The golden hour

The drought-stricken conditions continue. Too hot to walk our thick coated pup in the heat of the day. She is far more comfortable inside resting on the cool kitchen tiles.

In the early evening when the temperature has dropped we have walked her onto the heath. It is a wonderful time of day. Everyone takes pleasure in being outside, admiring the dried grasses, finding cobwebs, dawdling along, Mabel sniffing at the undergrowth, discovering information that we shall never know. It isn;t really a walk, it's an amble, a wander, a contemplation. Three generations together, happy in each others company.

It really is the golden hour. It reminds me of so many similar oaccasions over the years with family and with friends long gone now. I'm growing old and can look back at a lifetime of times like this that are so simple but so joyful. As we returned through the fields the man on the tractor gave us a wave. He was clearly enjoying the golden hour as much as us!

The weekend

The weather has been hanging around the 34 degree mark for a couple of weeks now and is not conducive to cooking or anything much else for that matter. On Friday we ordered a Turkish takeaway from the local restaurant and sat outside wuth family in the cool of the evening. It had been a fraught week for Himself and us all with illness and a rush to hospital in the middle of the night the previous weekend. After most of the week in hospital he was delighted to be back home.

On Saturday we went to the allotment to do some much-needed watering. It was futile, and unbearably hot. We sat in the shade of the hut for a while and then went home

Saturday night was football night so I was very late to bed. I'd intended an early morning swim on Sunday but completely overslept. Good weather at the weekends means a busy beach, something I'm usually at pains to avoid. Nevertheless, the sea was calling. There was a lovely coastal breeze and people were enjoying flinging themselves into the breaking waves. I joined them for a while. We sat by the water's edge and it was lovely to see everyone enjoying themselves.

There is always a boy digging a hole!

Cushions

We've been lounging in the shade under the gazebo and discovered that the outside seating that is left there, wooden and bamboo seats and loungers, are not remotely comfortable to sit on for any length of time. A quick look to see what was on offer online and I placed an order for a set of jungle cushions. Seemed appropriate!

Perhaps now the weather will cool!