A better looking day – 9 October 2023

It was a much better day today. Almost dry for a while.

After yesterday’s late night watching a weird F1 GP where new rules were unleashed on the unsuspecting drivers on race day, meaning that tyres had to be changed every 18 laps or less. Also, ‘track limits’ enforcement seemed to far stricter than normal. Both of these regulation changes seemed to reduce the freedom the drivers had to race. Sometimes there are just too many rules in this sport.

So, after getting to be around 1am, we had bit of a lie in and a more relaxed morning in general. After lunch the sky was definitely brightening and the rain had stopped ages ago, so I took the opportunity to drive down to Greenfaulds station, leave the car there and go for a walk along the Luggie Water. I went kitted out with the 85mm lens and the 16-35mm with the A7. I thought I might get some slow shutter shots of the waterfall at the end of the path, so I’d taken the precaution of carrying my mini tripod, the Gorilla Pod.

The water was indeed rushing down the waterfall and it was that lovely creamy brown colour that you get when a spate is just running off and beginning to drop some of the silt it carries. I got a few shots with the 85mm and was pleased with them. I was sure one of them would be PoD.

With a few in the bag, I walked downstream under the bridge and on to the old railway bridge. It was leaking water like a sieve and at the risk of getting not just me, but also the camera wet, I grabbed a few shots of the ferns that grow out of the mortar lines on the stonework of the bridge. They looked good from the 85mm, giving a lovely softness to the out of focus trees in the background. Further on I chanced on a little bit of sunlight shining on one of the big beech tree and switched over to the wide angle lens to get it all in. That was a good shot too.

I walked further on to the path that leads to Condorrat, but there were no more opportunities, so I headed back to the car and home because it was my turn to make dinner.

As it happened it was the shot of the fern that got PoD. Very pleased with what the 85mm lens did there. The other shots of the waterfall and the tree are on Flickr if you’re interested.

Today’s Inktober prompt was “Bounce”. The first thing that sprung to mind was a Space Hopper. A big bouncy inflatable pear shaped thing. Coloured bright orange with a slightly demonic look which probably had something to do with those horns. Great fun I’m told, but I never really mastered it!

Tomorrow I’m hoping Val and I will have a chance of a blether, a coffee and maybe a cake! Unfortunately Fred can’t go because he’s taking Margo for a hearing check in Falkirk and no word from Colin yet.