This week has been about recovery and some semblance of normality after a seriously unpleasant period of heat. Sadly it seems it was just a short reprieve as the thermometer slowly climbs back to rather unpleasant levels, although we are not expected to suffer 40 degree heat this time round. The catch this time is that "they" can't predict when this one will be over. So the forecast for the next couple of weeks is for daily highs over 30 degrees, but not too many nights over 20 degrees. We have to enjoy the respite while we can, so last night it was live music at the local pub.
It was the second visit by this rather impressive duo - she is a virtuoso singer, and he is a guitar teacher who is slowly getting into the idea that occasionally, if he has a nice neutral backing track of drums, he can let rip. Last night there was a bit of audience participation too!
For the garden plants, it is a bit of a respite too and a pot of day lilies decided that it was their time to shine - they have been stuck in this same recycled container for about 4 years now, and this year is definitely the best from them.
We rescued a six pack of pinks from a favourite discount store and planted them out before the last heatwave in a recycled container and a proper window box. The ones in the container are really giving it their best shot and looking quite wonderful!
I was doing some watering and found that the rhubarb was being used as a zone for a lot of indecent shield bug activity - the leaf was positively quivering with over 20 of the things. I don't think they caused the brown marks on the leaves, but I don't feel quite the same about that rhubarb plant at the moment!
Another insect that has been enjoying life recently was a newly hatched swallowtail butterfly that thought the Meadow was just the most wonderful place yesterday afternoon. It led me a merry dance trying to get a few photos of it, and while this one is quite good, I have to confess that it has been trimmed down from the original, where the butterfly was just a cream splodge near the middle!
Right now, it is 36 degrees in the garden (and 27 upstairs in the house), and this is just the start. For the coming week, any activity will be in the morning and the afternoons will be spent watching the Tour de France on television (no other cycle race will do) and working through trail camera photos and videos to share with you next weekend. There are only so many photos of scorched grass I can share with you, and there are cute baby badgers and fox cubs that will be far more entertaining than I can be!
Have a good week!
