Common Mallow

I decided on an easier day and, after cleaning out Shep, feeding the pots and filling the feeders, I started my catch up on journals, long overdue.  I've missed a great deal in a month!

This afternoon we watched the first event in the World Orienteering Sprint Champs, the Mixed Sprint Relay, in the town of Kolding in Denmark.  There are teams of four orienteers from each country, two men and two women, with the first runners in a mass start.  It was very exciting watching the action from camera angles on the ground and from drones.  The women went off first and Charlotte had a fantastic run to return in third place, just 35 seconds behind first place Lina Strand from Sweden.  Charlotte handed over to Ralph who kept his cool in a tricky route choice near the railway track when four of the 'big' runners took off down a dead end and lost 30-40 seconds.  Ralph pulled GB up in to second place to hand over to Kris who raced with the Swede all the way around the town course, overtaking him on the run in to send Megan off in first place.  Megan was up against 15 gold medals winner Tove Alexandersson and, despite pushing hard, was unable to keep in touch with her, finishing 1.02 minutes down, but in Silver position, woo hoo!  Well done Team GB!!

The next race, the Knock out Sprint is on Tuesday.

I am busy documenting the mini meadow as it grows and changes.  The campions are giving over to the loose strife just now and the remaining chicory just keeps on getting taller!  At least it isn't drowning out everything else this year.  My blip is the emerging mallow alongside garden sorrel.