Amature photgraphers meetup

I own a SLR since the last 7 months. I totally enjoy using it and have put it to good use during each and every trip of mine. I am a self learner and only after the first 600 snaps was I able to come out of the auto mode. Since then I have never been back. Dublin had a great web site called meetup and i had joined it many months ago. There was an amateur photography group but I had never joined them on any meetup's. This weekend there was a small celebration at O'Connel street where the christmas lights would be turned on by the mayor. On the site, I saw the group had planned to meetup.So there, that gave me a good enough reason to pack up my camera,Lenses and the Tripod and got to the meet up place. There were a few of them. Some of them for the first time and many of them were long timers. They were talking about being here at the same place last year. Me being Mr.Hasty in spite of knowing that it will drizzle, forgot a few essential things. Like the lens hood,lens cleaning cloth and most important of all an UMBRELLA!! Mr.Richard in the group was a pro and he was guiding most of them on how to operate and the various settings that would be optimal. Mayor of Dublin and the Dublin City Council Corporator showed up there was the count down and then came the lights!! It was beautiful. I must admire the spirit of the people. At least a thousand had gathered there weathering the irritating chill drizzle and the six degree temperature. I met guys from Costa Rica and Philippines and shared my experiences with the camera. I very weired thing happened at the meetup; it was like as though its meant to happen.All the "Nikkonias" were one group and the "Cannonians" the other. Later both the sub groups went to a pub and I headed to Pennys for a little shopping for myself with a humble wish in my mind; "May the next amateur photographers meetup be on a much sunnier day"