Summer Recess?

There was a whole parliament of rooks took off from this field as I walked by - but there were only two left in sight in the time it takes to open the camera lens and press the shutter! So either the summer recess just began, or, at the very least, the The right honourable Mr Rook, chief whip, had gone home.

Took this just before I managed to fall in a bed of young nettles. As I was in short sleeves and crop trousers, I stung my hands, arms, legs and midrif. Ouch! - Though it has taken my mind off my sciatica!

On the other hand, had good news today: apparently, sales of one of my educational titles for primary schools has reached #9 in the top twenty of such books sold through book shops (as opposed to being sold directly by schools): 16,137 copies, that is! -- which, by a huge coincidence, is the exactly the same as the number of nettle stings I received! (Stop laughing!)