Let''s go fly a kite

It's a bit windy today. Steatham Common had this chap with a kite and someone with a huge kite surfing/paragliding kite. For the latter, I don't think the intention was to take off and fly over south London but to practise controlling the kite. As it was, the kite did take off lifting its "controller" over the path and almost into the trees. The kite was soon gathered and tamed and the person had a sit down and a drink, possibly contemplating not practising with the kite on the Common.

Our walk took us to The Rookery, too, where I was pleased to see newts and tadpoles in the pools. I wasn't too pleased to see kids with nets scooping them up, but they seemed to be releasing them after examination. I did similar when I was a kid and I remember scooping up sticklebacks in streams and, once, taking an eel home in a bucket to my puzzled parents. How on earth I managed to scoop an eel, I've no idea!

Today's been suitably lazy: a long phone chat with my brother to wish him happy birthday then sitting in the sun reading my book with Juno on my lap. I planted a foxglove and rescued some seedlings that the squirrels had turfed out of their pots. I couldn't rescue the pumpkin that had just germinated. The squirrel has had that. I also blasted the teazels with water – the aphids are gathering en masse. Where are the ladybirds? 

The great excitement of the day was a delivery of buns and bagels from Bunhead Bakes. Our favourite is the Rose and Cardamom one. As it was my first order, I got one of each of the buns to see which one we liked best.

In the evening, we had a  video chat with a friend up in Glasgow. It was nice to see him and know his family is all well.