Sailing away across the water

Camilla has returned from her US trip and this morning she entertained me with stories and observations as well as good coffee and freshly baked corn bread. Then I updated her with all the news about the project which she will be working with us on. It felt great to have her back with all her support and expertise and kindly ways.

Then I picked up all the A2 and A3 prints of my pictures of Stroud which are going to be used as illustrations at the public meetings starting next Saturday, while I am away on holiday. It is so good to see the pictures in high quality printed form. I then headed off to pick up all the mounting materials which we'd tested yesterday, only to have further talks with the supplier, and to then change my mind completely. He suggested some cheap frames which I didn't know existed, so I've ordered them and will collect them tomorrow afternoon. At least I will not have to go through the rather tricky mounting and gluing process which we'd anticipated.

On leaving the framing supplier I found myself with a few minutes free at the same swing-bridge where I'd seen the two geese crossing and which I'd blipped last Friday. Today I only had my macro lens on the camera and clicked away at odd subjects. When the swing-bridge closed to allow a narrowboat to pass by up the Sharpness canal, a gaggle of Canada geese swam across from the far bank, where they had been sitting on the grass, much like I was. I think they imagined I would feed them, as I am sure many passers by do. I took some very close-up pictures of their faces as they looked balefully at me, rather like dogs begging for titbits.

As the bridge swung shut again they suddenly headed off and just as they had arrived, they left together in close formation. I can imagine how important this must be particularly they are flying in formation on their migrations. I'm glad I could get so close to them and thought I would blip the face of one of them, but now I like the way they are together in their group, so have chosen this image today.

I have put two close-ups here on my Flickr gallery.