Stags

I have been planning to go to Bushy Park for a while now, to see the stags during the rutting season. Unfortunately the planned cull for the past 6 weeks means that the park does not open until 8am so it was not the early start I hoped for where you can also get the sunrise and also some cold misty breath shots. I got there just after 8am as of course I encountered early morning traffic. The stags were bellowing and I saw two knocking antlers with each other, but they were not as 'frisky' as I thought they would be - maybe in another week or so? I could not decide which one to blip so I have added my other choice as an extra.

I got back home by 9.30am, had breakfast and then took Xena for a long walk. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and not that cold, but already getting muddy in parts. 

The fuel crisis continues here in the South East, long queues for petrol or else empty garages who have no fuel. I hope the military assisting from today to drive the tankers will help the situation. In my opinion it has been badly mismanaged by the government (why wait so long to get the military involved?)

I was thinking how life seems to be back to normal now, post Covid. It has been a long time coming and thank goodness for the vaccinations. When I phoned Tommy today and he told me he went clubbing last night in Cambridge with his friends, I did not even have the slightest concern about Covid as he is fully vaccinated and has had the virus so life can carry on for him, which I am so pleased about. The past two years have robbed the youth of their education, their normal socialising and interpersonal skills, work opportunities... so it is right that they get back to having fun. You are only young once. 

Gavin is fine today, thank you for the concern shown for him yesterday. He is a bit sore but is not even limping or hobbling around. I think as one ages things can more easily go wrong when you are doing something like a marathon - I think back to 30 years ago when he and his running partner would have a huge pizza and beers the night before a marathon, to carbo-load! But then those were the days when we slathered ourselves in oil and lay in the sun....how times have changed with knowledge.

I have camera club tonight and our first competition. We do have many competitions in this club, both internal and inter-club ones, and consequently I spend quite a bit of time working on images to submit.