And so it begins...

I wandered round the garden at teatime, though it was rather too windy for the macro photos I had hoped to try, and found this year's first evidence of the annual red soldier beetle love-in. Before long, we will probably have huge swarms of these beetles all over the cow parsley, all doing their utmost to increase their numbers even further. 

It was a rather frustrating day, as I'd planned to achieve lots of gardening jobs while S was supporting J with meals, watercolour and massage. Unfortunately, my sciatica pain returned, after only low level aches for most of the week had allowed me to hope it was almost over, and I didn't feel able to be on my feet for long. Instead, I did some sewing: unglamorous mending, mostly, but later in the day, as the pain eased, I decided on a whim that I could cut out a summer top I've had ready to start for several years, the pattern already traced and fabric selected from the stash I acquired from my mum. It's now ready to sew, in stages when I can find a bit of time, and I'm keen to finish it before the end of the summer - an unexpected positive outcome from my day.