Small Tortoiseshell

We had our first Sunday School for many, many years today. I used to do it when my own children were young but I don't think it's happened since then. Things are very different now. There were no DBS checks needed, the term safeguarding was never mentioned and there were no courses and tests to pass in order to be allowed to work with children and vulnerable adults in those days.

So, a chicken-and-egg situation. Only a couple of families bring children to church but with something interesting for them to be doing, more may follow. We'll see how things evolve. 

At the lodge the weather was too unpredictable for painting so The Man pressure-washed more wood to remove algae and I chased around after butterflies shoveled up 3 huge bags of leaves from the parking area. So annoying to have a thick carpet of dead leaves on our property when we only have one small deciduous acer!

This is a small tortoiseshell that has overwintered, hence the battered wings. As when I last blipped a butterfly here, it's the dandelions that attract them, not the spring flowering bulbs.