During my first year of PADing I would often go for a walk at lunchtime and find something to shoot. There are many examples in my 2010 and 2011 PAD Galleries. Last year, however, we had a very ugly time with a new budgeting system (amongst other things, which I've discussed in these Galleries previously) which resulted in me spending most lunchtimes at my desk.

Since about August I've made it a point to start getting out at lunchtime again. Partly to take a PAD, partly just to clear my head. Working from 5 AM to 6:30 PM as I had been doing is not exactly conducive to good health. Or to one's last vestiges of sanity.

On my walk this lunchtime I noticed that the USS Benfold (FFG 65, mentioned in yesterday's PAD) was being pulled out of her birth by tugs and preparing to go on her way after her visit for the 2013 Fleet Review. My original intention was to get some shots of that happening (which I did, and which I may put up in another gallery some day) but I had to admit that these two and their unusual coupling was a photo Op that I really couldn't let pass by. I therefore positioned myself to get a shot of them in their "book ended" position watching the Benfold depart.

Once cut loose by the tugs the Benfold slowed right down. The tugs then turned around to pull the Parramatta (FFH 154, also mentioned in yesterday's PAD) out of her berth. (Perth (FFH 157) and Daring (D32) had gone earlier in the day.) I assumed that Benfold was waiting for Parramatta, though the extraction procedure for Parramatta seemed to be taking a long time. In the end I gave up on it; even had they paired up the Benfold was too far away for my humble Olympus and the light too glary and hazy to get a decent shot of the two of them together.