Grey against a grey sky

St John's church and its imposing spire form part of the view from my front door. Today - or rather this (early) evening - it is surrounded by a grey sky, layer upon layer of cloud, grey upon grey of gloom.

The main feature of my afternoon has been the midges. I spent over an hour grovelling in the front garden where there was no breath of air and no sun. I tried to ensure that there was no breath of carbon dioxide either (for that is what attracts the midges) but was exerting myself too much to hold my breath for long. No wonder our garden is a perennial mess: gardening is no pleasure in these circumstances.

Can you tell I'm a tad grumpy?