Friday

We have had rain!!!

(thank you, Google, for the photograph)

Not much, not enough, but better than nothing and it looks as if there might be more on the way.  Let's hope so because yesterday was horrible and overnight was the warmest I can ever remember.  I put a towel over the bottom sheet and I still have to change and wash the sheet (and towel) today.  I suspect that everyone else, like me, feels drained and worn out this morning.

Back to yesterday.  Over Wednesday night I must have slept awkwardly and done something to my back because it was jolly uncomfortable all through yesterday and it's still not great today.  I do this now and again and it'll be OK in a few days' time, I know but just now it's 'grin and put up with it'.

Apart from the heat and trying to do as little as possible, Alex and I decided that the last thing we wanted to do was bus into town so instead I drove us out the the Hare for lunch and before, during and after we had a great chat about all sorts of things.  He's not sleeping either so we were both a bit bleary eyed.

He's bought himself a bike.  It's a really 'sensible' bike with a basket on the front.  He's also booked in for a training session as he's not really ridden on roads before.  The last time he used a bike he was both too young and too autistic-y to be safe on the roads but since then he's done the driving theory test so he knows what's what with signs, roundabouts, etc.  We're lucky - Chelmsford has plenty of dedicated cycle routes that can take you all around the town and Alex managed the route over to me with very little problems, riding through two parks and some residential roads, crossing the only main road he needed to cross at some traffic lights.

Apart from eating out, I did precious little other than some ironing first thing.

Today is ditto.  I thought it would be way too hot for the cleaner and she agreed so is coming on Monday instead when it should be much better.  I have to pop over to Beth and Alex's to pick up some washing and drop off some ironing.

Margaret, I was thinking about your tomatoes.  I had some that were given to me actually as tomatoes  from Italy by a friend and I harvested some of the seeds and grew plants the following year.  They were 'black' tomatoes, very fleshy but didn't taste great at all.  Then I remembered that they might be better for cooking, tried that and they were absolutely delicious fried, roasted, whatever.  It could be that it needed a few more days on the plant or it could be a cooking variety.  Maybe worth a try..

My first not-sungold might be ready to pick tomorrow.  I'm very curious as to what it will turn out like.  Some of the others are also starting to turn as well so I will soon be inundated.  Excellent!

Well, while I have been typing we've had more rain, there are a few little puddles on the stone circle and it looks as if there's more to come.  It feels fresher too so it looks as if 'Furnace Friday' won't be.   I'm glad: apart from wider issues, I'd been bracing myself up to go to the allotment today to water.  I didn't yesterday because of the heat and my stupid back so would have had to today.  However, with the rain we have had and the rain that should come, I won't bother now.

Is it cooler where you are too?

I'll close with another photo.  I bought a random box of summer bulby things in Aldi ages ago and here are two of the results.  The one in the foreground looks like a gladiolus and is much darker than it shows in the photograph but does anyone know what the fluffy looking one is, please?