Late summer

I did a recce for the walk I am leading on Wednesday. It's an easy 7 miler not too far from here.

The wild flowers in bloom indicate that the summer has moved on rapidly. Both rosebay willow herb and greater willow herb are out, as are spear thistles, creeping thistles, knapweed, ladies' bedstraw, yarrow and harebells. Even the meadowsweet is past its best.

Most of the high quality hay meadows have been cut: after 15th July is the usual date when they can be chopped. The meadow in my blip has not been touched and you can see why yellow rattle was so named.

I was home by 2pm and the afternoon was quiet. The evening was not.

Our dear friend, Jenny, was taken into hospital this afternoon. I won't rant about her treatment in recent weeks - it has been very poor - but today there was a long wait for a paramedic, then for an ambulance and a much longer wait in A & E at Cramlington.

Margret (next door) went to look after Jenny's husband, Dennis. He has Parkinson's and memory problems. She made him a meal. Then she really needed to have the TV on to provide a distraction from worrying about Jenny. One of the remote controls was missing.

Cue my involvement. I went over and helped to find it, then worked out how to put the TV on. (This was complicated by the fact that they have a smart TV and a Netflix box as well as a TV box. Three remotes had to be coordinated.) I managed it. Dennis and I watched the Commonwealth Games while Margret did some preparation for a talk.

Margaret (across the road) went to keep Mum company and was there when I returned briefly to see to bedtime jobs.

Margaret went home until I went back to sit with Dennis. Margret then came home.

Have you kept up??!!

I'm so glad that Jenny has been admitted and that appropriate tests are being carried out. She has been in agony with a presumptive diagnosis of sciatica. It looks as though something renal is awry instead.

If only GPs could see patients these days and examine them. Enough said.

Late update - Jenny has a fractured hip!