Pre-dawn on Sunday found me, as usual, sitting in a car park waiting for Number Two Son to finish work. When he’s off in Canada squandering his cash on Youth Hostels and check shirts it will all seem worthwhile.
For the seconf week in a row the Pied Wagtails didn’t appear. Like all sensible beings they are obviously keen on sleeping until the last possible moment.

You see some interesting vans, but is that a spelling mistake? Oh yes, it is
By this time I had already been lost in Nottingham doing Julia a favour (giving one of her workmates a lift to work) because if you are getting up at 5am why not make it 4.45 so you can really deprive yourself of sleep? Sat Navs are OK, but in an unlit street in the pitch black of a winter morning it can be quite tricky being told you are there when you aren’t. My fault, I should have used the address instead of the postcode. Or I should have used a map and torch – they worked for years before we had satnavs.
At the moment I miss the sunrise, for photographic purposes, as we’re driving back as it takes hold. I’m hoping for better things in a month or so, when I may be able to get a few shots from the car park or somewhere similar.

Castle Donnington Services – a hint of dawn as exaggerated by the camera
As we drove home down a parking deprived stretch of dual carriageway we had the sight of the sky to our right coming to life with salmon pink light, silhouettes of trees and pylons, and breathtaking cloudscapes.
To our left the power station gleamed in shades of grey and silver against a backdrop of night sky.
We seemed to be driving down the junction of day and night.
Very strange, very memorable and very frustrating I couldn’t photograph it.
It was also very tempting to use words like cupola, but I didn’t. Some words are best left to Victorian poets and architects.
The rest of my day so far has consisted of reading WordPress, washing up and procrastinating. But mainly I have been avoiding thoughts of Christmas.
All that time, all that money and all that hope squandered on a couple of days that will do nothing to help refugees, global warming or my knees.
Scrooge, you say?
Bah! Humbug!
On a lighter note, I just did an internet-based quiz to check on my actual mental age, and find that due to my cautious optimism, life experience and forward-looking attitude I am a “Young Adult”. This, I feel, says more about internet-based quizzes and self-deception than it does about my mental age.
It’s a brown landscape here and not the usual freezing temps I am used to. Pretty bah-humbuggie here too. It’s been a busy time since the beginning of the month and I’m kinda done with it all. This being written on the Christmas Eve. Ah well, some of the kids come home, we eat, we stay late in PJs and we continue until they leave. I’m ready for January!
signed, Your bahhumbug bloggie friend.
Sounds very much like our Christmas – unstructured, relaxed and over-catered. I will enjoy it despite myself, but look forward to it ending…
It is a mistake to do those quizzes. You will be bombarded with emails now over the next few weeks because the internet is watching you.
Yesterday I wrote an email to my son who is living in New Zealand for a while. I told him that I was thinking of visiting him there next year.
This morning I received an email about holidays to New Zealand. It might be a coincidence but then again…
That is true – I really must write an email about needing a couple of million pounds…
Your fine word picture went some way to make up for the lack of camera work. I would have liked to have been driving with you at that time.
It was a fine sight. I keep wondering about a dashcam, but I expect it would just lead to disappointment.
The junction of day and night is an interesting and beautiful time to observe the sky and land. “We seemed to be driving down the junction of day and night” is a good phrase.
Thank you. It was an interesting thing to see.
https://pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/467-340-50c9f16b4fc49-13-j3cubchristmas-e1513598935352.jpg
Excellent drcorations – Have a Good Christmas!
And you as well!!
Young at heart. That’s what I tell myself as I stare at the old face in the mirror. 😉
You look young to me, as does Clif. I’ve always put it down to living in Maine.
Oh, many thanks!
🙂