Friday 31st July 2020

Last day of the month.

Hottest day of the year. So far.

Yes, it was damn hot when we got up, and got only hotter.

I'll be honest, I could have done some phys, and I was up in more than enough time to do so. In fact I was up at twenty past five, at sunrise.

I got up, fed the cats and put out birds seed, then sat on the top patio in the cool of the morning, watching birds and insects, coming and going. Sully came to lay beside me on the small table, while Jools slept on. The sun rose, the first rays hot me on my head, already hot to the touch, and as it rose, more and more of the garden was illuminated.

By the time Jools was up, and I made coffee and breakfast it was seven, and too late for phys.

There'll be other days. Cooler days. Less sweaty days.

We eat breakfast, drink second coffees and the sun gets higher and it gets warmer.

Man, it was hot.

Did I mention that? Well, it was.

Jools goes to Tesco, I carry on working, catching up on the final tasks I need to do, meaning that by midday, I was all caught up and nothing pending.

Jools returns with bulging shopping bags. She puts that away, then we have ham rolls for lunch, followed by white chocolate cookies.

And at half one I switch the laptop off, pack all my work stuff away. We discuss where it would be cooler: in the shelter? We retire to the lower patio and the shelter. It is damn hot.

Bugger this.

I go to the spare room which is in the shade of the house, and settle down to read.

My eyes go heavy, and I lay on my side.

Some time passes.

Jools, also lays down.

More time passes.

We wake at six in the evening, and I realise it is gone dinner time. So I cook fishcakes, baby new potatoes and stir fry.

Which was very nice.

But the day was still hot. Did I mention that already?

Anyway, we sit on the patio until eight, then go inside to watch Monty. And back outside once I had had a cold shower, to watch the moon rise and the stars come out. And sip sloe port.

That'll do, pig.