Friday, 18 May 2012
But not a case of early to rise the next morning.
Fitful dozing over a ten hour period doesn't quite deliver totally restful repose, and I woke up a couple of times to the pitter patter of sprinkling rain, and a couple of instances where drizzle was transformed into something between a shower and a downpour. Not for long, or at least not for long while consciousness prevailed, but long enough to raise serious questions about the day's activities.
I was up around six-thirty tapping out the travelogue, and an hour later, after a bit of speculation about the plans for the rest of the day, was quietly headed back to the cot for a bit more relaxed repose.
Drifting in and out of a pleasant doze the rainfall seemed to be continuing in fits and starts, and Madam's decision to have a shower around nine seemed to coincide with an end to the external precipitation, so once she was finished I took my turn in the rain room, an act that seemingly persuaded the drizzle to return in sympathy.
By ten I was set up with a cup of coffee, musing on the possibilities for the day if The Lion's Den was ruled out when the light improved, the drizzle lifted and, at 10:06 as I type this there's a patch of blue sky and wispy white (rather than grey or black) clouds over to my left.
It was around ten-thirty, having decided to avail ourselves of local knowledge and Internet access before we made a firm decision about what to do. The weather seemed to be hanging off, but by the time we'd parked at the Botanic Gardens it was back, not exactly a downpour, though there was a heavier scud while we were in there, more a gentle reminder that the clouds above held their share of condensation and were quite happy to distribute some of their allocation.