Red Admirable *

What a gorgeous day - 20C and roasting. we were in the water by 8.46am as it was high tide. The sea is still pretty fresh but silky and lovely. I'm trying to persuade Himself to come night-swimming as the phosphorescence is  said to be viewable - he's not keen.

We've pottered in the garden - hacking back brambles and looking for rat holes. We might have found one, now blocked. We watched a squadron of excited house martens bomb a kestrel, returning an hour later to do the same with a chough. The wasps have arrived, small and skinny and there seem to be insects everywhere, most trying to eat us. The passionflowers are running away with themselves and someone nearby was playing the trumpet with gusto and very badly. 

 I was delighted to see butterflies finally making an appearance - red admiral, tortoiseshell and peacock, all fluttering on this yellow flower whose name I've forgotten but is rampant and colourful and needs no tending.

Himself spent most of the morning trying to sort out the gearbox - frustrating but there are options.

* And apparently red admiral is a corruption of red admirable. Makes sense.

And well done Evolybab - it's an Inula hookerai or fleabane! Related to elecampane which is double the size. Thanks BAT.