Apparently I am Mad!

I met a man today. A stranger. I spoke to him. Setting the sceneIt's a miserable day. Wet, damp, cold. It's June, and I can only assume mother nature didn't get the memo that it's summer. Anyway, it's Scotland so we're used to random seasons. I grasped the opportunity to take the dog a walk as I'd calculated (unscientifically) that there was a short recess in the wet stuff. We headed towards the nature reserve a few minutes stroll from me — an elderly gentlemen was approaching us with his dog. I respectfully stepped off the narrow pavement to give him and his four-legged companion some space. The conversationI almost always say hello to people as I pass them, especially if they make eye contact. It's a social nicety. It's a quick exchange of pleasantries without interrupting my ambling. This time I felt inclined to make more use of my language. "Hello", said I, "I take it you're out in between rain showers?“ No response "Beautiful dog.... it's okay, mine is friendly and gets on with…