Holly Blue

It was another sad day in our little corner of the Shire: one of our neighbours died a couple of weeks ago, and today R and I went to his funeral. I hope it was a comfort to his close and loving family that so many people wanted to pay their respects to B, and to share their stories of a life well-lived. We arrived twenty minutes before the funeral was due to start, and found the church already full to bursting; we managed to find a standing corner in which to tuck ourselves, but I gather that quite a few people weren't able to get in at all, and listened to the service through the open door.

Not being of a religious disposition, I find my own comfort at times like this in thinking about the greater scheme of things - I'm sure it wouldn't work for everyone to think of humans as just one element of the ecosystem, with its turning cycle of life and death, but I find it strangely calming. When I went out into the garden this morning in search of a photo I was happy - and, yes, comforted - to come across this second-brood Holly Blue, a month after I found the first evidence that the diligent industry of the first-brood females had borne fruit. This species used to be a rare sight in our garden, but it seems that we're now home to a dynasty.

This evening R and I went to an RSC Live performance of Measure for Measure at our local cinema. It's a very thought-provoking production, and the cast is excellent (especially Lucy Phelps and Sandy Grierson); if you get the chance to see it, I recommend it.