Chewing on my chair

Been a lazy day today, stuck into a William Ryan novel, 'The Bloody Meadow" set in 1935 Soviet Union, dark, atmospheric yet gallops along at a good pace.

The garden is buzzing with insects mostly benign, going about their business with no fuss and bothering no one. However not so benign are the wasps which have taken a great liking to my teak steamer chairs, probably because the wood is weathering and feathering and easy to munch on.

My elder son was away with my macro lens and I was left with a telephoto shot which at least kept me away from the business end, I watched as it chomped away for a good two minutes, then flew off.

We have great quantities of wasps but curiously enough have never had a nest in this house. Just as well as the one time I got one in the garden shed in Kinross, years ago, I thought it would be effective to spray it with lighter fluid and set it afire. It was indeed effective and why does a garden shed need a roof anyway, and the neighbours enjoyed the spectacle and it got the volunteer firefighters off their bums for the afternoon.

This is the last week of the almost three months of exam commotion, Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate, Selectivitat, and ESO4. The spaniards are exam mad, and the results don't arrive until early July so we have to wait to see if A has achieved his marks for Edinburgh, and J is stressing on levels for going to Stewarts Melville next year. So much pressure and a system that consigns all but the lucky few to the dole after uni anyway. There must be a better way of measuring and using the considerable talents of our younger generation.

Well thats my moan for the day over, Swiss Linda has arrived bearing wine so the evening is looking brighter.