Phew - what a scorcher!...

...to quote a hackneyed headline.  The British summer is not conforming to its definition: two fine days and a thunderstorm.  We did have a humdinger of a storm one day this week, but it was only enough to put a foot or so of water in the main water butt.  Consequently, we are out with the hosepipe in the evening while we’re still allowed to, since the afternoon temperatures are routinely in the high 20s.  The good news is that the grass is growing more slowly.  It got a cut this week, its first since before our Swiss jaunt.  Of course, the rain wrought havoc on the roses, so we’ve been busy with the sécateur.

A pretty humdrum week hereabouts: a day at the hobby for me, a somewhat bruising blood test (normal: no action), and a trip to the dentist to get a filling replaced.  Feeling in need of a little treat today, I suggested a trip to a nearby lavender nursery, where we admired the display planting, and treated ourselves to a couple of new plants.

The hot weather seems to be bringing out the kamikaze drivers: in the course of half an hour’s drive this morning we had two emergency avoidances, eg a young man careering at us down a single track road at a good 40 and losing control when he saw us and slapped on the anchors.  And of course the usual complement of idiots nattering or texting on hand-held phones as they drove.  I can just about contemplate the point at which I take an account with a local taxi firm instead.

Less than two weeks still our next jolly jaunt, so we’ve been reviewing stocks of shorts and summer shirts.