Big Spending Spree!

Yes, I should have been birding today, but I had to finish off my big shop for Autumn/Winter gear before the birds get really serious – mind you, can it get much more serious than a Lanceolated Warbler on Blakeney Point..... yesterday?! 😢I've never seen one anywhere.

Last night I flew over to my mother's to pick up three sacks of old paint tins and my first job this morning was to take them to the Recycling depot in King's Lynn, where there was a special event to dispose of household hazardous waste free of charge (all weekend). When I arrived at the depot, mother had added far more than tins of old paint in the sacks, which meant I had to rummage through and put all and sundry in different skips, which meant I didn't get away as quickly as I would have liked. Destination: Cambridge again!

On route with the sat nav, I ended up going through Watlington before getting onto the A10 when something bizarre happened. I was sitting at a T-junction waiting to turn right onto the A10, any other traffic should have been behind me or to my left to turn left – I was just about to turn right when a STUPID woman positioned herself close to my left and indicating right, pulled out across and in front of me to overtake me!!! No wonder there are road rage incidents! I was so gobsmacked, that I didn't even have time to give her any verbal abuse or shake my fists! After crossing in front of me, she than drove along the main road only a few yards before turning off left down a minor road and out of view. I'm glad I didn't have to drive behind her along the A10, I would have been tempted to overtake her! She needs to go back to driving school asap!

I decided to trial the park and ride at Milton (just north of Cambs) instead of going on the train this morning – I won't be doing this a second time! It took me longer to get to Milton than the train would have taken to get to Cambridge and I had queue to get in the park and ride! The train costs £7.50 return, the park and ride cost £1 to park and £3 for return bus fare to city centre and the cost of my petrol from my King's Lynn – comes to far more than £7.50!

I looked around all the outdoor wear shops, but ended up at Cotswold Outdoor where I bought a new pair of work of work trainers, which I desperately needed, new walking boots, the best wellingtons EVER – a pair of Muck Boot Arctic Sport unisex boots, new coat: a RAB jacket in black. I'm fed up with khaki green – black is the new green! Base layers, new Bridgedale socks, 2 new fleeces, a pair of waterproof over trousers and a waterproof light Gortex coat as the RAB coat is only showerproof. I also treated myself to a stunning designer ring by Gail Klevan, which I saw two trips ago in Cambridge and it was still there, it was obviously mean't to be for me!

I walked back to the designated park and ride bus stop in torrential rain – hair dripping wet as I got on the bus. Back at the car park, I had a coffee, before making the long journey home in miserable driving conditions, arriving back around 8.15pm.

Trying some of my purchases on again at home, I have changed my mind about three items! The Scarpa boots are not as roomy width wise as I first thought, so plan B is to buy a pair of boots I fell in love with in Morston Country Sports in Holt a week ago – I didn't buy them as they were insanely expensive, but I'm going back for them – life is too short! I didn't realise until I got home that the light Gortex coat does not have a 2 way zip and the Velcro around the wrists does allow me to wrap the cuffs tight (man's coat) – I tried this item on in haste just before the shop closed as I also did with the waterproof over trousers which are too big. So I will have to return to Cambridge again!