Speckled Bush Cricket

or Leptophyes punctatissima was found in the flowers of the Antirrhinums by the back door. In fact I had taken a shot of the flowers and then discovered while looking at the photographs that this little creature was looking out from the top so decided that he could take centre stage today!

An easy blip as I have a scratched/infected eye. I tried to make an appointment at the surgery this morning but there was a mad Monday rush with patients after the weekend bagging the telephone so couldn't get through. I could have found a doctor at Boots the Chemist but it is difficult to drive at the moment and the eye has improved since yesterday so will try again tomorrow. I havn't been to the surgery for a couple of years so the feet are dragging!

T and N finished the field of oats yesterday and have started on a second and then it rained! The problem this year with the corn is that the crops closed down in April with the drought and then afterwards when the rain eventually came new shoots appeared so we have a plant with ripe and unripe grain and stalks on it. If we wait until the green has ripened the ripe grain will have fallen off so we shall just have to face large drying costs. The grain was 17 1/2 per cent moisture today up by 1 1/2 a couple of days ago when we decided not to combine!