My images this time
Colleen is a volunteer on an internet site that helps find graves of people who have past on into the after life.
Some of her time is spent on the computer, but most of her time is spent shall we say in the field (Take that as Graveyards)
Recently these Churches and Graveyards are in and around our location or ten miles radius. Not all her research is done in fine weather. Though it is always good in sunshine this is not always so.
On one particular day recently Colleen had planned visits to two locations.
Armed with all her research papers she had printed off we got in the car after putting her camera gear in to it.
On the journey there the skies were becoming ominously dark with rain threatening clouds building over the countryside.
As normal there is always some type of waterproofs in the car should there be a need for them. And today it seemed they were going to be.
As we pulled into the first churchyard Colleen suggested to me we should get the waterproofs out and put them on. Though she did not say which just leaving it to me what to wear.
I got Colleen's out first, A heavy Black Polyurethane jacket, some matching waterproof trousers and a pair of waterproof short Blue boots (Not wellies though.)
I handed these to Colleen who sat in the front seat of the car. First on were her waterproof trousers after taking her normal shoes off. Putting her Blue boots on she zipped them up before standing up and pulling her trousers round her waist.
Now as she was standing Colleen pulled on her jacket. This one had a peaked hood so should it rain to heavily then her eyes would be protected from stray raindrops.
Now as she was standing she was prepared for anything!
My own choice of waterproofs my sound a little strange but they are practical.
Now was my turn to prepare for the incoming weather First a pair of Royal Blue waterproof trousers. Next my pair of Blue wellies. I tend to wear these under wellies but this is just personal preference. And finally a Royal Blue waterproof Inverness cape. Imagine a Sherlock Holmes cape but in modern Nylon Teflon coated material.
I bought this so when I am out and about with either the video camera or a stills camera they can be slung over my shoulder under the cape and not get wet! Method in buying one!
Now prepared Colleen grabbed her mobile phone which had the plan of the Graveyard. Yes a plan like Google earth! We had to find Five graves but as usually the case they were spread out all over the place.
As this was a big cemetery there was a lot of walking to be done!
And of course this is when the heavens decided to open!
Spots of rain first nothing to mega. Every now and then. Slowly growing in intensity.
To a Drizzle. Just enough to get damp. Now Colleen had decided to put the the hood of her rain jacket up over her head. The fine mist of water making her jacket shimmer slightly. The back of it slowly gathering droplets of water into trickles that ran down the black material.
At first this did not worry us as we both had been out in far worse conditions than this though not researching as now but that is another story.
Colleen continued to study the plan of the cemetery on her phone and indicated we should go a certain way. The Drizzle now starting to become light rain. The splat of water drops increasing in loudness on Colleen's Black jacket. Her waterproof trousers protecting her legs now.
My own cape was protecting the camera which as always was over my shoulder. The strap has a habit of sliding off the shiny material of the Inverness cape even with it's padded strap.
As we walked the rain was now hitting the backs of our waterproofs. With what seemed a good force to.
I had put the hood of the cape up about the same time Colleen had. And now I was glad I had.
Finding the first Grave Colleen asked for the camera to take images of the Gravestone for the internet site. Her back still to the rain that was now quite heavy.
The camera protected as she clicked away several times.
The rain now running off her jacket and hitting the grass behind her. My own cape doing the same at the bottom of my waterproof trousers. The ground beneath our feet becoming soggy and sticky.
The wellies I had chosen to wear wanted to sink into the ground as I stood there.
Both our boots squelched under the growing wetness of the ground as we moved away.
The next grave Colleen want to find according to the Cemetery plan was about a Hundred meters further away from where we were stood.
So off we went to find it.
This time after about ten minutes of searching both of us came to the conclusion that there was not a Gravestone or Grave marker where there should have been.
Now both our waterproofs were very wet but we were well protected from the elements. The trousers kept the bottom half of our bodies dry as did our boots.
If we had not worn them we would have been as soggy as the ground.
As we had done two out of the five graves there seemed no point in finishing so still looking at the plan Colleen wandered away again. The rain now coming straight down. Hitting our hoods and rolling down both sides of the our waterproofs. Even though the rain was cold to touch My cape was warm inside it as I suspect Colleen's jacket was.
We had now spent about an hour looking around this massive graveyard and most of that time it was wet!
And as I have said before our waterproofs were definitely need today.
Now having gave up the search for the other two graves We walked the quarter of a mile or so back to the car, The tarmac paths now like little rivers running down hill towards the entrance of the cemetery.
You could hear both our waterproof boots hit the path with a splash as we walked the now shortening distance back to the car.
We both got into the dry sanctuary of the car.
With difficulty Colleen took off her waterproof jacket and threw it behind her seat.
Sitting on her waterproof trousers she shook her hair from what had been the constraints of her hood.
My own cape was just as difficult to remove in the cramped .car.
We both decided not to remove our waterproof trousers as that to would have been difficult to. My cape joined Colleen's jacket and we would soon be ready to pull away from the car park. Colleen's trousers were silent on the seat as she moved around. Whilst mine crackled and made sounds that were a little hard to describe!
That was the end of Research for today.
A soggy fairly productive day and a day for waterproofs to be worn properly!
