Coffee with C

It's a long time since I had coffee with my lovely neighbour and gardening mentor across the road, and I've been sad about my apparent neglect. He's had a difficult time, with a significant hospital stay earlier in the year, and the care of his large and beautiful garden is now dependent on the efforts of a rota of live-in carers. He is glad to be there and able to do a little, but hates the lack of autonomy. We are still not doing any indoor visits, especially now that the signs suggest J's long-awaited surgery may not be far off and the Covid numbers are shooting up again, so I seized the opportunity to invite myself for coffee outside while it's hot and sunny. We sat looking over the gravel garden with its glorious display of Californian poppies; I only took my compact camera, as I didn't want to give the impression I was really there to photograph his flowers, but I framed some quick shots while the kettle was boiling. It was good to be there, enjoying the peace and the company, and I hope we will have plenty more days warm enough to sit outside.