"Looking -Glass River"

Today we awoke to another very hot day.Just after midnight we had seen lightning and  heard thunder and a light  rain shower falling but there was no evidence of rain in the  garden just dusty streaks on the car windscreen.
I met my horticultural friends, C and J,  for lunch at the coolest place  we could  think of, namely the Bush Inn at Ovington, right on the  river Itchen.
The extra shows the view from our table of a little stream. The main shows the  view of the Itchen, taken  from a bridge, when we took a very short walk around the village. We then sat inside the pub for more refreshments as it was cooler there  than outside. As I drove home about 3pm my car thermometer read 35 C.  
This evening we went out looking again for glow worms. ( the third time in 8 days) this time  accompanied by an ecologist from the city council. We were rewarded for our efforts, finding  12 glowing females. We may have found a couple of them last time  but  the rest were in new locations, so we can say with confidence that we have found  33 individuals over the past eight days, which  is very exciting.

"Looking - Glass River"  by R L Stevenson

Smooth it glides upon its travel,
Here a wimple, there a gleam-
O the clean gravel!
O the smooth stream!

Sailing blossoms, silver fishes,
Pave pools as clear as air-
How a child wishes 
To live down there!

We can see our coloured faces
Floating on the  shaken pool
Down in cool places,
Dim and very cool;

Till a wind or water wrinkle, 
Dipping marten, plumping trout, 
Spreads in a twinkle
And blots all out..      

It could have been written about the river Itchen.