Shepherds' warning

It was a stunning start to the day as Bean and I walked up to the truck from our bedroom. The sunrise was shining through the trees and reflecting on all the windows in the truck and study.

Yet again it's a day with virtually no time for blip. My apologies. Rain will come and I will have hours to sit and enjoy your journals. Just now the crops continue to be the priority.

I've been picking courgettes, redcurrants and runner beans today. The beans are immediately being made into pickles (with onions, dates and spices). The redcurrants are in the freezer and I'll take them to G next week when I next work in her garden.

I was there earlier in the day, and the two of us did a huge amount of weeding. We had assumed it would take us two mornings to get on top of the weeds, but it was done in just over an hour, and we were able to get on with some of the other pressing jobs in her veg and fruit patches. She's been away for three weeks, and everything mounts up in the middle of summer. 

Bean meanwhile lay around at our feet, and occasionally played with Honey the spoodle who also lay around at our feet. They both had a lovely time in each other's and our company. Good garden dogs.

Thank you for the comments and stars for yesterday's blip. My toothache has returned, very mildly and intermittently. I have a dental appointment on standby in a fortnight so Nick can have another look if it's still bothering me.

The shepherds' warning amounted to about 200 raindrops. We need much more...