Scamp was out this morning to her FitSteps class and I was waiting in for the plumber to come and give his cost estimate for the new kitchen tap. It was raining, and had been all night.
The bloke arrived about 11am, just as Scamp was going out to class. His estimate was more or less what we’d expected and he’s coming on Monday to fix the tap that’s been dripping on and off for about a year. I hadn’t realised it was that long until I read yesterday’s “A Year Ago Today” blog post.
I am still adjusting things on the camera that need tweaking, trying to get it back to where it should be. Today it was pairing it with the phone to allow me to shoot remotely over Bluetooth using the phone. Also to allow the camera to interrogate the phone and find its GPS position, then record it on the image. Very useful once it’s been set. However, Sony make great cameras but write really crap instructions for their use. Luckily I eventually found the instructions for doing the pairing in an Amateur Photographer tutorial on the net. Where would we be these days without the Internet?
When Scamp returned we just had time to get changed and then she drove me to the Red Deer (to give it its Sunday name) for lunch with June and Ian. It was a nice relaxed Friday lunch sitting by the real wood fire, blethering and enjoying the food. June had Chicken and Chorizo Pie, Scamp and Ian had Fish and Chips (one with and one without peas) I had my usual Gammon Steak, Eggs and Chips. 
I had a pint of lager which was the same as June and Ian’s half pint while Scamp, being volunteer driver for the day, had Soda and Lime. For pudding, June had Napolitano Delice (posh ice cream) Ian had coffee Scamp had Fruit Crumble and I had Edible Flower Pot. Scamp’s looked the best and mine wasn’t as good as it looked, but it did look good. We left after a couple of hours promising to do it again soon, definitely before Christmas, and of course Scamp drove us home.
I reckoned there was just enough light left in the sky to grab some photos, so it was boots on, because although the rain had stopped, everywhere was going to be boggy. I only went half way round the pond because I’d managed to get some decent photos in the available light and it was getting cold. On my walk back I bumped into a woman walking her dog. I’d spoken to her a few times, just passing the time of day. Today she looked a bit agitated and told me that it looked like one of the pair of swans that live on the pond didn’t look well and wasn’t moving. I said I’d have a look when I went past. She was right. It head was under the water and in the five minutes or more I stood there, it hadn’t lifted its head or moved. It looks like we have our first avian flu casualty. Strangely almost all of the 20 odd Canada geese that overwinter on the pond were stood on the bank looking right at the dead swan and its mate who was swimming round the dead one. The geese never moved as I walked past. It was a strange sight.
I reported the swan to DEFRA which is what you’re supposed to do, but I couldn’t find anywhere on the NLC site to leave a message to get the bird removed. Typical.
That was about it for today. PoD turned out to be a bent and twisted birch tree that stands where an old crab apple tree used to be in the park.
Tomorrow we may go in to The Toon on the bus.