Rain stops play

At 05:30 this morning, the sky just starting to lighten with the dawn. Surprisingly silent, no pitter patter of raindrops, no slosh slosh as a car drove by. For the first time in many days it was not raining.

I wet my arms and legs down and applied a layer of bug repellant, padded up my knees, tied on my blipping bandana and set off for an early safari.

I had just collected a set of images of the first bug of the day when I noticed the surface disturbance on the pond to my right. The rain had started. Sheltered under the broad leaves of a banana tree, I decided to press on and try for a portfolio. But alas, it was not to be and the rains became audible. I bagged my camera and made a hasty retreat to a sheltered stall at the top of the road.

Plenty of other people had the same idea, kids on the way to school, a woman on the way to the paddy fields and a guy out in search of breakfast. I ordered a cup of coffee and waited a few minutes while the novelty of the big white guy with the silly hat wore off. Time for a bit of street work. I just wish I had brought the 28-85 with me, but with it being heavily overcast and so early, I never anticipated anything but bugs today.

No rain depression here though, everyone is nattering away and just biding their time. A schoolboy working on his sweetheart, the farm girl chatting with her friend and me and the breakfast guy trying to communicate with each other. It was a bit like a bus stop scene back in the UK only more sociable.

Dave