Tiny Tuesday Tortoiseshell

This relatively late season female tortoiseshell butterfly is noshing deep of the sedum plant in the front garden, under a brilliantly sunny sky. Considering yesterdays minor deluge it's been a lovely day today, and we've spent most of it in the garden. 

The Leylandii at the end of the garden have been ruthlessly reduced, and are now little more than trunks with a few straggly fronds. They were old when we moved in, and we've been waiting for them to die. While we were waiting they relentlessly continued to climb higher until desperate measures were our only option bar removing them - and there's a long breezy road behind us.

The shed's got a new coat of green too. And the windows have been washed, and I even took to the limit of the ladder and washed down the fascia at the rear. Looks fab now, but of course there's a bit of builders dust going on round here...

Finally Morrigan went solo again, ready for this weekends Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride in aid of men's health and prostate cancer research. Please don't any daughter ask me for a bike lift again. Now to look for my tweed jacket and cravat.