Blowing hot and cold is just how it has been today. No rain but blazing hot one moment and then back to cold when the sun goes behind the clouds. 
Sorted out another cupboard before going through more photos to pick out some for my photo book. I was looking at last summer's pictures and it was sad to see how many wet or grey days there were. At least it has been a bit better this year.
I did quite a bit of weeding and cutting back in the garden. Might as well enjoy the sunny spells. The butterflies were out in force again, some of them were catching the sun on the wall of the outbuildings just like those garden ornaments people buy.
I noticed the swallow fledgelings making a few tentative flights in the outbuildings.
They then decided that the only way out of the place was through a closed window. They were panicking so much I quickly opened the window so that they could tumble out. They've spent the rest of the day flying above the garden with their parents. As I sat enjoying the late sunshine I noticed them make several abortive sorties back to their nest. The route is under the shelter and through a doorway and they didn't quite get there. An adult then tried going first but they wouldn't follow. I expect they'll have have managed it before nightfall.
The dragonflies have been around for the past 2 weeks. There were plenty of the smaller 1" damselflies around earlier whizzing round the garden like flashes of red or neon blue but the big boys have just started to patrol. This golden ringed dragonfly was following a regular patrol around the garden. At 4 1/2"long it is one of our bigger dragonflies.
Sorted out another cupboard before going through more photos to pick out some for my photo book. I was looking at last summer's pictures and it was sad to see how many wet or grey days there were. At least it has been a bit better this year.
I did quite a bit of weeding and cutting back in the garden. Might as well enjoy the sunny spells. The butterflies were out in force again, some of them were catching the sun on the wall of the outbuildings just like those garden ornaments people buy.
I noticed the swallow fledgelings making a few tentative flights in the outbuildings.
They then decided that the only way out of the place was through a closed window. They were panicking so much I quickly opened the window so that they could tumble out. They've spent the rest of the day flying above the garden with their parents. As I sat enjoying the late sunshine I noticed them make several abortive sorties back to their nest. The route is under the shelter and through a doorway and they didn't quite get there. An adult then tried going first but they wouldn't follow. I expect they'll have have managed it before nightfall.
The dragonflies have been around for the past 2 weeks. There were plenty of the smaller 1" damselflies around earlier whizzing round the garden like flashes of red or neon blue but the big boys have just started to patrol. This golden ringed dragonfly was following a regular patrol around the garden. At 4 1/2"long it is one of our bigger dragonflies.Finally, the kitchen is full of the smell of baking bread. I used to bake bread in the rayburn but it is a bit of a chore especially as my wrists aren't fantastic so I bought a bread maker on eBay. Being me it was the cheapest one I could find and didn't come with any instructions. I'm trying a recipe I found on line but not expecting too much because 1- I've used value flour not strong bread flour and 2- I used some old dried yeast that was lurking in the cupboard. Will let you know how it turns out tomorrow.
