Urban Scavangers

Lured by the absence of rain on the window and his Lordship, gone to the gym, I decided to cycle townwise and savour empty roads and sights unsullied by myriads of tourists.
There were few people about, but their place had been hijacked by screeching urban seagulls, fighting like thugs over food spilling from torn bin bags stacked outside restaurants.
Whereas householders have been provided with ugly plastic bins for their rubbish, many restaurants and take away food shops have to put out their rubbish in bin bags which are a magnet for large beaks and animal teeth.
The screaming of these birds must surely have wakened the sleeping residents of the upstairs flats.

Passing the same streets five hours later, the street orderlies had been busy and no vestige remained of the scattered mess, or the birds.

With a visit organised to his Lordship's brother in Perth, we drove by a circuitous route to Glendevon, Rumbling Bridge and Powmill, before meandering along a delightful, twisting road between rolling fields and pine forests to Dunning. Then on to Bridge of Earn and finally Perth.

At times we were high up on the Cleish hills and could see the curtains of rain sweeping in from as far away as Stirling, soaking the roads, before passing over and leaving the sun to dry everything again.

The journey home was straight and fast with no showers and a more settled look to the weather.

Now it's a glass of wine while we watch the Tour de France highlights.