Tide's Out

Isn't it encouraging that all it needs for people to smile at each other and say hello, is sunshine and warmth.

It was just after 7am when I cycled forth from the Dower House down to the sea at Portobello and Musselburgh.
Surprisingly, since I have never lived within sight of the sea, I have missed it a lot since we returned from Orkney and Shetland.

With the sky a deep blue and the sea like a millpond, it was the early morning dog walkers that took to the sand at this hour, passing with a 'good morning, lovely day' greeting.

There was a tractor picking up litter and smoothing the hundreds of footprints in the sand, footprints, which bore witness to a busy Saturday on the beach.

I lingered in the tranquility of an early Sunday, people watching and chatting to other takers of photographs.

Then it was on to Fisherrow harbour to sit and have a breakfast snack and look at the yachts marooned in the mud with the tide out.
For some reason the tide always seems to be out when I'm there. Whether this is fact, or I just remember it so, is debatable, but it does look better with the keels afloat.

Time to turn back and retrace my steps through Portobello and up through Holyrood Park, shut to traffic on a Sunday and so quiet without cars to spoil the atmosphere, to home and the Sunday papers to read on the patio.

And now as I finish this, I'm looking forward to watching the Wimbledon men's final.

It can't get better than this.