Midsummer Evening

J's PA S was back today, and helped J to finish the painting they started when she was last here two weeks. It's for the June art challenge at her care centre, to create an artwork which evokes long midsummer evenings. It's a small canvas and acrylic paint. S supports J hand over hand, and helps her to think about what kind of marks she is making, how to mix the colours she wants etc; we are so fortunate to have two PAs who are art therapists helping J with the creative activities she so enjoys. She hadn't painted with S for quite a long time - her hands are more difficult than they used to be - so she was delighted that this turned out so well. I really like it, I think the palette works beautifully to evoke the effect of low sun as a long, summer day draws to a close.

Meanwhile, I had some productive time in the garden, making a start at clearing some of the nettles and long grass overrunning the fruit bed. I cleared around the saskatoons and netted them, as the birds seem to like them, then attacked the tall nettles which had totally hidden some of the blackcurrants. I cleared enough to gain some access, which was encouraging, but there's a lot more to do. I picked more strawberries and raspberries, some of which we enjoyed for dessert, and re-organised the greenhouses so that all the tomatoes are in one, from which I've removed the staging, leaving the other, less sunny one for the seedlings, young plants and things I'm starting in pots undercover.