Tuesday 30th August 2016

The endless hot spell goes on and on and on. We try to keep the garden watered, but have now emptied both the water butts are now empty, and we have resorted to the hosepipe and tap water.

This does mean that the plants, flower, bulbs and flowers need watering at least every other day, so we do it. I did it early Tuesday morning, mainly because it extended the feeling of being on holiday until the very last minute. Away in the south eat, the run rises and lights up the garden, awaking the insects and butterflies from their root. I could have stayed out all morning, but work calls.

While I eat breakfast, I read my mails, plan my day ahead, which will be mainly sitting at the dining room table. But it is better than airports. I do know that.

I have to walk to the doctors for an appointment to get some pills for the pain in my shoulder. I mean its a little better, but drugs would help I thought. And as Jools had the car, I would have to walk, which at ten in the morning would get the juices flowing one way or another.

I walk down Station Road and up the other side, cutting through the village to the surgery. I am sweating by the time I get there, which isn't a good look when the quack has such a keen interest in my weight. But he allows me some drugs, and after waiting to get them and paying a King's ransom for the 12 pills, I can go.

I go via the village shop for some crisps, as a sandwich isn't crispy enough without them. After many years of research, this is what I have found, and the foundation in my doctorate in crispology. From the shop I walk past the Red Lion, still up for sale, then along the lane which doubles as a national cycle route, but I survive, going pas the new either orchard or vinyard, still not sure, but I think its vines to be honest. The small plants are growing strong, but look very small compared to the supports that has been provided for them.

I come to the top of the dip, and coming this way it is a far longer way down and back up the other side. There seems to be no moisture in the ground at all, it is just so dry. Even at the bottom the mud had hardened to concrete.

I stop at the glade, but see no butterflies about, it is too warm and too near noon to see any really. So I walk back over the field to home.

I check on work, then after a pint of iced squash and make lunch; sandwiches with crisps, which is a fine feast and appeals to my inner child. It would have been perfect with strawberry jam, but them with pastrami its still pretty good.

The afternoon is the same of the morning, but with slightly higher temperatures and humidity. Which is nice.

When Jools comes home, we have leftover aubergine and pasta salad, which is good with a bottle of French IPA, which as 70cl, is far more than I can drink in one evening now. I nurse the three quarter pint that is left after dinner for most of the evening. I went down the sink this morning.

And that was your day; it ended with us watching a documentary on medieval illuminated manuscripts before sitting on the patio looking at the dazzling array of stars and planes flying east. It is around the day of the new moon, so the sky is very dark.