on the flowers.

the magnolia flowers were just past their best

more Fritillaria Meleagris

8.5miles