Feet, flame, rubber plant

Trying to make the most of a non-rainy summer evening by sitting outside. Alexa assured me there would be no rain today, when I asked her at 10am, how very wrong she was!

Trying to ignore the flying ant (only one) as I sit outside with a glass of red wine (Fleurie I think it said) in hand. I can hear a bird of prey (unknown), an owl and about an hour ago there were some brief fireworks, shortly followed by the blues and twos (plus siren) racing along the top of the valley as I looked up at the horizon. The big sounds have been replaced by loud grasshopper thingys and the flames of the oil lamps coping with air bubbles. It feels pretty still. I’ve got a joss stick’Karma’ scent burning gently nearby. It reminds me of a very hot summer in Barcelona a few years ago and I find it strangely comforting.

After work I picked some cucumbers and tomatoes to add to the salad which will last all weekend. The butternut squash plant has grown the the roof of the poly tunnel and looks strong but, despite flowers (and my attempts to pollinate them) I’m not hopeful of actual fruit/veg. The early fruiting tomato plants are now dying back and looking rather wizened- I think they’d like to be out on the compost heap very soon.

No exciting plans this weekend but I guess if the weather holds there are a lot of urgent gardening jobs that need sorting. I think this will be remembered as an odd and quiet summer.