Rescue mission in the garden...

I haven't experienced temperatures in the upper 30s in Sheffield before. Walking out of the shady house into the blazing heat of the garden gave me an odd mix of feelings ... it felt like a holiday (stepping out of the house into the blazing sun in the south of France)... it also felt ominous, as it should do.

We managed to keep the house temperature in the mid-20s, while it was definitely in the upper 30s outside.

A huge pleasure, during the earlier part of the day, was getting into the paddling pool with Frieda. We splashed happily for some time in the cold water. After a while we realised that bees and other pollinators were using the toys as little rafts from which to take a much-needed drink from the pool. We both got fascinated, watching their careful maneouvres. When one fell in, I realised that it was perfectly able to swim, provided that a handy plastic toy was available to climb out on, before exhaustion could set in.

Later we retreated into the house to watch Bob the Builder and cool down. Frieda fell asleep sitting on the sofa, within ten minutes, and slept contentedly till Marianna arrived to pick her up.